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.
Seaweed on Mangrove Roots at Low Tide
Relaxing on Tiger Key beach, I watched the tide move down he beach and expose the mangrove roots, shells and remnant seaweed. I enjoyed the calm afternoon sun in the shade of the trees as the salty breeze kept the sand fleas away.
Mangrove Tree Off of Rabbit Key
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.
Drying Nautical Map on Rabbit Key
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.
Raptor on Take-Off
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.