Day 165 – at Snook Bight Marina – visit to the Florida Everglades - December 18, 2011

We decided to take a ride through Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve today.  Our route took us across the state (west to east) on I-75, then south on US-27 and finally back across the state (east to west) on US-41.  This was a great trip.  The roadside parks in the Big Cypress National Preserve are very well done with very nice wooden boardwalks that take you into the Preserve.  We saw an amazing number of birds we have never seen before – we picked up a quick-reference card for southwest Florida birds that has been a great help in identifying them.  We also saw our first alligators – initially at one of the Big Cypress Preserve visitor centers and later along US-41.  I’m not sure how I feel being that close to alligators and I’m not sure how I’ll feel when I see them from the deck of Boreas – that might be just a bit too close to nature for me.  

            Miles: 0           Bridges: 0        Locks: 0

alligators along the boardwalk at the Oasis Visitor Center
in Big Cypress National Preserve

a least bittern (at least I think that's who he is) hanging out with the
alligators at the Oasis Visitor Center

another alligator in the Big Cypress National Preserve

these are Florida gar, swimming with the alligators at the Oasis Visitor Center

I'm not sure I'm ready to meet this guy at an anchorage here in Florida

cypress trees along the boardwalk at the Kirby Storter
Roadside Park in Big Cypress National Preserve

a snake (type unknown), curled up on a fallen tree just off the boardwalk
at the Kirby Storter Roadside Park

a white ibis hanging out in the Big Cypress Nation Preserve

this is an eagle nest in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve
State Park - the eagles who live in this nest have been
here in the Preserve since 1985

another one of those alligators - he is so still, as is the water, that it is
difficult to see what is real and what is reflection

we saw lots of these trees which look like they are full of bird nests - upon
further investigation (and help from a sign at the Big Cypress Bend
boardwalk) we now know they are not nests, but Epiphytes
or air plants (see description below)

an air plant along the Big Cypress Bend boardwalk

an air plant along the Kirby Storter Roadside Park boardwalk