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It was one of the worst days in my adventure travel life. I stupidly had my GoPro filming as I was navigating a narrow stretch of cypress trees in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. An immature night heron caught my eye and I sharply turned the canoe to take a picture. My GoPro tipped over and fell into the bottom of the swamp. Thank god an Okefenokee Swamp bobcat sighting turned the tide.

Chilling and enjoying the view – See the log on the other shore? That is where he first appeared

Camping at Big Water

After a grueling ten mile paddle in low water from Stephen Foster State Park up ten miles to Big Water, I was ready to relax. I was also still bummed from losing my GoPro. I put my chair in the corner of the raised platform and enjoyed the sunset and the gorgeous view ahead of me and tried to forget the loss of my favorite electronic gadget. Although the sun set behind me, there were still beautiful colors ahead.

Big Water Camp – The site of the Okefenokee Swamp bobcat sighting

Okefenokee Swamp bobcat sighting

Suddenly I looked over to the other shore and spotted a dog like animal crawling along the bank. At first I thought it could be a panther. They have actually been a few sightings this far north. Then thought it could be a coyote. I grabbed my zoom lens and hoped it would come closer, so I could at least identify what animal it was.

Okefenokee Swamp bobcat sighting

I was afraid my movement to get my zoom lens would cause it to bolt into the swamp. Fortunately, the bobcat kept moving towards me. He then stopped and checked me out and turned. I saw the small tale and could clearly see that it was a bobcat. I was also able to snap about four pictures. He never ran into the swamp although he did take a detour around the shore directly across from me and then reappeared along the shore further down.

The Okefenokee Swamp bobcat approaches

Okefenokee Swamp bobcat sighting

There is that little tail – Bobcat checked off the bucket list

First wildcat takes a check off my bucket list

In this post:

Adventure travel bucket list

I wrote: I have never seen a wildcat before. I would love to see a tiger, puma, or even a bobcat. Well that item was finally checked off as this bobcat was my first wildcat. It made it more gratifying that the sighting was not from a car or a safari guide’s van, but in the wild on a trip that I had to bust my rear end off through swamps full of alligators.

Adventure on!

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