Florida: Part II - Everglades

I thought I knew what the Everglades looked like already: deep, stinky, humid jungle with water everywhere and rare orchids attached to every tree trunk.  I think I had been misinformed as the Everglades reminded me more of my first look at the Serengeti, than of the jungle vision I had from Susan Orlean or the second season of Dexter.

This was not the best time of year to see wildlife.  On the famed Anhinga Trail, we saw only two alligators.

 9-29-12 - First alligator sighting (Photo Credit: Nathan King)

 9-29-12 - This guy was sleeping so close to the boardwalk, I could have touched him

9-29-12 - I think I'd like to be an Anhinga in my next life.

We drove all the way down to the coast and the Flamingo Visitor Center, then took a boat tour. 
 

 9-29-12 - Pa-hay-okee Overlook

9-29-12 - This the view that reminds me most of Serengeti

9-29-12 - River of Grass (Photo Credit: Nathan King)

 The boat tour was exciting because, in the same brackish canal, we saw one saltwater crocodile and one freshwater alligator.  Our guide assured us this was the only place in the world that we could see both.  We also learned of the ultra-toxic manchineel, which can burn right through your skin.  Fascinating.

 9-29-12 - Mangroves Everywhere

 9-29-12 - On a boat

The highlight of the boat trip, however, was seeing two dolphins so close that one of them spit on Nathan.

The next day we drove the Tamiami Trail to Shark Valley Visitor Center.  There is a 15-mile loop here where you can take a tram ride, walk, or bike and see wildlife and amazing scenery.  We'd just missed a tram, so decided to bike the whole trail.  Again, not an alligator in sight, until we stopped at the look-out tower at mile 6.5 and noticed a whole group of baby alligators perched on lilypads eating insects and calling for mom.

 9-30-12 - Baby Alligators

 9-30-12 - You'd probably look like this too if you were about to complete your first 15-mile bike ride!

 9-30-12 - Bike trail from the overlook

We ate lunch on the Miccosukee Indian reservation and I couldn't resist ordering a fried gator bite appetizer.  Nathan made me feel better by assuring me that the alligators were raised on farms, not shot as part of the airboat ride attraction.

9-30-12 - How I discovered that alligator tastes like less-chewy calamari.

Everglades was amazing, our next stop was Sanibel Island.