written and photographed by Mary L. Peachin
Jan 1998, Vol. 2 No. 4
Mangrove roots stretch like tentacles into the muddy water. A narrow canal meanders like a maze through the swamps of the Florida Everglades. The water, perhaps two feet deep in some areas, gets shallower until it becomes a muddy flat.
The airboat, with it’s “Big Block Chevy 454”, 425 horsepower engine, roared over the mud flats bouncing whenever it hit the protruding roots of the mangroves.
The swamp has no directional routes or airways, a Global Positioning System would be helpful to guide us through this incredible maze.
Driver Karl Predmore, a native of Everglade City, has spent his life in this area of the Everglades. His navigational tools are the shape of a mangrove tree, the location of some swamp grass, a bird’s nest or other habitat. He offers a sense of security to the concern of being forever lost. When queried about his navigational skills, Karl says if he was ever unsure about his direction, he uses the flow and ebb of the tide to find his way,
The tannic acid of fermenting leaves from water run off makes the water dark brown in color. Hydrogen sulfide adds a pungent odor, one similar to the smell of rotten eggs. Bromeliads, swamp “airplants”, water lilies and other flowers provided dashes of color.
Departing from Goodland, Florida at Moran’s Barge Marina near Marco Island, the airboat headed across Addison Bay to reach the mangrove swamp. Bottlenosed dolphin breached and manatees frolicked in the shallow bay.
Entering a narrow channel, Karl stopped the airboat to point out the ruins of a small concrete home of an oysterman. The former occupant harvested oysters, selling the shells for bedding material used for the road to Naples, Florida. The oysterman’s predecessors, the Calusa Native Americans, left oyster shell mounds scattered nearby. These mounds, today, look like small elevated islands.
The Everglades receives as much as 120-inches of rain in three months. During our visit in early summer, the low water of the dry season provided better viewing of fish and the American alligator.
One of the three species of “man-eaters”, these alligators can weigh as much as 2000 pounds, grow to 12 feet long, and live to approximately 100 years of age. Smaller alligators would swim in front of the airboat until they felt the boat was violating their space. Quickly they would sound, leaving a wake of muddy water in the canal.
The Everglades is an anglers’ paradise. Redfish, snook, talapia, bass, bream and other species swim in the shallow water, occasionally resting in the aquarium grass. Birdwatchers can enjoy a wide variety of birds including the common Morehen, purple Anhinga, Red-tail and other Peregrine hawks. Egrets, herons, ibis, Great Blue heron and the pink-colored Rosette spoonbill feed on fish in open lagoons. Easily confused with the flamingo, the spoonbill is an endangered species that derives its pink color from its diet of shrimp.
Departing the canals that wandered through the mangroves, we entered the “prairie” area of the Everglades. Surrounded by sawgrasss and cattails, we observed reed nests woven by birds. In the distance, higher ground is the habitat of black bears, fox, bobcats, and perhaps one of the thirty remaining Florida panthers.
A nature lover will find this a great way to see the Florida Everglades and its wonderful variety of birds, fish, mangroves, grasses, insects, manatees and dolphin.
Little Palm Island
As the sun set over Little Palm Island, Florida, a Great white heron stalked fish in the falling tide. Pelicans crash-landed to scoop fish into their gullets. A lone sand shark, his dorsal fin weaving above the water, cruised the shoreline. “Buck”, an endangered Key deer, will soon make his evening tour around the verandah where guest are sipping cocktails.
Little Palm Island, a Relais & Chateaux property, is located 25 miles north of Key West, Florida. Guests travel the last three miles to the thirty-villa, five-acre resort on an air-conditioned ferry that departs from Little Torch Key.
Each villa has a private sun deck complete with outside table and chairs. Many villas have direct views of the ocean. The floorplan includes a living room, dressing room with adjoining bath and Jacuzzi, and a bedroom.
A second entry door from the bathroom provides the added luxury of an outdoor shower. Privacy is provided by a picket fence that reaches almost to the thatched roof. The outside shower is convenient for washing sandy feet or leaving wet bathing suits to dry.
Mexican talavera tile floors are accented with smaller counter tiles painted with fish, sinks are designed with “Peter Max”-like imagery. The bedroom has a desk and sitting area. A mosquito net canopies from the ceiling flwoing over the king-size bed. The net is for decorative effect, the housekeeping turn-down service lowers the canopy so that the open-sided netting gives the illusion of sleeping in the tropics. A weather forecast, the next day’s scheduled activities, and a room service breakfast menu are placed on the bed. A shell, instead of the more typical chocolate, rests on the pillow. Louvered wooden blinds open to provide views of a tropical garden filled with palms, bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus, and a brightly blooming halyconia bird of paradise.
The cuisine at Little Palm Island is gourmet. The creatively planned menu takes advantage of the proximity to local fish and seafoods. Presentation is excellent and service is attentive. Outside dining provides wonderful ocean views.
Little Palm Island is conveniently located to one of the better scuba diving reefs in the Florida Keys. Looe Key is a four-mile boat ride from the dock. The easy diving makes this a great place for beginners or diving certification.
Looe key is a 5.3 nautical square mile park which includes the six ecological zones of the Florida Reef system. The spur and groove coral formation of the reef runs from east to west with depths ranging from 10 to 30 feet of water. The spurs, called “fingers” run easterly into a sand lagoon shoal.
Looe Key has some areas where elkhorn, staghorn, and brain corals abound. In other areas there are soft corals including a variety of sea fans, gorgonia, barrel sponges, whips, and a few anemones.
The “silver king” tarpon, weighing approximately 100 pounds, thrills the diver. Rarely-seen schools of snook are sometimes sighted. Large Midnight parrotfish can be observed spitting out ground coral and creating clouds in the water. An occasional large barracuda (several with hooks hanging out of their mouths) hung out along the reef. Several permit denned with a large black grouper.
Little Palm Island offers fishing in the flats or backcountry for tarpon, bone-fish, and permit. The resort also offers deep sea fishing for sailfish, marlin, dolphin, wahoo, and tuna.
Kayaks, canoes, windsurfers, Hobie day sailers, snorkel and fishing gear, and pontoon boats are available. There is a running path that circles the island (five laps to the mile). A small exercise room is complete with Stairmasters, Lifecycles, treadmills and free weights.
For guests who simply want to relax, the beach-side swimming pool has several waterfalls with comfortable lounge chairs to float in the water. A thatched-roof palapa bar is three-feet from the pool.
The small, privately owned resort is one of several dozen resorts in the United States whose reputation for excellence in the hospitality industry earns it the distinction of being a Relais & Chateaux property. Little Palm Island can also be considered one of those special places to celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary. Its setting is so romantic that it would be hard not to share this place with a spouse or partner. Tranquil and quiet, Little Palm Island offers wonderful relaxation with enough activities to quickly pass the day. The wonderful cuisine is an added bonus to the serene, romantic setting of this small resort.