St Petersburg, FL/Naples-Marco Island Holiday Campground - Naples, FL
Our first stop was in St Pete.
We seem to learn something new every day in every place we visit. Some days, we learn multiple things about things we did not even know were things- like mangroves. This was our day to learn all about mangroves.
We learned about the red Mangroves (trees) as we walked through a mangrove area along the coastal area. We were really intrigued by their fascinating root system.
Mangrove forests are
productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. (The intertidal zone is the area where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides. Yep, I had to google that one.) Mangrove
forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot
withstand freezing temperatures. There are about 80 different species of
mangroves, all of which grow in areas with low-oxygen soil, where slow-moving
waters allow fine sediments to accumulate.
Many mangrove forests can be recognized by their dense tangle of
prop roots that make the trees appear to be standing on stilts above the water.
This tangle of roots allows the trees to handle the daily rise and fall of
tides, as most mangroves get flooded at least twice per day. The roots slow the
movement of tidal waters, causing sediments to settle out of the water and
build up on the muddy bottom. Mangrove forests stabilize the coastline, reducing
erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. The intricate root
system of mangroves also makes these forests attractive to fish and other
organisms seeking food and shelter from predators.
Mangrove forests live at the interface between the land, the
ocean, and the atmosphere. They are centers for the flow of energy and matter
between these systems. Mangroves have piqued the interest of many researchers because of
the various ecological functions of the mangrove ecosystems, including runoff
and flood prevention, storage and recycling of nutrients and wastes,
cultivation and energy conversion. The forests are major blue
carbon systems, storing considerable amounts of carbon in marine
sediments, thus becoming important regulators of climate change. Marine
microorganisms are key parts of these mangrove ecosystems. However, much
remains to be discovered about how mangrove microbiomes contribute to
high ecosystem productivity and efficient cycling of elements.
And to think, yesterday I had no idea what a mangrove was.
This was the first of a few alligators we saw on the bank of the disc golf park. Karma had already taken a few swims before we saw the alligator. He was a little disappointed when this ended his swimming for the day.
Stag horn Fern is a species most commonly cultivated as
an ornamental plant, since it is probably the easiest to grow. Native to
rainforests of Java, New Guinea and southeastern Australia, it does best with
year-round temperatures above 40°F, so it can only be grown in gardens with a
very mild climate (zones 9 and above) or as a house plant that can be moved
outdoors during the summer. It has naturalized in Florida. Staghorn fern makes
a great ornamental adornment for a wall indoors or seasonally outdoors in the
Midwest. This species was given the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of
Garden Merit in 1993.This particular plant caught our attention hanging in the campground where we stayed.
After Hurricane Ian hit the area, the sign is all that remains of the Coastal Everglades National Park Visitors Center.
Karma found some friends to play with at the Bonita dog beach. We found this dog park online and went to check it out. To get from the parking lot to the beach, we had to wade up a channel where the water was hip deep in some places. This was probably the best dog park and dog beach we have visited in our travels - even though access is unique. The beach area was blocked off on either end by mangroves. There was a nice, large beachy area surrounded by ocean in the front and thick mangroves behind it. The entire area was sealed off and completely private. Wading through the channel was literally the only way to access this area unless you approached the area by boat. There were several really friendly families with their dogs there during our visit. We had some very pleasant human interaction while the dogs enjoyed some rowdy canine time. We enjoyed a few hours at the beach, but we had not come as prepared as some folks. We set out to find something to eat and drink where our wet clothes were not a problem. We were definitely not looking our best, but we were getting pretty hungry. Hungry beats out vanity every time at our age.
Lisa was either invading the personal space of this alligator or giving him a dental exam. With her, you just never know...
The gators were hanging out in the swamp just doing what gators do.
Know what gators do in the swamp? Any darn thing they want to do!
Lisa was enjoying the scenery and the fabulous weather while riding on an airboat in the Everglades. The local native tour guide was keeping us entertained through the headphones sharing stories of his life and adventures growing up in the Everglades. He made the tour interesting and highly enjoyable. We came across his younger brother leading another tour. It was evident these two are full of mischief and have tons of funny stories to share. We might never know what was reality and what had been embellished upon in their storytelling, but we had a really great time.
We watched an alligator handler (another local native) give a lively presentation with this 12 foot alligator. He presented a lot of good information with a few funny stories thrown in the mix. It was well worth the stop and price of admission.
Lisa found a new friend for Karma to play with.
Strangler figs rob the host tree of nutrients by their strangling growth habit which eventually results in the death of the tree. Even though the strangler figs smother and outcompete the host, there is evidence which suggests trees encased by strangler figs are more likely to survive strong tropical storms.
Strangler figs produce valuable fruit for the wildlife and habitats for many species.
This approximately 8 foot alligator was making himself at home near the parking lot.
We travelled by airboat through the mangrove tunnels.
Lisa enjoyed cruising through the mangrove tunnels in an airboat while our tour guide kept us entertained and laughing.
This was a rare shot of both of us together.
This alligator in the Mangrove tunnels did not seem bothered by the tour group boating through his neighborhood. He did enjoy the snack the tour guide treated him to as we passed through. I am sure the treats helped ensure this guy made his appearance near our boat as we traveled past. I guess you can teach an old alligator new tricks.
We saw several osprey perched in the Mangroves during our airboat tour.
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