Water movement in the swamp could be affected, upsetting its delicate ecological systems. Canoeing through these systems at a leisurely pace, one can easily see what's at stake. As inhospitable as the swamp can be to man, it teems with precious life. Alligators sun themselves on banks of the hammocks and canals or glide through the waters. Turtles balance on fallen tree trunks.
Gopher tortoises waddle through the meadows.
Partially submerged bullfrogs lurk in ambush of flying insects. Deer graze in the island uplands. Foxes gambol across meadows. Aquatic snakes peek out from under lily pads. Only a rare glimpse is ever caught of the swamp's population of black bears, but they leave territorial claw marks on trees and even on the timbers of boardwalk pavilions.