We met our contact, Victoria, at a local gas station, and she took us a mile or so west on US 41 to the boat ramp, where Steve was waiting with his airboat.
Steve was a reptile expert at a zoo in a past life, and he's lived in or around these swamps his entire life, so he is a fountain of knowledge. He knows the complete ecosystem backwards and forwards, and is not confident about the future of wildlife in the 'glades. It seems that python snakes have multiplied to the point that they have overwhelmed the available food supply. Ideally, the system is in balance, with little fish getting eaten by bigger fish, and so on, but the snakes have decimated the small game supply, so that the balance is upset. Owls and predatory birds no longer have small game to hunt, alligators no longer have food, bear and panthers (yes, panthers) are starving, but the pythons keep on eating. There are so many snakes now that they are turning cannibalistic to survive! All young animals are at increased risk due to their size and the increased number of predators.
Enough with the lecture.
We donned our earplugs and off we went down the River of Grass.
It was a beautiful morning, with the temperature at about 80 degrees F, and low humidity. Our tour started by cruising down one of the old man-made canals that crisscross the 'glades. A hundred years ago and more, development pressures wanted to drain and reclaim the Everglades, so a huge canal system was built to divert water to the ocean. It was soon realized that the death of the 'glades would be devastating, and the work was halted, but some canals remain as highways for 'gators and turtles and airboats.
We soon turned into the Sawgrass Prairie. It stretches for miles, and looks like you could walk across it. Indeed, the indians and spaniards did walk across because it is just inches deep. Of course, they would have had to contend with alligators, poisonous snakes, and mosquitos, but, hey....they did it!
One of the abandoned canals was home to this big male alligator. It seems that females station themselves at intervals along a waterway, and a male wanders up and down his domain, keeping an eye on his girls. This big boy is about 10 feet long. Some alligators have been documented to be 175 years old! Several males have been found with musket balls in them that have been dated back to pre Civil War days.
Our journey took us toward the "Lone Cypress Tree".
The open area around the base of the Cypress tree has been dug out over years by alligators nesting, and indeed a large Momma 'Gator was hiding in the shade. We tied up to the bank and had a good look at several baby alligators. These guys are about 10 to 12 inches long and were swimming without a care in the world!
About this time, the water pump on the 502 cubic inch Cadillac engine that powers the airboat decided to start leaking, allowing the water temperature in the engine to reach a dangerous level. Steve made a quick call on his cell phone and made arrangements for a rescue boat to be dispatched.
This gave us a chance to observe the birds in the trees, talk about the wildlife, and do it all in the shade of a big Cypress Tree! We also had an enjoyable conversation with Shane and Kaitlin from Australia, who were sharing the boat with us. A great young couple who are on their second US visit. Shane works in wildlife management in Perth, and Kaitlin is an executive assistant. Nice people!
Leaving our crippled boat behind, we continued our tour on a "backup".
The Shark River flows very, very slowly through the Everglades, about a mile or so a day, Steve told us. It is rare to see any current from above, but we stopped for a bit and floated so we could see a small ripple on the surface.
Heading back into an abandoned canal, we saw a thicket of.....apple trees! No one knows how or why or when, but there they are, growing with their feet in the fresh water!
As we approached the boat ramp at the end of our tour, we saw a young, four-foot-long alligator scarring for cover! We were told that it's unusual to see 'gators of this size at this time of year, because the babies are just now being born. However, the El Nino weather effected the rainfall in Florida as well as the temperatures over the winter, and some little ones were born "out of turn".
So we said goodby to our guide, Steve, with the promise of recommending The River Of Grass adventures. The company also runs Swamp Buggies, so we'll have something to do the next time we're here!
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