The Everglades is controlled by the state government through the series of canals and Levi , and in my opinion we’ve been doing a pretty good job under Governor DeSantis. As good as job as can be expected. A lot of people want to point fingers of whose to blame and XYZ. The reality is there’s so much water moving through the state of Florida and we have so many people moving here. Over 300,000 each year. A lot of times the water has no place to go.
Everglades always had a wet season and a dry season. That’s what my grandpa and my dad would tell me about back in the day.
They would run swamp buggies during the dry season and airboats in the wet season. Makes sense right ?
Well, right now we are in the dry season and there is a lot of dry ground throughout the Florida Everglades and that is very beneficial for the ecosystem.
A lot of animals try to lay their nest, such as alligators and turtles and certain bird species.
It is crucial to have dry ground in the Everglades throughout certain times of the year, especially during the nesting phase.
This can make Airboat very fun and sporty at times. A lot of my customers are surprised to see the boat glide and less than 1 inch of water and even over dry mud patches.
Recently, I’ve been seeing the black necked stilt laying nests on the dry ground. It’s a beautiful little white and blackbird with long little legs. They are a coastal bird, but they have come here to lay their nests
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The nest is a camouflage mix of mud and vegetation, and the eggs are a brownish color with little black specs. This is just one of the many animals that will lay their nest in the Florida Everglades during the dry season.
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It’s important to be aware of where you are traveling so that you don’t harm any vegetation or wildlife.
It is also of the upmost importance to drive safely when you have customers onboard. There is no place for hotdogging or driving erratically. That could prove disastrous.
The Everglades can go completely completely dry and I am not able to conduct tours. I am perfectly OK with that.
There is nothing more important than the safety of my customers, and to be a good steward of the land.
With that being said, it is always a great time to visit the Everglades during the dry season because it’s easier to see alligators and we also get a lot of beautiful birds visiting such as the Roseate spoonbill.
It is my opinion that continued communication and work from all of us will assist in the preservation of the Everglades.
The dry season is so important for the ecology to ensure its survival through proper water management.
Capt Bill