A beautiful Gulf Coast Sunset from Rabbit Key in Everglades National Park. Storms had moved passed and provided splendid color and light in the western skies over the Gulf of Mexico.

This Osprey was heading out from his perch into the Gulf of Mexico do do some fishing. He had spent some time watching me from his nest on Rabbit Key in Everglades National Park. These raptors are beautiful to watch and have a unique voice that you identify rather easily. The talons have an outer toe that is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish.

I sat on Tiger Key Beach and watched the evening waves crash into the sand and this stump. I was fascinated by the water drops shooting up from the waves as it hit the immovable object. The sound of the waves and the sight of the crash was so cool. Having lived my whole life in the desert southwest, I am seduced by the ocean and sauntering on the gulf coast.

This mass of Fiddler Crabs swarmed the beach during low tide on Tiger Key in Everglades National Park in Florida. It was fun watching them move fiddle around and feed in the sand. They were very focused on their task but if you moved toward them they would scurry up the beach and hide. Their eyes were very acute to any movement.

After midnight on Tiger Key with the moon lighting the beach and trees. The serene quiet of the ocean with little waves rolling on to the beach gives the night some harmony. The Gulf of Mexico was off in the distance but my dreams of days past filled my mind. I love these moments and will always treasure this one.

Listening to the waves roll on to the white beach and looking up through the mangroves to see the sunset happening on Tiger Key was a fabulous moment. Everglades National Park as numerous locations to get away from Florida’s crowds and just absorb nature's beauty. Ten Thousand Islands is a prime location to experience the setting sun dip below the Gulf of Mexico.

We kayaked to Tiger Key in Everglades National Park and spent 2 wonderful evenings on the beach looking up at the stars. Late at night the guys headed off to sleep and I stayed up a watched the campfire die down to embers. The stars blanketed me overhead and the quiet settled on Ten Thousand Islands and soon I would be in my tent sound asleep.

The shells were high in the mangrove roots above the storm surge line on Tiger Key in Everglades National Park. Must have been one heck of a storm to do that!

During the day we explored Everglades National Park but after midnight I was alone on the beach to explore my thoughts. No better place and time to sort through your life and problems and come to a balanced place.

This mass of Fiddlers Crab swarmed Tiger Key Beach when the tide receded exposing the sand. They were very industrious and left tiny spheres of sand behind when they searched for food.

You can find interesting driftwood on the beaches of the Keys in Everglades National Park. I was exploring the Gulf facing beach on Tiger Key when I came across this specimen. It reminded me of the old sailing drawings of the giant serpents in the sea with the large head out of the water and their tail surfacing behind. It is not to let our imagination out to play.

The calm photo as dark clouds work their way through the Gulf of Mexico from Tiger Key in Everglades National Park.It is rewarding to absorb the peaceful ambiance of the natural Florida landscape and not the large urban congestion to the north and east of the park.

I love finding small wildlife in the locations I explore. This Florida Scrub Lizard was watching me from a downed tree on Tiger Key in Everglade National Park.

I am in the Hobie Kayak and peddaling away. We were just returning from our 4 day trip to the Ten Thousand Island section of Everglades National Park and I was expressing my pleasure for the trip.

The light was coming through the storm clouds casting rays on the Gulf of Mexico while a I rested on Tiger Key in Everglades National Park. It was a beautiful evening with a soft salty breeze coming off the ocean and cooling me on the silky white beach.

A lone Fiddler Crab braves the open Tiger Key beach scouting for tasty morsels in the sand. His brethren would follow behind him to the receding tidal waters.

One of the cool aspects of exploring Ten Thousand Islands in Everglades National Park is the plethora of Mangroves that are present there. The Gulf of Mexico is very shallow in the area and tides can expose large expanses of beach when they recede. Trees can thrive out in these sections as long as the top of their roots remain exposed to the air. This presents some interesting opportunities for unique subjects in photography that are not available in other locations.

When we made it to Rabbit Key (camp site) in Everglades National Park, it is time to unpack the gear from the kayaks and dry things out. This includes the essential nautical map for the area. We all have electronic GPS but it is important to also have a secondary map in case you run out of power or your gps is malfunctioning. You must know how to read the map and use a compass.

This Osprey was keeping an intent eye on me as I moved along the beaches on Rabbit Key in the Everglades. I saw his mate was nearby and I believe that had chicks in their nest and they did not like having me in the general vicinity. I tried to skirt around the nest so as to not disturb the young ones and respect both parents.

Storms swirling around Tiger Key in Everglade National Park. The mangroves out in the Gulf of Mexico resembled standing skeletons of past pirates that roamed this sea.

Midnight on Rabbit Key and the guys headed off to slumber in their tents. I had the fire still stoked and headed off to the point to view the stars and the island. The silence and the stars makes this my favorite time of the day. I can exhale and just relax and be.

It was relaxing exploring Tiger Key in Everglades National Park. We spent several nights camping on the key during our kayak trip into Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands. I was heartened by many sights like the one captured here. It was wonderful to sit in the soft sand and daydream about the many different people who visited this key and saw sights similar to mine and may have felt their souls soothed as I did.

Star dreaming on a near full moon night in Everglades National Park. Tiger Key after midnight with no one to disturb the sound of the Gulf Coast waves… this is why I adventure to cool locations.

A Florida Sea Hawk flying above the Gulf of Mexico. These hawks are found along the coast and are very efficient fisherman.

I love the different formations of mangrove trees in the Everglades National Park’s Keys. I couldn’t help but use them as focal subjects for my photographs. Coming from the Colorado Rockies, these swamp/marsh forests are super cool.