The Wonders of Wakulla Springs

The Wonders of Wakulla Springs At the head of the Wakulla River is a mighty spring. It is one of the largest springs in the world. Out of its gaping mouths spills artesian water, enough water to slake the thirst of every person in the United States, 183 million gallons everyday. From the surface, one would not suspect the geologic marbles that make this possible. At the surface, Wakulla dances like many rivers as it pushes its mountains of water toward the Gulf of Mexico. As a promoter of life, Wakulla would be hard to equal its great size. The borders of the river more often swamp in embankments and it adds up to a vast wet land renowned for wildlife. Ancient bald cypress trees are settlers along the river. Their pumping knees rise up from water bound roots to exchange a lift of gas. “They exhale CO2 and inhale oxygen”, the expert say, “They breathe but they do not move”. The big cypress have witnessed a fascinating history of man at Wakulla. In recent years, they have seen the spring in its river frustrate man by running dark as often as they run clear. It will take several dry months to turn this coffee into June again but this will not deter the people who have traveled far to see this place. Don Gavin, one of the veterans here gives them his version of Wakulla. On the edge of the spring, in the same water with all the wildlife visitors escape the mid- day heat in Wakulla Spring’s 68 to 70 degree water. Temperatures that cool can make the teeth chatter. You don’t stay wet very long in a Florida spring. Wakulla has many swimming pools for the Eastern Panhandle for a hundred years. In the 1040s, Olympic champion Johnny Weissmuller used to relax after film shoots by diving of the tower into the main boil of the spring just as kids do today.