Journey into the Heart of the Florida Everglades
Experience Nature’s Diversity and Balance at Shark Valley
by Maureen C. Bruschi
 Imagine a ten-foot long
alligator snaking its way through marsh and saw grass only a few feet away
from you. The gator appears to be slow and listless. Don’t be fooled.
When disturbed, alligators are surprisingly mobile. But the good news is
they generally don’t attack people because our vertical stance intimidates
them. (And they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them.)
Experience Nature’s Diversity and Balance at Shark Valley
If you’re planning a trip to the Florida Everglades and want to catch all
the wildlife action, head for Shark Valley, located in the middle of a vast
saw grass marsh prairie in the northern part of the park. Shark Valley
operates an open air tram that takes you in a loop along 15 miles of flat,
paved road where you can witness a natural habitat for a diverse number of
animals and plants.
  Although
you can hike or bike the loop trail, I preferred the safety of the tram
where I witnessed dozens of America alligators lazily sunning themselves on
or near the roadway as we drove by. And an advantage of taking the
tram is that knowledgeable park rangers identify plants, birds, animals,
fish and reptiles and describe how each makes their home in this flickering
stretch of grassy water or saw grass prairie, aptly named the “River of
Grass.”
 You’ll discover distinct
habitats at Shark Valley including hardwood hammocks, bayheads, freshwater
sloughs, alligator holes, and of course an unlimited stretch of saw
grass. It’s easy to spot hardwood hammock tree islands sprinkled across the
slow moving river of grassy prairie. Hammocks rise a few feet above the saw
grass and allow tropical trees including dense groves of mahogany, strangler
fig, palm and gumbo limbo trees to thrive. During the rainy season, hammock
tree islands provide cover and food for birds and deer.
Small tree islands called bayheads dot the saw grass prairie too.
Bayheads grow just a little above the saw grass. Here you’ll find a number
of plant species including holly, wax myrtle, coco plum, red bay and dahoon.
One of the key differences between bayhead and hardwood hammock tree islands
is their root structures. Bayhead roots can remain underwater for long
periods of time, while hardwood hammocks have their roots above the water
all year long.
Ecosystem of the Shark River Slough
Freshwater sloughs are main passageways of moving water through the
Everglades, key to the survival of its wildlife. There are two main sloughs
in the Everglades and Shark Valley provides access to one of them, the Shark
River Slough. The Shark River Slough is approximately 20 miles wide in the
north and narrows to about 6 miles across as it advances to the Gulf of
Mexico.
Alligators Help Preserve Everglade Plant and Animal Life
Alligators play a major role in the Everglades by digging out mud and
vegetation from the watery marsh to form “alligator holes.” Alligator holes
provide refuge for fish, reptiles and amphibians, as well as food and water
for birds and mammals during the dry season. Park Rangers pointed out that
when folks think of the Everglades, many of them think only of alligators.
But the Everglades is the only place where alligators and crocodiles exist
together. While alligators roam in freshwaters, crocodiles prefer
salty water.
Wading Birds Rule at Shark Valley
  And
you’ll encounter more than alligators at Shark Valley. On either side of the
tram trail, you’ll come across a variety of wading birds including herons
(tricolored heron, great blue heron), pelicans,
 turkey vultures, anhingas
and wood storks, roseate spoonbills, white ibises and snowy egrets. From the
tram we  spotted snowy
egrets and a wood stork sharing space with an alligator. We also
witnessed a blue heron fly out from nearby bushes close to our tram path.
Raccoons, deer, lizards, and snakes also roam
 Shark Valley’s saw grass
prairie.
Panoramic Views Abound at the Observation Tower
 About midway through the
tram ride, we stopped at the 65 foot-tall Shark Valley Observation Tower,
located in a hardwood hammock habitat. Make sure you climb to the top of the
 tower where you’ll get a
magnificent view of the saw grass prairie. Here you’ll also see plenty
of alligators, at a safe distance. When I looked down I
 spotted large groups of
alligators lounging together along the banks of the water.
If you have time, Shark Valley has two short trails that will give you a
real sense of two of the habitats of the Everglades. The .4 mile Bobcat
Boardwalk Trail is a bayhead surrounded by a vast ocean of saw grass
prairie. The .25 mile Otter Cave Hammock Trail runs through a hardwood
hammock environment.
If You Go:
Getting There:
Accessible from either the Miami International Airport on Florida’s east
coast and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers from the
west coast.
Shark Valley Visitor Center (305-221-8776) is located on Highway 41 (Tamiami
Trail) 25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike from exit 25 (S.W. 8th Street).
From the Naples area, take U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) approximately 70 miles
east to Shark Valley.
Where to stay:
Everglades Visitors Bureau:
www.paradisecoast.com
Hotels near Shark Valley:
Western
Miami FL Hotels, Motels – 27 miles southeast along Florida Turnpike;
Kendall FL
Hotels, Motels – 30 miles southeast along Florida Turnpike; and,
Doral FL
Hotels, Motel – 30 miles northeast off Florida Turnpike.
Shark Valley Entrance Fee: $10. Open from 9:15am - 5:15pm.
Shark Valley Tram Tours: $17.25 for adults, $16.25 for seniors, and
$10.75 for children ages 3-12. Note: Reservations recommended; call
305-221-8455.
For More Information:
www.everglades.org
www.cr.nps.gov/worldheritage/ever.htm
www.everglades.national-park.com
Everglades National Park
40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, FL
33034-6733
Visitor Information: 305-242-7700
All photos by Maureen Bruschi
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