Feature
Wildin' Out
Local biologist and wildlife filmmaker Zak Cole takes us on a virtual safari through some wild spots right in our own backyard.
- Rheya Tanner
- Fred Lopez
What would you get if you crossed Steve Irwin with Florida Man? You’d probably get Winter Garden’s own Zak Cole, a marine biologist, Orlando native, and lifelong animal toucher.
“I always got in trouble for picking up snakes I found in the backyard,” he says. “My dad told me I wasn’t allowed to touch an animal I couldn’t identify. In my mind, that meant all I had to do was learn to identify every animal.”
Now as a “ZooTuber,” Zak has turned his childhood curiosity into a career, teaching thousands about Florida’s incredible (and often misunderstood) wildlife. Which is exactly why The Local collaborated with Zak to create four outdoor adventures that leap off the page and onto your video screen.
ADVENTURE NO. 1
Lake Apopka Drive
Whether it’s a heron swallowing a snake, a gator the size of a minivan, or a colorful bird you didn’t even know existed, you’re guaranteed to see something new every time you visit the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Even better, you get to do it all from the comfort of your car.
“It’s essentially a Florida safari,” Zak says. “No other state has anything like this—and if they do, it’s not as good as ours.”
The Wildlife Drive is part of the Lake Apopka restoration efforts. It’s a one-way, 11-mile road through the reedy shallows of the lake, giving drivers (and bikers) the opportunity to see this important ecosystem in action.
“It showcases a diversity of wildlife that I don’t think people realize Florida has,” Zak says. “Yeah, there are hundreds of gators, but there are also river otters and bobcats. We have not one, but two different species of purple birds, and they’re hanging out together right here.”
Duration: 2-4 hours
Trip Tip: Get there as early as you can. You’ll still find plenty of gators in the afternoon, but the rarer animals are most active in the morning, before it gets too hot.
Wilding Out with Zak Cole | Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
ADVENTURE NO. 2
Scrub Point Preserve
It’s sandy. It’s sparse. It’s dry. There’s not much about it that feels like a scenic Florida trail. And that’s exactly what makes it so incredible.
“The ‘Florida scrub’ ecosystem is actually unique to Florida. It’s the remains of ancient sandbars from the last ice age, when Florida was underwater,” Zak says. “There’s nothing else on earth like it.”
What was once an ocean floor is now a sea of short trees and shrubs, overlooked by the rest of the world. What it lacks in shade, it makes up for in solitude. “You can’t hear traffic. You can’t hear anyone,” Zak says. “I’ve been there seven or eight times, and I’ve only ever seen one other person.”
Scrub Point’s trails are short, but they’re packed with interesting plants and animals to see, if you know where to look. “If I had to describe scrublands in one word, it’s ‘scrappy,’” he says. “They don’t have much, but they make it work. There’s something respectable about that.”
Duration: 30 mins to 2 hours
Trip Tip: The road to get there is steep, unmaintained, and riddled with potholes. Don’t bring your fancy sports car. But do bring shoes you can easily knock the sand out of.
Wilding Out with Zak Cole | Scrub Point Preserve
ADVENTURE NO. 3
The Springs of Crystal River
OK, this one isn’t right in your backyard, but it’s got one big thing that makes it worth the trip: It’s the only place in the U.S. where you can swim alongside wild manatees.
“You get to have interactions with a protected species, and maybe get a better sense of why the manatees hang out there,” says Zak. “Spring water is 72 degrees year-round; that’s pretty cold to us, but it’s more than enough to keep manatees warm in the winter.”
Peak manatee season is December to February, but there will still be plenty to swim with through April. But what about after that? The springs are just as clear and refreshing in the summer, and there’s no shortage of nature to enjoy. “The underwater root systems are like the freshwater version of coral reefs,” Zak says. “There are huge schools of fish, flocks of shore birds … if you’re lucky, you might even see a mermaid.”
Duration: 2-4 hours
Trip Tip: Three Sisters Springs is the most accessible, but it’s also the most crowded. King Springs is a little harder to get to, but you’ll get more time with more manatees. Call the Three Sisters Springs Visitor Center (352-228-4715) before you go to find out where the manatees are that day.
Wilding Out with Zak Cole | Crystal River
ADVENTURE NO. 4
Oakland Nature Preserve
Despite how impressive it is, with 4.5 miles of scenic trails weaving across 150 acres of untouched Florida landscapes, Oakland Nature Preserve is surprisingly little-known, even by locals.
“This is such a cool free resource that’s so astonishingly close by,” Zak says. “It’s literally seven minutes from downtown—I timed it.”
Just past the entrance gate is a visitor center, complete with a museum, ambassador animals, a garden, and a classroom to host educational programs for kids and adults alike. The convenience alone is a good enough reason to check it out at least once. But with so much to explore, you’ll need multiple visits to experience it all.
“There’s something magical about crossing the little wooden bridge over the river and looping through the forest trails,” Zak says. “It feels like a fairy tale, like you’re crossing into another world.”
Duration: 1-2 hours at a time—it’s worth coming back!
Trip Tip: This is one of the few places in central Florida to see fireflies. In fact, the Preserve has special evening hours during firefly season (which happens to be right now). Keep an eye out for official dates and times at oaklandnaturepreserve.org
Wilding Out with Zak Cole | Oakland Nature Preserve
Wild About Florida
Zak’s passion for Florida wildlife takes him all across the state to meet all kinds of animals, as well as the scientists who study them. And his passion for education compels him to film it all and post it on his YouTube show, WildFL.
- Zak Cole
- @WildFLZak
- @WildFLZak
