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Traducción próximamente.
Soy un esposo militar de 22 años y crecí
con una madre que trabajaba para la Marina.
He pasado toda mi vida moviéndome por el
mundo. Cuando mi esposo se retiró del
Cuerpo de Marines de los Estados Unidos,
nos instalamos en el sur de Florida.
Esta es mi 25ª mudanza doméstica y mi
Primer hogar permanente. No me preguntes
donde estoy desde. Realmente no lo se.
Tengo una licenciatura en Preservación
histórica y amo a los animales, la historia,
y al aire libre. He sido Capitán por un año.
Con más de 1000 horas en el agua.
La siguiente información sigue mi recorrido en hidrodeslizador por los Everglades. Puede que haya incluido o no varios temas durante el recorrido, dependiendo de lo que hayamos visto y de lo que haya tenido tiempo de cubrir. Mira mi blog para más información.
Si tiene alguna pregunta o comentario, no dude en ponerse en contacto conmigo. Gracias por hacer mi recorrido. Si no has hecho mi recorrido, espero verte pronto.
Captain KC
I am a military spouse of 22 years and grew
up with a mother who worked for the Navy.
I have spent my entire life moving around the
world. When my husband retired from the
US Marine Corps, we settled in South Florida.
This is my 25th household move and my
first permanent home. Don't ask me where I'm
from. I really don't know. I have a degree in
Historic Preservation and I love animals, history,
and the outdoors. I've been a Captain for a year
with over 1000 hours on the water.
The following information follows my airboat tour through the Everglades. I may or may not have included various subjects during the tour depending on what we may have seen and what I had time to cover. Check out my blog for more information.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for taking my tour. If you haven't taken my tour, then I hope to see you soon.
Capitán KC
CORMORANTES DOBLES CRESADOS
La palabra "Cormorán" es una combinación de dos palabras latinas que significan "Cuervo de mar". Estas son aves buceadoras. Nadan bajo el agua a profundidades de 30 pies (10 metros) y aguantan la respiración durante varios minutos mientras persiguen peces, anguilas y serpientes de agua.
Los negros sólidos son los machos y los dos tonificados son las hembras. Los cormoranes no tienen glándulas sebáceas como la mayoría de las aves acuáticas. Cuando salen del agua, están empapados y deben secarse antes de que puedan volar. A menudo los encontrarás con sus alas extendidas a medida que se secan al sol.
LOS EVERGLADES
Los Everglades fueron designados Patrimonio de la Humanidad en 1979 y abarcan 4.300 millas cuadradas (11.137 kilómetros cuadrados). Estos sitios están designados por tener un "valor universal excepcional".
Los Everglades originalmente abarcaban 11,000 millas cuadradas (28,490 kilómetros cuadrados) pero, más de la mitad se ha drenado para fines agrícolas y desarrollo urbano. La mayor parte de este desarrollo ha ocurrido en los últimos 140 años.
Nuestro recorrido hoy pasa por el Área de Manejo de Vida Silvestre Everglades y Francis Taylor y es patrullado por la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida. El Santuario del Parque Nacional Everglades comienza a 30 millas al sur de nosotros y cubre toda la parte suroeste del estado y es el desierto subtropical más grande que queda en los Estados Unidos.
LOS CANALES Y EL CUERPO EJÉRCITO DE INGENIEROS
Se han dragado muchos canales en los Everglades por un total de más de 1800 millas. El dragado comenzó en 1881 en el área del lago Okachobee para crear tierras secas para granjas y ranchos ganaderos. Se introdujo una draga con motor de vapor en 1906 y se agregó otra en 1907. Sin embargo, el drenaje no iba según lo planeado. Grandes huracanes e inundaciones en 1927 mataron a más de 3000 personas, lo que condujo a más canales. El Cuerpo de Ingenieros del Ejército se involucró en 1947 y continuó dragando en la década de 1960. Lo que todos no se dieron cuenta es que los Everglades no son un pantano. Es uno de los ríos más grandes y de flujo más lento del mundo. Algunas partes de los Everglades solo fluyen 3 pies por día. Otras partes tienen una velocidad de flujo de ¼ de milla por día. Pero, el cuerpo principal tarda 6 meses en fluir desde el extremo norte hacia el sur. Los Everglades también son uno de los ríos más anchos del mundo con 50 millas de ancho y uno de los más cortos con 100 millas de largo.
La mayoría de los canales tienen una cadena de islas en uno o ambos lados. Este es un subproducto del proceso de dragado. Las islas consisten en piedra caliza volcada, coral y tierra. Las semillas y la vegetación arrastradas por los vientos estacionales y los huracanes se han plantado en las islas y ahora sirven como hábitats exuberantes para muchas especies de aves, mamíferos y reptiles.
FILTRACIÓN NATURAL DE LAS EVERGLADES
La mayor parte de la hierba que nos rodea y durante la mayor parte del recorrido es hierba de totora. Este césped es solo un elemento en un sistema de filtración natural de niveles múltiples en los Everglades. Los totora filtran muchos de los fertilizantes y la escorrentía química de las áreas urbanas. El agua puede parecer oscura y turbia, pero eso es solo un reflejo del fondo de turba y limo. Debajo de la turba y el limo hay una capa de piedra caliza y debajo hay una capa de coral. Hace millones de años, todo esto era un océano de agua salada.
Hoy, los Everglades son un humedal de agua dulce y la principal fuente de agua es la lluvia. Cuando la lluvia tiene la oportunidad de filtrarse a través de todas esas capas, llega a un acuífero debajo del coral y esa es la principal fuente de agua del grifo para casi 8 millones de personas que viven en el sur de Florida.
Isla Buitre
Al doblar la curva después del primer sendero de velocidad estamos entrando en la Isla Buitre, llamada así por las buitres que descansan en estos árboles. Tenemos dos tipos de buitres; Buitres de Turquía y los Buitres Negros de América del Notre.
Los buitres de Turquía se identifican por sus cabezas rojas sin plumas y plumas blancas a lo largo de la parte inferior de su envergadura.
Los buitres negros de America del Notre se identifican por sus cabezas grises sin plumas y plumas blancas en las puntas de sus envergaduras.
Ambas especies son éxtasis, pero se alimentan principalmente de carroña y basura. No son quisquillosos. Uno de sus mecanismos de defensa es proyectar vómito sobre su agresor. Sin embargo, se encuentran entre las aves más limpias de los Everglades. Tomarán de 3 a 6 baños al día para bajar la temperatura de su cuerpo. Al anochecer, varios cientos de buitres volverán a posarse en estas islas.
Dependiendo de la época del año, las islas albergan varias otras especies de aves, como águilas pescadoras, limpkins, ibis blancas, garzas bueyeras, garzas blancas, garzas azules, garzas verdes, gallinulas moradas y anhingas.
IGUANAS VERDES
También puede ver Iguanas verdes tomando el sol en las ramas de los árboles sobre o cerca del agua. No dejes que el nombre te engañe. Algunos de los machos maduros son de color naranja brillante.
Las iguanas verdes no son nativas de Florida y son invasivas. Tenemos una población salvaje de iguanas en todo el sur de la Florida que apesta a los paisajes y la infraestructura. Las iguanas se enterrarán en el suelo, lo que puede provocar el colapso de las aceras y dañar las líneas subterráneas de energía y cables.
La lata puede crecer hasta 6 pies de largo y pesar hasta 20 libras. Los menores permanecen en grupos durante el primer año de sus vidas. Las iguanas machos en estos grupos a menudo usan sus propios cuerpos para proteger a las hembras de los depredadores y parecen ser la única especie de reptil que hace esto.
EL AGUJERO BRILLANTE
El agujero Shiner lleva el nombre de los Moonshiners, Bootleggers y Rum Runners que solían usar los Everglades para mover su producto. Este es un lugar popular para los caimanes. A veces los encontramos tomando el sol en la hierba o nadando en el medio.
FORAJIDOS
El canal que corta las hierbas en el borde noroeste del Shiner Hole se llama Jessie’s Trail. Este canal fue excavado a mano en la década de 1920 por corredores de ron durante la prohibición. Se conecta a una red completa de canales creando un mapa de carreteras en los Everglades. Puedes dirigirte hacia el oeste a Ft. Meyers y North hasta Lake Okochobee usando el sistema de canales. En el camino, pasarás por la antigua granja de un forajido llamado Edgar J. Watson. Era conocido por contratar personas para trabajar en su granja de caña de azúcar, pero morirían misteriosamente antes del día de pago. Después de la muerte de una joven que había estado trabajando en su granja en 1910, varios miembros de la comunidad le dispararon al Sr. Watson y su granja se quemó en el suelo unos años más tarde.
ALIGATOR FACTS
- There are 5 million alligators spread throughout the southeastern US. 1.5 million are in Florida.
- Alligators are very territorial. There are certain areas along the tour where we know they like to frequent. But, they can hold their breath for 4 – 6 hours depending on their age and the temperature of the water.
- Male alligators are solitary. Females and juveniles tend to stay together in small groups for protection.
- The bumps on their back are called scoots and retain sunlight and warmth like a solar panel. They are also made of bone and the hide is plated similar to a turtle shell. It acts as armor plating for protection.
- They have 40 teeth on top and 40 teeth on bottom. When they loose a tooth another one quickly replaces it. They can go through 3000 teeth in their lifetime.
- If you only see the alligator’s head above water, estimate the distance between their nostrils and eyelids in inches. Turn those inches into feet and you have the length of the alligator. Their tail accounts for half of their length.
- They can swim up to 35 miles per hour using their powerful tails to propel them through the water and their webbed feet to steer.
- The American Alligators grow up to 12 feet on average and 1000 pounds.
MATING SEASON/ NESTING FACTS
- Mating season for the alligators is in early summer.
- Females make nests in the tall grasses by flattening an area of grass or up on the banks of a man made island and will lay 35 – 50 eggs in the nest then cover the eggs in mud and grass. The females will remain very close to the nest and are extremely aggressive and protective of their nests.
- The temperature of the nest will determine the gender of the eggs. Temperatures below 86 degrees result in females and above 93 degrees result in males.
- Eggs hatch after 60-65 days. The babies will cry inside the eggs to alert the female that they are about to hatch. The female will scrape away the grass and mud and carefully carry that hatchlings in her mouth to the water.
- The hatchlings will remain in groups under the protection of the female for at least 3 months and sometimes up to a year.
- Hatchlings are 8 inches long when they hatch and will grow to a foot in their first year. They will grow another foot each year until they are 4 to 5 feet long. At this point their growth rate slows considerably to just a few inches a year but they never stop growing during their entire lifetime.
A little bit of history.
INDIGENOUS TRIBES
15,000 years ago, this region was a dry and arid landscape. Arawak Indians from the Caribbean and South America migrated up to this area and would later form the Calusa and the Tequesta Indian tribes. The pre-historic tribes adapted as the environment changed. 7,000 years ago, it began to get a bit muddy and 4,000 years ago, it began to flood into the wetlands we have today. The Arawak adapted and split into several tribes over thousands of years. The two largest tribes were the Calusa and Tequesta. They were highly civilized and advanced cultures with settlements at the mouths of the rivers leading into the Everglades.
Ponce de Leon and the Calusa Tribe: In The Eyes Of The "Fierce People"
In the 1500’s, Spanish explorers would spell the demise of the indigenous tribes through disease, war, and slavery. As the tribes began to dwindle in number, they retreated farther into the Everglades.
In the 1700’s, the Upper and Lower Creek Indians of Alabama and Georgia would also migrate south as they were pushed from their lands by European settlements. The Creeks along with stragglers from the Calusa and Tequesta and runaway Slaves would band together and form what we know today as the Seminole Indian Nation. Seminole means wild or runaway.
From 1816 to 1858, there would be three Seminole Wars fought between the Seminole Nation and the U.S. Army. Ask a Seminole, and they will tell you it was one war that lasted 40 years. Their population numbered over 6,000 but after the wars, there were less than 200 Seminole left. These survivors went deep into the Everglades and evaded the US military. Through their tenacity, they managed to maintain their culture, identity, and their freedom.
They established relations with the U.S. Government in 1930 and reorganized their government gaining Federal recognition in 1957. They are the ‘Unconquered Nation’ and today have a population of 4,000 in Florida. They are the only Native American Nation to have never signed a peace treaty with the U.S. Government.
Everglades Flora
CATTAIL GRASS
Cattail grass is a flat two-sided blade and smooth on both sides. The indigenous tribes had several uses for cattail. It is very strong and they would braid it into ropes and weave it into mats and baskets. It is also edible. The base of the grass is white and tastes like a mild celery. The center of the grass is fibrous and gauze like. They would use it to pack wounds and wrap injuries. Cattail does not root in the soil but has a free floating root system. Tufts or small islands of grass will separate from the main body and be repositioned by the wind.
SAWGRASS
Saw Grass is found throughout the Everglades. Saw grass is a three sided blade of grass with serrated edges on each side just like a knife. If you run your fingers up the length of the grass you can feel the teeth. But, if you run your fingers down the length of grass, the serrated edges can cut you to the bone. The grass has an oily surface. When the oils get into a cut, it burns and stings and is impossible to wash out.
MAIDENCANE
This grass is part of the bamboo family. It is very strong. Indigenous tribes used the grass to make arrow shafts, splint injuries, and when the grass grows to a length of 25 feet, makes an excellent fishing pole.
PICKEREL WEED
The entire plant is edible. The purple part of the stalk if filled with seeds that can be eaten raw or ground into a flour. The greens can be eaten raw like a salad or cooked like spinach.
SPATTERDOCK
The water lilies you see all around us are called Spatterdock or Cow Lilies. This is a very important plant out here in the Everglades. Spatterdock produces a yellow flower that is packed full of seeds and provide food for many animals including birds, otters, muskrats, raccoons, and deer just to name a few. Indigenous tribes would eat the roots of the Spatterdock and grind the seeds into flour for bread. The pulp of the stems and leaves can be used as an antiseptic. And, the stem of the Spatterdock can be used as a filtering straw to drink the water in the Everglades. As water is sucked through the stem, it will filter out most of the parasites and bacteria making the water safer to drink in an emergency.
Spatterdock grows to 6 feet in length so, when you see Spatterdock on top of the water then the depth must be 6 feet or less. But, the average depth of the Everglades is only 3.5 – 4 feet.
Where are all the animals?
INVASIVE SNAKES
Burmese Pythons were first spotted in the Everglades in the 1980’s. It is suspected that irresponsible pet owners let their snakes loose into the Everglades. A study was released in 2017 in which 400 Burmese pythons were collected from all 9 ecosystems throughout the Everglades and their DNA compared. They were found to all be 1st and 2nd cousins. This suggests that almost all the Burmese pythons in the Everglades come from one breeding pair.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew caused many fisheries to overflow and businesses and neighborhoods to flood releasing many species of fish as well as pets from homes and pet stores to find their way into the Everglades. Many of the species died out in the Everglades inhospitable conditions but some species are finding it rather to their liking. Since then, there has been an explosion in the invasive snake population. We now have over 500,000 Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Pythons, Red Tail Boa Constrictors, and Anacondas. They grow to extreme lengths and have no natural predators in the Everglades. They are eating everything in sight.
These snakes are decimating many species of birds, small mammals, deer, wild boar, and alligators.
From time to time Snake Round Ups occur. These events attract about 1500 hunters and usually catch between 60 and 150 snakes. That is not per hunter but for the entire event. They don't make a dent in the population but they do raise awareness and revenue for research.
The researchers capture about 150 snakes a month, genetically modify them and place trackers in them and then release them back to the wild. When these snakes mate, they produce sterile offspring. The trackers help discover where the snakes are traveling and congregating so that they can increase their monthly numbers. The program hopes to establish positive control over the invasive snake population in the next 20 to 30 years.
FISHING IN THE EVERGLADES
Nearly 300different species of fish are known to inhabit the freshwater marshes and marine coastline of Everglades National Park. Throughout our tour, you may see Bluegills, Mayan Cichlids, Large Mouth Bass and Peacock Bass, Spotted Garr, Snakehead Fish, and Oscars. The chart above is a placeholder while I gather my own fish photos.
The Everglades has freshwater, salt water, and brackish water. So, we have something for every type of fisherman.
ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES
The Everglades is the only environment in the US where the American Alligator and the American Crocodile co-exist. Alligators don’t have salt glands and can only survive in the fresh water areas of the Everglades. Crocodiles do have salt glands and can be found in the marshy, brackish waters and the coastal areas of the Everglades. There are areas where the fresh water turns brackish and both the Alligator and the Crocodile can be spotted.
Alligators are black in color and have wide snouts. Only the top row of teeth can be seen when their mouths are closed. Crocodiles are light grey in color, have a v-shaped narrow snout and all of their teeth, top and bottom, can be seen when their mouths are closed.
Crocodiles grow larger than alligators. Males can grow up to 20 feet and 2,000 lbs. Females grow up to 12 feet.
LIGHTNING IN THE EVERGLADES
Florida is known as the Lightning State. As you've seen on the tour, we have no shortage of Cattail Grass. When the Cattails dry out and decay, they produce methane gas. When lightning strikes in the Everglades, it can ignite the methane causing wide spread brush fires. This is nature’s way of keeping balance. Cattail grass can quickly spread and choke out waterways. The fires help control the Cattails and return nutrients back to the water.
SWAMP APPLE TREES
The trees growing straight up from the water are called Swamp Apple Trees. These trees produce a fruit six months out of the year but it is highly toxic and full of arsenic. The last month, the fruit ripens to a golden brown with dark spots. At this time it is safe for human consumption but it is a very bitter fruit. People who harvest the fruit usually make it into jams and jellies.
Indigenous tribes had several uses for the fruit. They would heat the pulp into a paste and apply it to open wounds. As the paste cooled and dried it would harden and seal the wound from infection. They would also use sauté the apple seeds in coconut oil, grind them into a paste and use this to treat head lice.
Today, pharmaceutical companies are investigating the properties of the seeds for cancer treatment.
GUMBO LIMBO TREES
The tall trees just beyond the apple trees are
Gumbo Limbo trees. If you are stranded in the
Everglades and looking for dry, solid ground,
look for these trees. That is the only place they
will grow.
If you happen upon some saw grass, poison ivy,
or anything else that burns, stings, or irritates,
strip the bark from the Gumbo Limbo and scrape
the back of the bark. Use this to make a paste and
apply to the affected skin. This will sooth the irritation.
PUMP STATIONS AND WATER MANAGEMENT
The white building at the end of the channel
is a pump station. We have 200 pump stations
spread throughout the Everglades. They regulate
the water levels in the waterways and canals
throughout South Florida and can pump up to
100,000,000 gallons of water per hour.
THANK YOU, AGAIN
It is my privilege to be a Captain here at the park and I thoroughly enjoy sharing this amazing environment with our guests. Hopefully, you had a fun, informative, and exciting time. But, I also invite constructive criticism. I have tried my best to check my facts but if you have any information to add or correct, I would appreciate your input. Just click the contact button.
Don’t forget to check in on social media and share your pictures. Please tag us in your post. We love to see and hear about our guests’ experiences. If you leave a review on Yelp or Trip Advisor, don’t forget to mention me, Captain KC.