Alligator Princess of America's Nile
Photo by Kirk Marsh
Alligator Princess of America's Nile is a documentary of the making of a documentary. Directed by Bill Belleville, a Florida author and filmmaker, Alligator Princess is about one woman's solo paddle trip along the St. Johns River in eastern Florida.
The adventurer was Michelle Thatcher, who navigated – alone &ndash through 310 miles of the St. Johns from Okeechobee County at the true headwaters in the densely-wooded Ft. Drum Creek northward to the broader waters known by most people.
Thatcher recorded her adventure, which authorities say is the longest known St. Johns kayak trip by one person.
"On my journey, I used a 14-foot Necky rec-touring kayak (Manitou 14) and packed away food, water, and camping gear for overnights. Sometimes, I camped on conservation land managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD).
"This river system is not quite as "known" or as domestic as most think. In addition to getting lost in the shallow, labyrinth of "Puzzle Lake," I also fought high winds and large white capped waves on the 12- by 9-mile Lake George, and explored remote, southerly canals where large 'gators routinely launched themselves into the water only feet from my kayak. (Gators often hang low in the water, and several times I paddled over their backs by accident.)"
