Fossiling the Peace or Suwannee

[Lee Taylor]

I have done a LOT of fossiling dives in the Cooper river. Perhaps over 100. In fact, I remember when Strawberry landing was well known amoung divers. I don't think it is even used any more. One day I may drive over and see if one can still use the property for a small fee.

You have sold me on the Suwanee. Sounds very similar to the Cooper, yet I am imagining it to be just a little smaller. With my level experience diving the Cooper I think the Suwanee will be just fine. My only real concern was if there was something horrible that should be known before taking the plunge.

I was looking at the Ashapoo river in the South Carolina Atlas tonight. It runs right into the Ace Basin. How was it? Do you remember?

Funny you mentioned Mepkin Abby. I know that area well and have dove it many times.

ps: we saw a Manatee in the Cooper one day. Shocked the hell outta us. Had no idea they came this far north.

 

[FLRiverDiver]

Unfortunately I do not remember much about the Ashapoo. As best I can recall without digging out old logs is that we only dove it once or twice and the conditions were not very good. I must not have found anything of note, as that would have made the dive easier to recall.

You have, being from the Charleston area, the same problem for diving the Suwannee we had when diving the Cooper---it's a bit too far to justify a trip over a weekend (though we did it a couple of times---a lot of night driving). Three day trips were good, as was having a place to stay when we got there.

I don't know how much you are into books, but if you think you will be doing any amount of diving the Suwannee, or any other river in FL (there are several other good ones), I recommend the following book:

Florida's Fossils by Robin C Brown. ISBN 0-910923-45-0

If your local library does not have, or cannot get a copy, it's well worth purchasing.

FLRiverDiver

 

[Lee Taylor]

I am planning a fossiling run on Venice and the Peace river next month. I will likely fossil the Edisto or Cooper next month also. Although, one of my Captain/boat owner/river guides is ill and out for the season. Another is non-responsive(some tend to get non-responsive when they have more bookings than they want or need). Yet another tends to hit the same site over and over and is constantly barking rules, rules, rules. So, all that said, I am looking at purchasing a boat, AND I can always do walk-ins, which I have not done in 15 years, BUT it IS available.

I will definitely look up the book. Thank you for the reference. I read, a LOT.

I have done the three day trips. I find them painful. I am in a position currently to take more time and make the trip more enjoyable, even in light of the financial markets and governments attempting to rape me repeatedly and then beat me to death. I have a LOT of fight left in me and I am not going down easy. Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, grew up close to here and I seem to hear the voice of his ghost saying, fight the bastards.

ps: I am in conversation with others, in a different forum, saying the Sante Fe is better than the Suwanee for fossiling. What is your take on this? What have you found in the Suwanee over the years?

 

[FLRiverDiver]

Mr. T,

I tend to disagree that the Santa Fe is better. At a time in the past it might have been arguable---but now I don't think so. Understand that all things considered the Santa Fe is, hands down, my favorite river. Also understand, that due to its' nature---that is being clear almost all the time, being fairly shallow (= no big boats to run you down), and just simply being such a beautiful river, that at one time was chocked full of fossils and artifacts, it has been dove heavily. Goodness, I can't count the times I have dove it over the years, or count the goodies I have found in it. I've been heard to say that when I die I don't want to go to heaven, but instead to the Santa Fe!

War story: One of my, long ago, diving buddies, long before I had met him, dove the Santa Fe (it was back in the 50's) using a single 72--which for an experienced diver in 20 feet or less equates to a bottom time approaching two hours. During that dive he collected 64 essentially perfect Paleo points. He didn't bother to pick up any of the archaic or woodland cultures points he came across, nor any broken points. Now you could dive all day and be very lucky to pick up (if you legally could!!) even a single Paleo point. Though not as drastic, the same can be said for fossils.

As for what I have found in the Suwannee over the years---that makes for quite a long list. Suwannee history, depending where along the river you are diving (covered in Robin's book indirectly, as for some reason that I never asked him, specifically excludes a discussion of the Suwannee). Anyway, as for fossils, various areas exposed strata range from approaching the Eocene (obviously marine fossils, as most of Florida was underwater until around the Miocene) to (of course) modern day trash. So, things to possibly find range from Eocene fossils all the way through Plio-Pleistocene fossils. On top of that comes Revolutionary war era artifacts (rare in the Suwannee), but not so rare---Colonial era atrifacts.

Getting back to my finds: some of all the above! What you probably will not find in the Suwannee---megalodon teeth. I've heard an occassional tale of one being found, but no personal knowledge. On the other hand, auriculatus show up once in awhile, but then they are Eocene to Miocene---strata exposed in several areas.

Time to head for home and supper,

Later,
FLRiverDiver