Last weekend, I was lucky enough to spend a day in the Florida Everglades. Wow!
I’d read about the Everglades as a kid and always wanted to see them. From an air boat of course – there’s no other way.
I have this dreadful habit of researching every place I visit – I fill my head with dates and facts and figures. For example, did you know that the Everglades is actually a slow moving river.. that’s right.. a river 60 miles wide and 100 miles long.
That’s the cold statistic – the reality is quite extraordinary.
The experience starts with the airboat – now there’s a thing. A massive V8 auto engine driving aircraft-style propellers pushing a flat bottomed boat over the water – with no moving parts below the waterline to get fouled by weeds and mud.
There’s a cage around the engine to protect it – and us – but nothing can keep the noise down.
The guides who took us stopped every now and then, turning the engine off so they could talk.
The boats travel fast to rise up out of the water – which in places is just a few inches deep. In other places – it’s feet deep. Deep enough to hide alligators.
On the list of things I didn’t know – gators are curious. The sounds of the boats will attract them – and a few came for a look see at us.
.
They are the top of the food chain in the Everglades – and pretty much afraid of nothing.
It’s easy to see why.
They look pre-historic – but strangely enough, they were’t scary.
Not really.
Of course, I was safe inside a big boat with a guide to look out for me.
It might be a very different story if I had been on my own.
.
In the 1800’s, it was decided to drain this pesky swap and make usable farm land. At the time they didn’t realize they were trying to drain a river.. oops!
They imported some Australians to help… not people, trees.
Melaleuca trees are known to absorb vast quantities of water – but not even the Melaleucas can drain a river and instead they are taking over – destroying the natural vegetation.
Killing the trees has become a major undertaking – and now vast numbers of the bleached white trunks are now a feature of the park.
.
The most amazing thing about the ‘Glades, apart from the alligators, is the saw grass.
This stuff grows in the water – it’s feet high and a person could lose themselves in there for days.
It’s called sawgrass for a reason. If you’re not careful, just brushing the grass will cause a really nasty cut. Which I guess brings me back to the alligators…..
Of course – one could always hope for the timely arrival of CSI Miami’s Horatio Caine and an airboat..
Now there’s a thought!
