Most are less than one kilometre long but the sights can entertain onlookers for hours. Flora ranges from mangroves to pinelands and hardwoods. White ibis cluster in marsh grass. Aerial gardens of epiphytes hang from royal palms. Hammocks of dwarf cypress trees stud the view with their wispy profiles.
Interpretive signs identify several species, such as the pond apple that alligators and turtles eat.
Tannins excreted from the mangroves' roots have dyed the water a rich, reddish brown. If not for the park-maintained boardwalk, the dense thickets would be impenetrable. Ironically, I encounter the greatest concentration of wildlife at Echo Pond, located only a short walking distance from the lodge. A chorus of bird songs rises from the pond's small island. Snowy egrets bob on branches while white ibis cluster in marsh grass and American coots skim over the water.