Being as unique as it, there’s little wonder why people from the world over visit the Florida Everglades. There are multiple habitats in the Everglades full of unique wildlife and vegetation that are an awesome sight to behold up close on a private airboat tour. Many people aren’t aware of how big of a role the Everglades play here and outside of South Florida. Here are some facts about this gem we call home!
It’s a river
Considered by many people to be only a swamp, the Everglades is actually a shallow, slow-moving river! It measures approximately 100 miles long and 60 miles wide, and runs from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay at the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula.
It provides drinking water to millions
That slow flow of water comes from Lake Okeechobee and soaks into the limestone rock on its way south, and is then stored in underground caves called aquifers. The Everglades feeds the Biscayne Aquifer, which provides drinking water to over 7 million people!
Alligators and crocodiles coexist here and nowhere else!
These two often-mistaken cousins, the American alligator and the American crocodile, both inhabit the Everglades. While being here puts them at extreme ends of the range they’re found in, the southernmost for alligators and farthest north for crocodiles, they don’t keep close company. Alligators prefer the freshwater areas of the Everglades located more inland, while crocodiles tend stay more toward the coastal areas.
It's the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds
During the Everglades dry season while the water is low, wading birds like the Great Blue Heron, roseatte spoonbill, and wood stork nest here in droves. The low water helps concentrate the fish and snails that these nesting birds feed on, helping them to feed their babies more easily.
It’s defined by water, and maintained by fire
The dry season isn’t just for the birds, but helps bring new life into the Everglades itself. Sawgrass fires improve water flow through its river basin, and fires in the pinelands and hammock areas help burn away species of trees whose shade keeps the pines from growing. In optimal conditions, the fires are smothered by the rainfall at the start of the wet season in May.
The Florida Everglades is a majestic place, both exciting and educational for families, photographers, and anyone with a love for the outdoors. If you’d like to know more or want to get out here and experience it firsthand, visit Mack’s Fish Camp in Miami and take a private airboat tour guided by fifth-generation Gladesmen.