Zoos are great, but nothing beats watching tropical critters in their natural environment. Nowhere else in the U.S. but Everglades National Park can travellers see up to 200 species of birds, explore sawgrass prairies, hardwood hammocks and mangrove forests in one place. The Everglades is a sheet of fresh water, averaging about 30 cm deep and 80 km wide, that flows south from Lake Okeechobee near Orlando into Florida Bay. Within this ecosystem, Everglades National Park encompasses more than 600,000 hectares. The park provides a protected habitat for alligators, crocodiles, nesting birds, rare plants and hundreds of other species.
Visitors can pitch tents in campgrounds, sleep in houseboats or stay in a lodge.
Waterways and paths lead vacationers into the Everglades' diverse environments. At the marina, tour boats start their journeys down Buttonwood Canal to Coot Bay, a favourite destination for houseboaters and anglers. Mangroves arch their roots above the water like legs poised to step across the canal. Hence their nickname, the walking trees. As this five-kilometre waterway cuts through dense forests, it showcases some of the Everglades' creatures.