You hear a lot about alligators in the Everglades, but what about turtles? There’s a lot of them. In fact, there are over a dozen species of turtles living in the Park. Unfortunately, many of these turtles are endangered or threatened and there are special regulations in place to protect them.

For this article, we wanted to share some information with you about the four most common species of turtles found in the Everglades.

Atlantic Loggerhead – This turtle if often referred to as a loggerhead or loggerhead sea turtle. This is a saltwater turtle that can be found throughout the world, though it has a strong preference for warmer waters around the equator. Loggerheads spend most of their time in the open ocean, but they can be found along coastlines and in brackish estuaries, such as those that occur in the Florida Everglades. Adult loggerheads can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and live up to 70 years old.

Atlantic Hawksbill – The hawksbill sea turtle shares many of the same habitats as the loggerhead, but on average weighs around 180 pounds and is a much smaller species of turtle. It has a distinctive hawk-like beak. It also was the first known reptile to show signs of biofluorescence, which has made their shells highly collectable and valuable, sadly leading to their near extinction.

Florida Box Turtle –Florida box turtles are much smaller and more docile than loggerheads and hawksbills. They have sharp beaks and sharp claws, but they are actually omnivores and eat fruits, vegetables, and fungi, in addition to small insects. People are allowed to  box turtles as pets, though no more than two are allowed in a single home without a special reptile permit.

Florida Red-Bellied Cooter – This turtle species is another small species of turtle, rarely weighing in at over 10 pounds and with a distinctive red-tinged belly to give it its name. They can often be seen sharing logs or other basking areas with alligators, and are even known to lay their eggs in the nesting mounds of these fearsome predators. Red-bellied cooters are often kept as pets and are commonly exported all around the world.

Want to see some turtles in the Everglades? Jump on an Everglades airboat tour for a chance to see this reptile and other wildlife. Most of these turtles are protected species and must be enjoyed from a distance, so an airboat ride is the best way to view wildlife while giving them their space.

For a private, guided tour through Everglades, book an airboat tour with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours.

To book an airboat ride, call  800-368-0065  or visit our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

The Everglades is a federally-protected National Park home to thousands of plants, wildlife, aquatic life, and more. It has a diverse ecosystem and has many species not found anywhere else on the planet. There are nine habitats in the Everglades. We wanted to share with you a little information about each habitat you can find in the Park.

Freshwater slough

Sloughs are mainly responsible for the water circulation throughout the Everglades. Sloughs are flooded, sunken areas of land that distribute freshwater to other areas of the ecosystem. There are two sloughs in Everglades National Park: Taylor Slough and the Shark River Slough, also known as the “River of Grass.” Both sloughs ensure freshwater reaches the Florida Bay. Because of freshwater, sloughs are popular wildlife congregation sites. If you visit the Everglades sloughs in the dry season (November through May), you will have the best chance to spot alligators.

Hardwood hammock

Hardwood hammocks are dry, slightly elevated concentrations of tropical and temperate trees with broad leaves. Hardwood hammock habitats rarely flood. The trees grow close together, creating overhead canopies with shade from the sun. Hardwood hammocks are home to the red-limbed Gumbo Limbo tree, ferns, mahogany, oak, maple and more.

Pinelands

Pineland habitats also grow on higher ground. Also known as the Pine Rocklands, skinny slash pine trees grow tall out of a hard limestone surface. Around the trees’ roots thrive various species of palm, from the adequately named saw palmetto to the edible sable palm. Believe it or not, pinelands rely heavily on fire for survival. Over the years, pineland trees adapted to fires by acquiring thick bark and growing needles only where the fire can’t reach.

Coastal lowlands

This habitat is great for the most resilient flora. Found near the shore of the Gulf Coast, coastal lowlands are used to severe weather, which restricts the growth of mangroves and other tall trees. Desert plants usually survive in coastal lowlands because they can withstand harsh storms without much protection. At the sandy lowlands you’ll see short, salt-tolerant shrubs like succulents.

Mangroves

The Everglades has the most abundant population of mangroves in the entire hemisphere.  Mangroves thrive where freshwater and saltwater meet. These salt-tolerant mangrove trees come in three colors: red, white and black, all of which nurture plant and water life. Mangrove habitats provide essential nutrients to marine animals by depositing fallen leaves into the water.

Cypress

These towering trees can grow in standing water or in breaks in the hard ground. When the limestone surface of a pineland habitat breaks, it gives way to “solution holes.” Often clusters of cypress trees grow inside these weathered pits, with the larger trees concentrated in the center. River otters often lounge on low-lying cypress trunks. Another popular inhabitant of cypress swamps is the American Alligator.

Marine and estuarine

Florida Bay is the Everglades’ largest water body. Freshwater from Everglades estuaries mixes with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to create the brackish conditions in Florida Bay. Towards the bottom of the bay you’ll find coral, mollusks and a plethora of gamefish. Closer to the surface, bottlenose dolphins swim in pods, loggerhead turtles coast leisurely, and West Indian Manatees float with their young.

You can see a glimpse of many of these habitats while on an airboat tour. Airboats are a safe way to explore the Park and see areas you may not get to on foot.

For a private, guided tour through Everglades, book an airboat tour with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours.

To book an airboat ride, call  800-368-0065  or visit our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

Have you heard of bioluminescence? Picture the water at night glowing s neon-blue color looking like a starry night. That’s bioluminescence – and it’s not a man-made light, it’s coming from something that is alive.

Bioluminescence in the Everglades is the product of light-emitting aquatic microorganisms like algae and fungi. The most common light producing aquatic organisms are known as dinoflagellates, which give off a blue-green hue.

How can organisms create light? It occurs due to a chemical reaction between luciferin, the light-emitting property found in fireflies, and a light-bearing enzyme called luciferase. Being touched tends to stimulate bioluminescent organisms, so a boat’s bottom or an oar will trigger the lights to appear all over the water.

There is a purpose of this light. Bioluminescent organisms use the light to attract and deflect prey. Some species can even communicate with one another through those beautiful blue speckles you see at the water’s surface. The light is blue because blue light reaches farther distances in water, and it is also one of the only wavelengths marine organisms can interpret.

As you may know bioluminescence isn’t limited to the water, you’ve probably seen a firefly or two in your day. Also, a foxfire, which is a fungi that lives on tree trunks, emits a green glow.

In the Everglades, you are more likely to see bioluminescence by water at night. It usually occurs in brackish and coastal waters of the Everglades.

Everglades visitors claimed they’ve witnessed bioluminescence in the Everglades Wilderness Waterway, the 10,000 Islands region and in saltwater mangrove swamps. The phenomenon is only visible in the dark of night.

For a day time trip through the beautiful Everglades’ waterways,

For a guided tour through Everglades waterways, book an airboat tour with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours. These rides will give you a glimpse of the Everglades like no other on the water.

To book an airboat ride, call  800-368-0065  or visit our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

The Everglades is a National Park, but it’s also a national and international treasure. It is protected by the United states, and internationally, it is seen as a highly-important piece of land. Besides being a National Park, the Everglades is a biosphere reserve, a world heritage site and a wetland of international importance. As you can see, the Everglades is a vital part of the world.

The Everglades has unique flora and fauna within it spread across 1.5 million acres. It is a sanctuary for endangered species. Currently, it helps protect about 15 federally-threatened and endangered species like Florida panthers, sea turtles, West Indian manatees, wood storks, crocodiles and more.

Residing in the Everglades is also one of the vastest pine rockland habitats in the world. There are also over 1,000 species of plants, and 350 species of birds inside this Park. The Everglades is the single largest area of land east of the Mississippi River where plants and animals are granted immunity from human intervention.

How is the Everglades a biosphere reserve, a world heritage site and a wetland of international importance? It is due to its unique collection of plants and wildlife.

The Everglades is one of 563 worldwide biosphere reserves. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), biosphere reserves essentially serve as “living laboratories,” which assist in understanding biodiversity. Scientific researchers use biosphere reserves to learn not only about the land but also how humans affect it. UNESCO designated the Everglades as an International Biosphere Reserve under the Man and the Biosphere project in 1976.

World heritage sites, deemed by UNESCO, are “recognized as being of outstanding international importance and therefore as deserving special protection.” Sites are natural or man-made, and there are currently 1,031 world heritage properties spread across the globe. The Everglades joined the World Heritage List in 1979 for its subtropical biodiversity.

Also known as a Ramsar Site, Wetlands of International Importance have protection under a multi-country treaty to preserve the resources found in each wilderness. There are presently 1,929 wetland sites on the Ramsar List. In 1987, the Ramsar Convention acknowledged the Everglades as a Wetland of International Importance.

Globally, the Everglades are being protected. No one wants to see this magical place disappear.

An airboat tour is a great way to explore the Everglades and see plant and wildlife not found anywhere else in the world.

Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours will give you a glimpse of the Everglades like no other on the water. To book an airboat ride, call  800-368-0065  or visit our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).