Hi! I’m Josh, a photographer with Sarah Larae Photography and brother to Sarah Larae herself.
I did not know what to expect when my girlfriend and I booked our trip to Cumberland Island back in December. I had read about Spanish Moss hanging from White Oak trees and wild horses that roam the island. However, nothing could have really prepared me for the way the wild life and nature engulfed my senses and transported me to a place that was full of so many majestic experiences. The term Maritime Forest just does not do the place justice. I was within arm’s length of wild horses that were so big I felt like a child among adults. Armadillos would wander in camp and would not even pay a passing glance as they waddled under my hammock in the evenings. There were more than 300 active Sea Turtle nests on the island when I visited. They only allow red lights on the beach at night so the hatchlings do not get disoriented and have their best shot of making it to the ocean. The beach is so pristine and the only real hazard is the occasional horse apple from where a string of horses stroll along the beach towards dusk. The board walk leads you over dunes that separate the beach and the shore and is teaming with life. Wild hogs and deer are often sighted grazing on the sea oats and other beach grasses. The island is full of so much rich history. For thousands of years the island was visited by the Timucuan Indians for shellfish. In the 1500’s the Spanish friars and solders built a Catholic Mission and a large fort. Because it is part of the National Park Service it will be around for many more centuries to come. I cannot be more grateful for the experience and plan to visit again, soon.
