On the morning of our first full day in the Everglades we had a reservation for a park sponsored Backcountry Boat Tour. We had decided that to truly understand the ecology of the Everglades, where both salt and fresh water cover much of the surface, we were going to have to get out on the water. The tour starts on the man-made Buttonwood Canal that cuts through a mangrove forest, then crosses Coot Bay, and into Tarpon Creek. The Buttonwood Canal was dug in the 1920s to provide a quicker route for sport fisherman to access Whitewater Bay, a haven for game fish. Without the canal the sportsmen would have to cruise to the Gulf side of the lower peninsula. Whitewater Bay is the large body of water just above Flamingo, Florida on the first map below.

In their natural state, the eastern part of Whitewater Bay and the whole of Coot Bay were freshwater wetlands, with a bounty of marsh grasses that were a nursery for aquatic life. But the canal allowed for the tides of Florida Bay to push up the channel and into the freshwater habitats, which had disastrous environmental consequences. The saltwater caused the marsh grasses to die off, destroying the marine nursery, which resulted in dramatic declines in wildlife populations. Coots were not seen on Coot Bay for decades. The game fish all but disappeared. Eventually authorities realized the damage the canal did to the ecosystem, and in 1982, some 6 decades after construction of the canal, a dam, or “plug”, was placed at the mouth of the canal to prevent further saltwater intrusion. Ironically, for 25 years the dam has been home to an Osprey nest, perhaps as a symbol to its role in the recovery of the wetland.

Since the placement of the dam, the bays are improving, but their water is still saltier than their natural state.

With South Florida experiencing surprisingly cold temps and steady breezes, the mangrove trees lining the waterway, as seen in the title photo, acted as a wind break – a blessing on this chilly morning.

Soon after starting we came upon this Osprey perched in a mangrove tree feeding on a Yellow Jack fish. Ospreys are some of the most successful hunters in the animal kingdom, with over sixty percent of their attempts resulting in a catch.

Having a naturalist narrate the tour was a great way to get an understanding of the ecology of the region. For example, we learned that the general term “mangrove” actually includes four different species of trees, all from different plant families: Red Mangrove, White Mangrove, Black Mangrove, and Buttonwood. All these mangrove species, with their tightly clumped roots, play a critical role in stabilizing the shorelines during storms and acting as the nursery for many marine animals, giving them protection from predators.

On this cruise we noted three of the mangrove species. Black Mangrove was identified by the thin pneumatophores that poke up from the water. They are vertical growths arising from deeper horizontal roots and are believed to play a role in oxygen intake. The bark of the mature Black Mangrove is quite dark, giving it its name.

The Red Mangrove is also easily identified. It has aerial roots that drop down from the canopy, similar to fig trees.

On this view of the canal you can see some of the aerial roots of Red Mangroves reaching down into the water.

White Mangrove was also noted on this outing, and lacks any easily identifiable feature from a distance. Basically if a mangrove did not have aerial roots or pneumatophores, it was a White Mangrove.

Being on the boat also allowed us to see “air plants” up close for the first time. These are an assortment of bromelaids, members of the epiphyte group, plants that live on trees but do not take water or nutrition from the trees. Their presence contributed to the diversity of plant life that we were seeing and added to the tropical rainforest vibe.

The Buttonwood Canal led to Coot Bay, which was named for the American Coots that were common there in the precanal days. Unfortunately we did not see any Coots.

But a Bald Eagle came in to check us out.

From Coot Bay we sailed into Tarpon Creek, which more or less is an aquatic connection between the two larger bodies of water, Coot Bay and Whitewater Bay. It was basically a cruise between two mangrove forested islands.

Noted on the roots were some Mangrove Oysters. While these are much smaller than common oysters, they were an important food source for Native American tribes of the region.

Here we saw our first large collection of Everglades birdlife. The Anhinga was particularly common along this waterway. They are a diving bird that spears their fish prey with their pointed beak, something that we witnessed on several of our outings. Interestingly, they have no oil to protect their feathers from water. Once they get wet they can not fly and have to jump up out of the water to allow their feathers to dry, as this female was doing. Anhingas are also called Piano Birds, because of their white and black coloration, and Snake Birds, for how they swim with just their head above the surface of the water.

The female Anhinga has a brownish head and chest.

The male’s head is a deeper black. While not seen at this angle, the male also has white on its wings.

When we got to Whitewater Bay it became obvious where it got its name, as there were white caps on the wind-driven waves. With decreasing mangrove cover and greater exposure to the cold wind, I was not disappointed that this was our turn around point.

As we were returning to the marina we had a flyover by a flock of White Pelicans. These are one of the largest flying birds in the U.S., weighing 11 to 20 pounds. By comparison, the Brown Pelican weighs 6 to 12 pounds. Interestingly, they breed in the Pacific Northwest, the Upper Rockies, and Canada, but not near the ocean. They overwinter along the coasts of Florida, the Gulf coast, Southern California, Mexico, and Central America.

Their size struck us when we saw them on the mudflats of Florida Bay.

In Summary, our cruise through the mangrove wetlands was a very rewarding experience. Our naturalist guide gave us a good understanding of the habitat and the importance of mangroves to the health of coastal ecosystems. These areas are ecologically rich and home to a diverse wildlife population, allowing us to see some excellent birdlife on our 90 minute tour. The boat tour was a time efficient way to introduce us to the Everglades on our two day stay. The saga of the saltwater intrusion allowed by the canal, and its devastating impact on the Everglade’s fragile habitat, is a reminder that mankind’s behavior can have profound environmental consequences for our planet’s co-inhabitants.

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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.

Overview:

Location – 1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy, Homestead, FL 33034

Parking – Paved lot for 30+ cars.

Facilities – Yes

Cost – $35 for adults, $17.50 for children (5-12).

Kids – the cruise and wildlife spotting should be fun for kids of all ages.

Links:

https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=B4B97CA2-0F07-3BAB-D78A657BF1256AEF