Wakulla Springs

Wakulla Springs is a large freshwater spring in northern Florida that releases roughly 400 million gallons of water daily. The system extends beneath the limestone landscape through a network of underwater channels to depths of about 150 meters.

Paleo-Indian hunters settled near the spring roughly 12,000 years ago and hunted mammoths and giant ground sloths. These early inhabitants left traces that archaeologists continue to find today.

Film crews have used this location as a shooting location since the 1930s for Tarzan movies and other Hollywood productions. The waters served directors as a natural backdrop for adventure stories and dramatic scenes.

The spring is located in a park with boat rentals and diving spots for experienced swimmers. Visitors should prepare for clear, cool water and local animals like alligators and fish that inhabit these waters.

Archaeologists have uncovered bones of extinct predators like saber-toothed tigers and short-faced bears in the sediments below the spring. These rare fossils provide clues about what wildlife looked like in this region during the ice age.