THERE`S MORE TO FLORIDA THEN THE BIG MOOSE
EVERGLADES AND NAPLES TOUR
Andy and myself took a guided tour down to the Everglades . Have a look at the movie above to get an idea what a great day trip this was. We had a stop in the beach resort of Naples. Wild life was superb
Encounter the unspoiled Florida, in all its glory! In the heart of Central Florida, beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife!
The Florida Everglades region begins in central Florida, near Orlando, and ends near the Florida Keys. Everglades National Park is located at the southern end of the peninsula.
MANATEES
You would think that being a vegetarian wouldn’t pack on the pounds, but that certainly isn’t the case with manatees, which average 1,000 or more pounds and 10 feet in length. These gentle giants head for warm waters during the winter and gobble up seagrass. They seem to love putting on shows as they flip and flop their huge tails in rivers, inlets, boat basins and springs. They’re not going to win any beauty contests (I think the starfish have that category locked up), but they are adorable in all their pudgy glory and folks love to get up close and personal.
DOLPHINS
Sailing along in the Gulf, you’re apt to spot the gray Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Flipper was a bottlenose) as they frolic alongside. You can frolic with them yourself at numerous spots around the state, both in the wild and at aquariums and research centers. Your new best friend just might happen to weigh as much as 1,000 pounds, measure eight to 12 feet long and respond to sign-language hand cues.
SHARKS
Along Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coasts live an array of shark species, such as nurse sharks, bull sharks, blacktips, sandbar sharks and the great hammerhead shark. Shark attacks get plenty of press, but chances are extremely rare that you’ll be attacked. According to Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, humans are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than to be bitten by a shark. . Remember that sandbars are likely hangouts for sharks and that Florida’s shark “season” runs from April to October.
Andy with a wee local
BIRDS
You could say that Florida shorelines and inland waterways are going to the birds. Cormorants, snowy egrets and laughing gulls will all keep you transfixed. Gulls are gregarious birds that love to roost together.
Sandpipers seem to play to an audience as they form small flocks in shallow shoreline waters and run back and forth in the surf as they forage with their bills.
Pelicans definitely aren’t dainty eaters and their throat pouches can hold about three times more than their stomachs can. Certain species (such as American white pelicans) flock here during the winter months while brown pelicans can take the heat and are here year ‘round.
Ospreys as seen in the film above are common in the gulf area of Florida
NAPLES
Naples offers elegant resorts, golf, shopping, and art galleries; off its west coast Marco Island is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands near the Florida Everglades.
Pearly beaches, a wealth of top-notch golf courses, elegant resorts, cutting-edge restaurants and gorgeous shopping centers define the appealing escape from work-a-day doldrums that Naples volunteers. Like its namesake, Florida’s Naples dresses in Italian style that reflects in shimmering images from the plethora of waterways that brings an element of adventure to its air of privilege and affluence. In fact, one doesn’t have to wander far from Naples’ storied streets to plunge into the wildest and rawest of Florida nature in the Everglades.