When my husband announces his intention to make me lose control and get into an unstable boat in waters laden with lizards, I put my foot down. I am prepared for any type of navigation. However, if I’m going to be in alligator territory, I’d rather not swim. Not that I have capsized a canoe, but there is always a first time.

Just north of Charleston, South Carolina, traverse miles of waterways that once formed a vast canal system. Now secluded as a wildlife sanctuary and nicknamed Old Santee Canal Park, the area is home to great egrets, little blue herons, moccasins, and scores of alligators. Trails wind around swampy ponds and through wet forests and wide walkways provide safe passage over thick green marshes and swamps. I long for exploration and will happily go for a walk, but I have no intention of getting close to a prehistoric green leviathan.

We agreed to put navigation in the background and explore the reserve from the safety of the boardwalk. Cyprus and sycamores tower overhead and pink mallow blooms in the swamp. I take note of my surroundings, mentally catalog the flora, and every once in a while I pause to see what fauna might peek through the tangled undergrowth. A black and yellow garden spider marks its territory, its body hanging upside down in a zipped cobweb. A monarch butterfly flutters my way. I look over the railing to follow his progress and there, in the reeds below me, lies a four-foot alligator. His eyes are black and his skin is the color of duck grass. I am overcome. Not with fear, mind you, with amazement. It seems so old, like a creature of the earth that time forgot. All of a sudden, I can’t get into that dump canoe fast enough.

We make a quick march back to the interpretive center and, for five dollars, we rent a boat. In minutes, we scrambled up and into the murky water.

Ospreys watch us from treetop nests and blue herons hunt mosquito fish in the shallow waters. Box turtles and yellow-bellied turtles bask on floating logs. We paddle to the confines of the canal system where wild rice grows and Spanish moss drips from the trees.

The channel narrows and we carefully navigate under a low green bridge. The air is still and warm and tickles my nose. I scan the shore for telltale crocodile slides. And then we see it, a ten foot beauty sleeping on the shore. Can not help myself; I want to get closer. We paddled once, hard, pulled our paddles out of the water and dove in silence. The reptile opens its eyes and, apparently unhappy with our intrusion into its nap, shifts its enormous weight, staggers in the water, and swims just below our canoe. I could easily touch it. My heart races. I am delighted and terrified. And then, just like that, he left.

It is not until later that I found out that alligators jump. We should never have ventured this close to that old man’s domain. I was afraid of capsizing my canoe and landing on their territory. In hindsight … I’m glad it didn’t land on mine.

PLEASE INFORMATION

Old Santee Canal Park is located in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, just ½ hour north of Charleston. The park includes hiking trails, observation decks, a boardwalk, canoe rentals, an interpretive center, a picnic shelter, a learning center, and the Berkley Museum. There are also tons of activities. It is open all year round from 9 a.m. M. At 5 p. M. (The Interpretation Center closes at 4:30). The cost is only $ 3 per person and children under 6 years old are free.

Old Santee Canal Park is not only a great place to see wildlife firsthand, it is also home to the Stony Landing Plantation, a beautiful 18th century home furnished with vintage reproduction furniture. Open for tours every day.

Dine on the canal at Gilligan’s Sea Food Restaurant in Monck’s Corner (just minutes from Old Santee Canal Park) where you will not only find the best hush pups on the planet, but also feast on sustainably harvested local shrimp and recycled oyster shells . . Yes, they replant the shells in the oyster beds, helping to ensure cleaner water and a happy diet for generations to come. Open from 11:00 to 21:00 and from 11:00 to 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.