Private Everglades Alligators and Orchids Kayak Eco Tour

The Everglades area is a vast and varied ecosystem containing the largest mangrove forest in North America. Throughout the forest are brackish "lakes" whose waters are a mix of "sweet" freshwater and saltwater. This is part of what makes the Everglades so special. These lakes, surrounded by mangroves, are refuges and nursery grounds for herons, egrets, stilts, ducks, wood storks, spoonbills, alligators, otters and a gamut of fishes. This is where the Everglades transition from freshwater to saltwater and is a wonderful place to experience.

Interconnecting these lakes are narrow, flowing tidal creeks. The mangrove forest grows to the very edge and even over the tops of these creeks forming a canopy or a tunnel. The sunlight (or moonlight) shimmering through the canopy, the stillness of the forest vegetation and the sounds of the forest itself, make for a surreal and mystical experience in the tunnels. The dense canopy regulates moisture and humidity allowing orchids, mosses, and bromeliads to thrive.