Divers in Our Lake

We've discovered two new members of our Savanna Club revue and both are divers.  However, I don't think I'll strapping on my tanks to join them since we've seen an alligator in the water.

This turtle was on the bank across the way.  You can see he's about as big as those cinder-blocks.  

Doesn't it look like his eyes are closed?

I had to look twice at my own photo to see if this was a two-headed turtle!

Every time I saw a little dark head sticking up and swimming, I thought it was a turtle.....not necessarily !  

There is a water bird called an anhinga that goes underwater to catch food.  I first saw them as we drove across the south part of Florida on Alligator Alley.

They do not have oil glands for waterproofing their feathers like most water birds, so when they swim their feathers get wet. This helps them dive and chase fish underwater.

However when they are above water, they must spread their wings to dry in the sun.  They can fly with wet feathers but not as well.  They hold them so still for what seems like hours.

The long tail has given the anhinga the nickname, "water turkey". It is also known as the snake-bird because of its snake-like neck.   (Snakes??  I don't even want to think about the possibility of water snakes out there!)