One of our favorite places to visit in Florida is the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.  The Refuge has over 17,000 protected acres and lies between three counties.  It is a way station for all sorts of migratory birds and butterflies, and is home to a lot of critters including black bears, bobcats, otters, and … yes, of course, alligators.  Since we moved to Florida in 1990, my husband and I have visited the Refuge numerous times, usually walking one of their well-maintained trails which takes you along dikes and bayous.

A couple of weeks ago, we decided to go out to the St. Marks Lighthouse.  The lighthouse was built in 1842 and is still being used, although currently it’s under renovation.

Our purpose in this trip was to scope out some good spots for photography.

I’m not making any claims about my photographic abilities, especially since I was just using my iPhone, but the video above and the photos below should give you a nice idea of what SMNWR has to offer.

So what is my husband looking for?  Ah, some of these little critters …

Fiddler Crabs at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge from Marie Bailey on Vimeo.