1300 October 29, 2025 UGA Aquarium

It was cloudy and chilly this morning.  The dampness was wearing off as I set out for a walk.  I walked the campground and then the paved roads in the park.  I saw one deer…

And then another appeared.

Tim walked a trail.

This morning, we went to see the University of Georgia Aquarium here on Skidaway Island.  This small facility has 13 ocean exhibits featuring marine life from the Georgia Coast. 

We saw this pair of seahorses, intertwined and moving together.  Most seahorse species are monogamous.   They have a daily ritual of dancing through the water.  It is thought to be a courtship ritual that may strengthen bonds.

There is a problem with litter in our ocean waters.  We could all do better!

Diamondback terrapins are native to this coastal area.  They live exclusively in this brackish water.

Oysters are an important part of the ecosystem.  They act to filter the water.  They also from reeflike structures along the shoreline that help to stabilize the land.

Blue crabs live here as well.

Watching fish swim is so soothing.

Lionfish have venomous spines.  They are an invasive species with no natural predators.  As they feed and their numbers increase, they can affect populations of other fish in a habitat.

We walked the nature trail. 

This huge live oak is more than 300 years old.  In 1950, scientists reinforced the tree with steel rods and cables to prevent it from being damaged by high winds. 

I took a bike ride this afternoon.  I cycled out of the park and saw a sign for a prayer labyrinth at the Methodist church.  I walked the path and as I walked I made a mental list of all of the things that I am grateful for.  A spiritual experience.

This evening, we took a picnic dinner to the Rodney Hall Boat Ramp.  We finally have some blue sky and some peeks of sunshine!

We enjoyed our meal and then walked around the park. 

We were surprised to read on an educational panel that there are manatees in the Skidaway River.  We had no idea that manatees came this far north!  As we were standing on the pier, we saw a manatee surface in the water…how cool is that!

The clouds were too dense at the horizon at sunset but the sky was beautiful before that.