Deep in the dark and mysterious swamps of the Florida everglades, legends of a bipedal bigfoot creature dubbed the "Skunk Ape" have gone back centuries, first by the Seminole and the Miccosukee tribes. Not only is the Florida Everglades home to the legendary "Skunk Ape" but also home to a Legendary man by the name of David Shealy.
Shealy has been an active field researcher in search of this elusive population of creatures for the past forty-eight years.
"My first Skunk Ape Sighting was in the Florida Everglades back in 1973. I was ten years old. I would never have guessed at that time it would turn into a lifetime career". "I can honestly say I would not have changed a thing." "My biggest disappointment was receiving absolutely no support from other researchers in the same field." Today, as far as I know, I'm the only person to retire from the field of Big Foot research in the united states of America. "I'm looking forward to speaking at the Skunk Ape conference in Punta Gorda on June 4th, this may be my last public speaking engagement."
Shealy continued, "There's been a lot of sightings all over Florida. The most published story was near Miami on Highway 27." A state trooper fired several shots at a Skunk Ape that disappeared in the sawgrass and was never found." Stories hear in the Big Cypress are abundant and date back hundreds of years." There are several stories of Skunk Ape's and hunting camps." The story that I remember most was of a Skunk Ape falling from a tree and crashing through the roof of a camp while hunters were playing cards in 1969."
Shealy is undoubtedly one of the most dedicated researchers in the bigfoot community. You have the armchair researchers that write about Bigfoot but don't have any experience in the wilderness sporting Indiana Jones-style garb. Then you have the field researchers who venture out a few times a year at best. Shealy is not afraid to venture daily through the Alligator-infested swamps in his Snake Boots and Outback hat, searching for bipedal tracks and other telltale signs of the Skunk Ape. His knowledge of the fauna and flora of the Everglades region is undoubtedly instilled in his blood. Shealy stated, "We have hunted and fished in the marsh behind us for four generations. "We have a connection with the land here that most people don’t understand—so many stories of the pioneer families that left Ochopee Prairie in the Everglades. Our legacy is still being written. There is always something to be said for the last men standing."
(Above) David Shealy's Grandfather Jack Shealy & the McQuaid's hunting Big Cypress swamp with the Hounds 1955.
Shealy's dedication has paid off, and he has gathered some intriguing findings over the years through blood, sweat, tears, and determination. He set up a few tree stands on his 30-acre property, watching for the Skunk Ape. On September 8, 1998, he was blessed with his second sighting. Sitting high in a tree and half asleep, “I heard something splashing in the water: splash, splash, splash,” “At first, I thought it was a person, but then I saw it from around 100 yards away coming toward me. It was a Skunk Ape, the same as I saw when I was a kid.” As it walked by, unaware of being observed, he shot several photos of it, watching it disappear into the nearby tree hummock. Later, he ventured back and made a concrete cast of its footprint, which sits in the gift shop at his "Skunk Ape Research Headquarters" in Ochopee.
On July 8, 2000, Shealy captured footage of one of the creatures in Ochopee’s Big Cypress National Preserve. Skeptics have dismissed the footage as someone dressed in a monkey suit running through tall grass, which is ludicrous (I will explain shortly due to my observations).
On November 11, 2020, My fiance Eric Breuer and I ventured to the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee, FL, to meet David. We were greeted by a lovely young lady at the entrance to the gift shop stocked with oodles of Skunk Ape and Everglades-themed gifts. Adjoining the gift shop is a fantastic animal exhibit home to baby Alligators, native snakes, an Alligator Snapping Turtle, and "Goldie," a gorgeous specimen of reticulated python that weighs around 350 pounds and stretches to an impressive 21 feet in length.
We walked around the animal exhibit as David shortly came in to greet us and kindly pulled up a couple of chairs for us to sit. When I sat down, I heard a loud "Thud" "Thud" sound. Much to my surprise, I looked behind where I was sitting to see an Alligator Snapping Turtle snapping away at the glass, warning me to stay back.
We joined David in conversation, and he proceeded to tell us about the hot July day he was lucky enough to capture footage of one of the Skunk Ape creatures. I am an excellent reader of body language, having interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses during my years of research on "Champ" of Lake Champlain and had heard David tell his experience and other experiences on Television programs and the internet.
When David tells you something, you can see the truth through his piercing blue eyes, and he never breaks eye contact. I was genuinely impressed. Eric is a retired State Trooper and has vast experience with individuals in the criminal justice system for twenty-five years. We both came to the same conclusion that Shealy is the real deal.
After hearing about David's encounters, we decided to venture out into the Everglades in hopes of getting a glimpse of one of these elusive creatures ourselves. Observing the thick brush and immense amount of uninhabited swamps of the area, I could see how there is more than enough habitat for a thriving population of these creatures and a vast amount of food sources available.
I thought back to the video Shealy captured on July 8, 2000, and realized that the tall grass areas in this location were around 12-18 inches underwater! Nobody in a monkey suit could run full speed with such ease through such terrain. Last year I received a phone call from a production company to participate in a program that analyzes video footage of an unknown phenomenon. I had watched the program on previous occasions, and their team of so-called "experts" scrutinized Shealy's video, stating the footage was a hoax.
I kindly declined the offer to be part of the production. Both Eric and I asked the producers if they had ever been to the location where Shealy captured his video. "No, we have not," was the reply. Eric said, "I will pay for a professional athlete to dress in a monkey suit and run through that area like the creature did in the video; it is impossible. The area is 12-18 inches underwater." One producer replied, " I think you have a valid point there, and we will look more into the case."
Still shot from the footage Shealy captured on July 8, 2000 of a Skunk Ape running though the Swamp. (Photo Courtesy of David Shealy).
As of last year, aside from my Lake Creature studies primarily on Lake Champlain, I have been venturing out into the swamps of Central and southern FL, where there have been several Skunk Ape sightings. It is an environment that I am getting used to with Alligators and venomous snakes galore, thus why I have a .357 Magnum strapped to my side. I have not had any success thus far finding tracks or catching a glimpse of one of these hairy creatures, but with a mentor like Shealy, who knows what lies ahead in the future.
Since last summer, Shealy has worked in the Florida Keys with Bronze Cannon Corp. on a detailed search for lost Spanish galleons and diving operations aboard the research vessel "Discoverer."
We need more dedicated field researchers in the world of Cryptozoology. Without the field researchers, new discoveries cannot be made just by quietly sitting in a chair. David Shealy is a prime example of results through hard work and dedication to the study with an immense sense of adventure.
Shealy will be speaking SATURDAY, June 4th, 2022, 9 AM – 6:30 PM at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference.
Location
Bayfront Center YMCA
750 West Retta Esplanade
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
(6) SWFL Skunk Ape Conference | Facebook
His new book is also available on Amazon.com.
Please visit The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters Website
The Skunk Ape is one cryptid I am familiar with but only in passing, I guess because it's obscure outside the Southeastern United States. Interesting reading about the people whose lives and worldviews have been effected so much by the quest for this entity, I do not use the term "quest" lately as I frequently compare both cryptozoology and ufology to Arthurian grail quests...
ReplyDeleteVery interesting piece indeed. Good luck on your search Katy. Ve
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