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.All Trips / Florida / North America / Southeastern USA
A Few Photos of Life in the Everglades
The slowly flowing, warm, River of Grass is teaming with life, although at times it’s hard to see it. A recommended place to spot wildlife within Everglades National Park is in Shark Valley. There is a lengthy elevated bike path in the area, which is shared by a tram. You can rent a bike and cycle around, stopping to see the alligators and birds, or you can sit back in the tram and let a biologist/guide educate you about what you’re seeing. Both options are very rewarding. There is no better place to immerse yourself in this UNESCO World Heritage ecosystem.
We visited Shark Valley a few months ago and had a wonderful experience. I previously published a …
.All Trips / Florida / North America
(Still Another) Gallery of Gators
Several years ago I did a blog post on alligators, which featured photos of some fine specimens I’d encountered in the Everglades, as well as a brief discussion of their life history. I’ve not a lot to add to that, but I did learn something interesting during my recent trip to the River of Grass. Alligator mothers protect their young hatchlings for up to 2 years. I had no idea that the maternal instinct was so strong in these reptiles. It makes sense for the survival of the species, because baby alligators are at the bottom of the food chain. The photo of a mother and her hatchlings below prove it.
Mother and baby alligators, Shark Valley
You won’t see alligators at every stop in the Everglades, but …
.All Trips / Florida / North America / Southeastern USA
A visit to the Everglade National Park: Shark Valley’s “River of Grass”
This is the last in a three part series highlighting a visit to Florida’s unique Everglades. The first part discussed the Cypress forests of the Everglades and the second part highlighted the coastal mangrove forests near Everglades City. Today I’d like to share with you a great example of the major component of the Everglades, the “River of Grass” — tens of thousands of acres of partially submerged sawgrass. Within this flat landscape are some small islands on which grow cypress, palm and gumbo-limbo trees.
The Everglades is characterized by a broad shallow river flowing from Lake Okeechobee into Florida Bay. This river averages 40-50 miles (75 km) in width, 6 in (15 cm) in depth and flows very slowly, …
