JT Spunk | Photography

Miami’s Truly Wild Side

Miami has a variety of attractions for tourists that revolve around animal and bird life. These include the Miami Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle and Miami Zoo. However even more attractive are the truly wild animals and birds that can be seen in South Florida. The Intracoastal waterway and other canals along the highways and roads plus numerous lakes in residential areas and along the highway attract birdlife particularly water fowl. For the best experience, South Florida, in the areas around Miami, has numerous parks where the truly wild can be seen.

In the Palm Beach area there is Grassy Waters Preserve, Marinelife of June Beach, Hungryland Boardwalk And Trail, John D. Macarthur Beach State Park, Okeeheelee Park Nature Center. In the Boca Raton Area there is Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and Fern Forest Nature Center.

In Hollywood there is Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park. Broward County has Tree Tops Park, while Greynolds Park is located on Miami Beach. Two of the parks that are easily accessible for those in the south Miami area are Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park.

Biscayne National Park is located at 9700 SW 328th St., Homestead. Ninety-five percent of this marine park is underwater and features colorful coral reefs and undeveloped keys in Biscayne Bay. Most of the keys are covered by mangroves and tropical hardwood hammocks. The park has a walkway along the seafront that is fringed with mangrove. It is a good location for seeing various species that associate with water, including ring-billed gulls, double crested cormorants, ruddy turnstones, woodpeckers and grackles. Fishing is allowed at designated areas in the park plus kayak and canoe rentals are available. The park is open from 7am to 5.30pm daily and entry to the park is free of charge.

Close to Biscayne Park is the Biscayne Boat Dock, which has a $5 entry fee. At the boat dock there is a small beach for swimming with lifeguards, rest rooms and a snack bar. For a more active afternoon or morning, saltwater fishing is allowed among the mangroves and along the walkway. For the birdwatcher, sapsuckers, ospreys, grebes and cormorants can be seen.

To get to Biscayne National Park take Florida’s Turnpike south to Exit 6 (Speedway Boulevard), turning left from the exit ramp and continuing south to Southwest 328th Street (North Canal Drive). Turn left and continue to the end of the road. The entrance is about approximately five miles on the left.

Everglades National Park covers over 1.4 million acres with a diverse habitat ranging from the marine and estuarine areas of Florida Bay to pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and vast sawgrass marshes and freshwater sloughs. The park offers the opportunity for a wide range of activities including; beach combing, birding, camping, diving, fishing, hiking, photography, ranger led activities, snorkeling, swimming and wildlife watching.

There are three campgrounds inside the park; Long Pine Key, Flamingo, and Chekika and all campgrounds are open year round. Canoes may be rented at Flamingo and Gulf Coast. Bicycling is permitted along the main park roads, on the Shark Valley tram road, on the Old Ingraham Highway, on Long Pine Key Nature Trail, and on the Snake Bight and Rowdy Bend trails at Flamingo. Visitor centers are located at the main entrance (west of Homestead), Royal Palm, Flamingo, Shark Valley, and Gulf Coast (south of Everglades City).

It is however in the area of wildlife watching that the Everglades National Park truly astounds. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded, seven of which are rare or endangered. Migrating birds use Everglades National Park both as critical wintering areas and as a stopover. Species include the Cape May warbler, peregrine falcon, bobolinks, and tree swallows. Wading birds you may encounter on a visit include the great white heron, great blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron, little blue heron, cattle egret, reddish egret, black-crowned night heron, yellow-crowned night heron, least bittern, glossy ibis, and the very colorful roseate spoonbill. Some birds of prey of the Everglades include the red-shouldered hawk and the barred owl. Along the mangrove island areas of Everglades National Park, you are likely to see an osprey dive into the water to catch a fish. About fifty pair of bald eagles, who also feed on fish, nest in the park. One of the most threatened birds in the park, is the Everglades or snail kite.

Anhinga Trail over Taylor Slough at Royal Palm is a good place to watch anhingas nest in the spring, as well as year-round viewing of herons, egrets, double-crested cormorants and white ibis. Eco Pond near Flamingo is a good place to observe herons, white ibis, roseate spoonbills, white-eyed vireos, red-shouldered hawks and numerous species of butterflies. From the Flamingo Visitor Center, you can see white pelicans, gulls, terns, shorebirds, white herons, reddish egrets and other birds along the fringe of the bay.

Over forty species of mammals are found in Everglades National Park. It is not uncommon to see white-tailed deer wading through the sawgrass prairie. The marsh rabbit is common in higher fresh water marshes, pinelands, and coastal prairies. Raccoons and opossums are common creatures throughout the park. The gray fox is most frequently seen near hardwood hammocks. River otters are commonly observed in the spring at the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley. The Florida Panther which is a subspecies of mountain lion is found in the park but elusive so rarely seen. The bobcat, unlike the endangered Florida panther, is common in Everglades National Park. Although primarily nocturnal, this small (15 – 25 lb.) short-tailed feline is frequently seen during daylight hours. It may be seen walking the Bear Lake Trail, the Snake Bight Trail, and the Main Park Road.

The West Indian manatee is a marine mammal that grows to 1,000 pounds and roams U.S. coastal waters from Louisiana to Virginia. In winter months they seek the warm waters of Florida Bay, where they are often seen by visitors. They can be frequently seen in Whitewater Bay, Hells Bay and along the west coast. Alligators are common throughout the fresh water marshes of the park, and occasionally enter the brackish waters of Florida Bay. The best time to see alligators in the park is during the winter dry season. At that time, they get together near the deeper water holes. All sizes and ages, from ten-inch babies to an occasional twenty-year-old, ten-foot-long adult, can be seen lounging on the bank along the Anhinga Trail.

To get to Everglades National Park take Florida’s Turnpike south to its end in Florida City. Turn right on Southwest 344th Street (Palm Drive), follow signs on Florida Highway 9336 to Everglades National Park.

About the Author

Brian Ramsey is the author of , Discovering the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago, and operates the web site , Outdoors Trinidad. For a free subscription to his monthly magazine Caribbean Outdoor Life, which features outdoor activities in the Caribbean plus advice on recreational activities, visit his site, Caribbean Outdoor Life

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