The Florida Everglades and swamps are well known as Florida’s subtropical wilderness, yet, other than the name and general location, it remains a mystery to most travelers, and one of Florida’s best kept secrets. With unique vegetation and exciting wildlife, the Florida Everglades is amazing to see in person.

Sensitive ecosystems, including coral reefs, Biscayne Bay, coastal wetlands, Everglades marshes, hardwood hammocks and globally imperiled pine forests are so unique that two National Parks, a National Marine Sanctuary, Florida aquatic preserves and water conservation areas have been established within Miami-Dade, a …

Biscayne Bay is a shallow, clear water bay centered within the large metropolitan area of Miami on Florida’s lower southeast coast. The Biscayne Bay Habitat Focus Area extends nearly 50 miles from northern Dumfoundling Bay to southern Barnes Sound and Manatee Bay.

Renowned for its biodiversity, Biscayne National Park is made up of four ecosystems: coastal mangrove hammocks, Biscayne Bay’s shallow lagoon waters, coral limestone keys and the third-largest offshore reef in the world.

This is the case with a dive off Jupiter, Florida known as the Hole-in-the-Wall. Referred to by most locals as simply “The Hole,” the site is a cave within a deep-water ledge running north and south with a depth range of 120 on top to 147 feet at its deepest point.

Florida’s high point is 345 feet above sea level, the lowest of all fifty states. Thus it will never go completely underwater, even if all the ice sheets and glaciers on the planet melt, since a total meltdown of all the ice sheets glaciers would raise sea level 212 feet (65 meters).

The clearest fresh water lakes in Florida are spring-fed white sand bottom lakes. These lakes are smaller than the Harris Chain lakes and are mostly private or have limited access. These lakes are not as fertile as the large lakes, but they make up for it with less boating and fishing pressure.

Back then, only about 300 hardy pioneers lived in modern-day South Florida. There was really just one reason South Florida remained so unpleasant and so empty for so long: water. The region was simply too soggy and swampy for development. Its low-lying flatlands were too vulnerable to storms and floods.

Disney World opened on this date in 1971. Here’s how the theme park ended up in Orlando. But back when Walt Disney was looking for a place to create a larger, roomier version of Anaheim’s Disneyland, Orlando was mostly swampland. …

With high crime rates in South Florida, high taxes, etc, more and more people chose to leave Florida and find a better place to live and raise a family. And if nothing changes anytime soon, more people will leave Florida.

Swamp Wildlife This includes the rare Florida panther, an endangered subspecies of the cougar. The American Alligator is among one of the most common residents of Florida swamps. Dozens of species of turtles inhabit Florida swamps as well as tortoises and terrapins.

Deadliest animals in Florida

• The Brown Recluse.
• The Southern Black Widow.
• Bull Shark.
• Cottonmouth Snake (Water Moccasin)
• American Alligator.
• Wild Boar.
• Florida Panther.

Diet – Florida panthers are carnivores, which means they only eat meat. They primarily eat white-tailed deer and wild hogs, but smaller mammals such as raccoons, armadillos, and rabbits are also an important part of their diet.

While we often picture freshwater wetlands, there are also saltwater wetlands. Florida’s coastal areas are stabilized by wetlands, which serve as barriers and buffers against wind and waves. In these wetlands you’ll find mangroves, buttonwoods, seagrasses and other salt-tolerant trees and plants.

American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) are a shy and reclusive species. They live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean, and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida. They live in brackish or saltwater areas, and can be found in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps.

The Everglades

Alligators are primarily freshwater animals and they do not live in the ocean. While alligators can tolerate salt water for a few hours or even days, they are primarily freshwater animals, living in swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.

For pure bite strength, crocodiles beat alligators, no question. They beat all creatures whose bites have been evaluated, in fact. American alligators’ (Alligator mississippiensis) bites are only the sixth strongest on the planet, with psi of 2,980 pounds.

32 km/hMaximum, In The Water

Crocodiles tend to prefer salty waters, while alligators hang out in freshwater marshes. Interestingly, the Florida Everglades is the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles live together.

American alligator: 30 – 50 years

Alligators are not native to California. Alligators prefer fresh water but can sometimes handle brackish water and can be found in rivers, lakes and other small bodies of water.

The current world record alligator was taken by Mandy Stokes, of Thomaston, in August 2014. It measured 15 feet, 9 inches long and weighed 1,011.5 pounds. Stokes and her crew took the gator in Mill Creek, a tributary of the Alabama River.

Louisiana has the largest alligator population. The majority of American alligators inhabit Florida and Louisiana, with over a million alligators in each state. Southern Florida is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side.

7 Crocodilian Species That Are Dangerous to Humans

• Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger)
• Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)
• American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
• Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus)
• American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
• Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
• Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

Crocodiles and alligators belong to a group of reptiles called crocodilians, which are the largest of the living reptiles. Of the 23 different species of crocodilians in the world, 2 species are native to the United States, and south Florida is the only place where both of these species coexist.