OCHOPEE, Fla. - We've all heard of Bigfoot and the debate over whether or not such a creature actually exists, but did you know that there may be such a thing as the "Sasquatch of South Florida?" It goes by the name Skunk Ape. If you're still skeptical, you can check in with Dave Shealy. My photojournalist Jason Sill and I decided to take a daytrip to the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters.

Shealy's research stretches back more than three decades and he's been collecting as much evidence as he can to prove to skeptics wrong. He tells us, "I've got tracks, I've got hair samples, I've got droppings, I've located dens, and I've even established what may be potential breeding grounds."

Dave owns and runs the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee. It is a store, museum, and exotic animal zoo all rolled into one. Shealy also runs the Trail Lakes Campground where he says he first encountered the Skunk Ape many years ago.

Shealy described that first encounter with us. He says, "I looked out and about a hundred yards away there was, what we'd heard about; a Skunk Ape. It was moving across the field. It looked like a man covered with hair."

Shealy describes a 7-foot beast, weighing about 300 pounds, with a unique, skunky smell. He says the smell likely comes from methane gas as the Skunk Ape hides out in alligator dens. He also says the methane gas helps to track the Skunk Ape in the swamp. "If you watch real careful you'll see bubbles coming up. That's the methane gas and that's the sign of a fresh trail," Shealy explains.

Shealy's lifelong search for the Skunk Ape has been well documented by himself and the media. He's been featured on television shows like "Unsolved Mysteries." While we were there, we even ran into a crew of film students from Orlando. The crew is shooting a documentary on the reclusive creature.

Justin Wootten, a film student at Full Sail is convinced. He says, "I was of course skeptical just like everybody else when I first came down here. But, I mean, it's here. It's got to be."

Suzette Zimomra, also with the film crew, says "We went back there into the marshes and thought that we saw things. We could've just been fooling ourselves, but we had a good time though."

Over the years, Shealy has collected pictures and video of the Skunk Ape. Whether you believe him or not, he challenges you to come out and check for yourself.

"It's drawn a lot of attention to the area, that's for sure; a lot of believers," says Shealy.

If you stop by and don't see the Skunk Ape, don't worry, you're not alone. But you can browse the shop for some Skunk Ape paraphernalia to show your friends when you go home.

The Research Center is open daily from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and its free.
The reptile and bird exhibit is only $3.

The Skunk Ape Research Center is located at the Trail Lakes Campground in Ochopee. It's along Highway 41 on the way to Miami, just east of Everglades City.

If you have any more questions or want to go camping too... give Dave a call at (239) 695-2275.