I got to do the first two days of this ramble with my son and his family . Nothing like getting to introduce the grandkids to the Everglades . Right at the first section of the walk this gator came zipping down the canal like he was late for dinner .
Then in quick succession , a good sized turtle ( mid pic ) , a gar and a cilchid . Unfortunately these two nonnative , invasive species of fish seemed to be predominant throughout the area .
There were enormous multi-colored grasshoppers everywhere along the paths and boardwalks .
The air plants were in full bloom with great color . They are a parasitic or symbiotic plant .
This turtle was quite a character and seemed to show up just for the kids . He swam up , pinned a flower down , and proceeded to take a few bites out of the flower , then slowly swam off .
I'm pretty sure this was a crocodile . It had the shortest body I've ever seen on an animal this size . Several people walked right by him , either not seeing him or thinking he was a log . When the kids spotted it , one lady said she wanted to follow them around because they had such sharp eyes .
Interestingly the Visitors Center had tarps you could use to cover your vehicle to protect your finish from buzzards roosting in the trees . Buzzards must have some pretty good paint remover they spread around .
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The next day the kids rented a boat and we went to the Florida Bay section of Everglades Park . Absolutely beautiful ! We fished our way around the Blackwater Sound . A couple of barracuda , a bonnethead shark , and a good sized nurse shark later and we went through a pass towards Duck Key .
Also known as Bird Island , this small key is a bird sanctuary and protected nesting site . About a hundred yard perimeter is clearly marked No Entry . The air over the island was filled with continuously circling birds .
North Nesting Key is a great hangout for the boating crowd . A dock , campground , and portable toilets are available . As hot as it was , I think the portolets would be a refuge of last resort .
The bottom here was not at all what I expected . It was a white , soft clay or marl . I sank in
up to about mid ankle , but then again I have plenty of ''ballast''. It was shallow and warm so we all jumped in and played for a while .
A great time was had by all , and all slept great that night .
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