The Everglades

18^th Feb – Travel to Chokoloskee Island

An 80 mile drive took us further south, through Everglades City and across a causeway to Chokoloskee Island which is part of the Ten Thousand Islands Wildlife Refuge and within Everglades NP boundaries. From our campsite on the waterfront we could see the edge of Big Cypress National Preserve just across the bay.

19^th Feb – Chokoloskee and Everglades

As the Island is about one square miles it didn’t take too long to explore.  There was an interesting original building that used to be the “local store” which was set up as a local museum and where a local writer signed one of his books that Alison bought.

We also paid a visit to the Everglades Gulf Coast Visitor Centre and Paul did some fishing.

20^th Feb – Eastern River

The big freeze in the northern states tried to catch up with us.  Last night it was barely above freezing.  So we waited until it had warmed up in the afternoon before taking the kayak out to paddle the Eastern River trail in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. 

This whole area is protected with a series of different Reserves, Preserves, and Parks.

The river took us through mangrove tunnels to little lakes and then more mangrove tunnels.  It was quiet an exploration never knowing what we might come across.  We saw one alligator and many wading birds.  The trail goes all the way down to the Bay (up to 6 hrs paddle).

21st Feb – Boat Trip

 
It was too windy to attempt taking the kayak across the bay to the canoe trails in the Preserve. However, one of our neighbours, Scott, invited us to join him fishing on his boat. 

The Bay is one absolute maze of mangrove islands and inlets and we were glad Scott had GPS as we had no idea where we were.  Paul had some luck fishing – some Ladyfish which went back as not good eating, a flounder that also went back and a nice big Sea Trout which didn’t go back in.  Alison bird watched.  There were so many Osprey around – at least a dozen – as well as Heron and Egret.

22^nd Feb – Travel to Midway Campground

My, how the weather had warmed up in 48 hours!  Our next campsite was only 30 miles away and was right in the middle of the Big Cypress Preserve, and only 15 miles from the Everglades NP border.  It had a large pond where Paul had a go at fishing, without any luck. 

The view of the lake in the morning mist was stunning.

We spent the afternoon at the Oasis Visitor Centre where we got our first real encounter with large Alligators which were sunning themselves in the water canal just below the boardwalk.  There were also Gar fish, turtles and more wading birds. 

 

23^rd Feb – Loop Road

We drove the 26 mile scenic Loop Road stopping at regular intervals to watch the wildlife which was plentiful.  We hiked some of the Gator Hook Strand trail and encountered some beautiful clusters of dwarf cypress trees with air plants (mostly bromeliads) growing on them. 

Big Cypress is about one third cypress trees, most of which are the dwarf pond variety.  Most of the large Bald Cypress were logged in the first half of the 20^th century as the wood was not prone to rotting.  Completion of the Tamiami Trail (road between Tampa and Miami, hence the name) in 1928 meant access for logging companies and oil exploration in the region.

 

As the Loop road finished near the edge of the Everglades we drove down for a quick visit to Shark Valley.  We walked along the small canal and saw so many alligators and birds.  In order to build roads above the water level, trenches were dug resulting in parallel canals.  The winter is the dry season here and so wildlife was congregating near this water.  The opportunity for visitors and alligators to get so close to each other was surprising but I guess for the alligators living here it is like growing up next to a highway – you get used to continuous traffic and learn that if one veers off towards you, then you get out of the way fast.  So although the ‘gators look asleep as soon as a tourist gets too close they move – very quickly.  We were surprised at how close some people would get for a ‘photo opportunity’.

24^th Feb – Shark Valley – Everglades NP

At Shark Valley we listened to a Ranger talk and took the Tram ride on a 15 mile loop to an observation tower.  We saw some alligators and many birds.  Armed with a bird book we can identify nearly 20 different birds and tell the difference between a Great Egret, a Snowy Egret and a Great White Heron and a Little Blue Heron (which is white before it goes blue!).  The central region of   With up to 60 inches of rain in a 7 month period the banks of Lake Okeechobee, to the north, flood and the water begins its slow journey south through the Everglades and out to the Gulf of Mexico. Water management systems and water quality from outside the parks are of serious concern.  Water from Big Cypress also feeds into this area. 

southern Florida is a valley with the West coast at an elevation of around 18ft and the East coast around 26 ft above sea level.

25^th Feb – Turner River Scenic Drive

The Turner River Drive did not take long.  At our lunch break at the Visitor Centre we saw Manatee in the river which was at least 8 miles from the Bay.  We continue along the Tamiami Trail visiting the various points of interest.  One was a boardwalk through a grove of Old Cypress Trees that survived the loggers.

Tomorrow we would leave the Everglades and head for the Keys.