Tram tour shows off best of Shark Valley
By ARLENE GONZALEZ
School of Communication
University of Miami
SHARK VALLEY, Fla.---It was a sunny, unusually cool Saturday morning as we drove south on Tamiami Trail. We were headed to an unexplored destination for me, a place where people from all over the world travel to see and 45 minutes away from when I call home.
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| The Shark Valley tram rolls along the 17-mile road at Shark Valley (Photos by Bruce Garrison). |
I am referring to the Everglades National Park--- the “River of Grass" as it was named in the 1940s by pioneering conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.
Irenia Mendoza, a recent UM alumni, had gone to discover this location last semester for the same reasons I was there – to complete an assignment--- and now she was coming along to relive the experience.
We’re headed to Shark Valley on the northern side of the Everglades along U.S. 41. We decided to take the Shark Valley Tram Tour. The wildlife-viewing, two hour tour takes you through the sawgrass prairie and it includes a stop at a 65-foot tower.
While we waited for the tour to begin we walked along a path that leads to the Bobcat Boardwalk and other Hammock trails.
I was startled to see the first alligator. It crept behind some bushes in a canal that was parallel to the paved path.
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| The Observation Tower rises above the Shark Valley terrain. |
A variety of birds also hung around this canal. We saw the Woodstork, Great Egret and Great Blue Heron. While the birds posed on the branches of the trees, the alligators stood motionless in the murky waters beneath.
On the water was floating the pond apple, which is native to the ponds, swamps and mangroves of South Florida.
As I watched the surroundings, it occurred to me that the diversity of life in this park is dependent on water.
According to an informative sign on the side of the road, for the past 75 years natural means of conveying water to the Everglades National Park has been converted to an artificial system designed to suit human needs.
“It’s nature with a twist,” said Mendoza. “These are man-made canals.”
Man weighs the needs of snail kites and alligators against providing flood protection and supplying adequate water for agriculture and homes.
It made me wonder how natural the Everglades are. The questions I kept asking myself would soon be answered by the tram tour.
Our tour guide, Matt, was young and energetic. He had everyone’s attention as the tram moved into the park.
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| Wildbirds look for a meal not far from the tram road. |
“There are two alligators in the world,” said Matt. “The American Alligator and the Chinese Alligator.”
The Chinese Alligator is endangered and when it becomes extinct the only alligator left will be the American.
According to Matt, research done on the American Alligator shows that it has 80 teeth and it is the most misunderstood creature in the Everglades. It was the first reptile ever placed in the endangered species list.
It has a very slow metabolism. The alligator only needs to eat once a month and can go up to six months without eating.
In contrast to what many believe, it doesn’t attack everything it sees. It is actually a very shy and docile creature. The one time the alligator will attack is if it feels its young are in danger.
Matt mentioned that another common misconception about the American Alligator
is its color.
“The American Alligator is black, not green,” explained Matt.
The mating ritual for alligators is very unique. They track each other down and then the female goes to deep water and the male has to push her underwater and hold her there in order to mate successfully. If the male isn’t strong enough the female will reject him and swim away.
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An alligator rests in the sunshine at the edge of the tram road at Shark Valley. |
The alligator is known as the “keeper of the Everglades.” The alligator makes it possible for other creatures to survive during the dry season. It goes looking for water, enters natural water holes and swims in it. Snakes, turtles, and other animals go into this water hole and are able to survive the dry season.
When human manipulations of the water supply go wrong, it messes everything up in the Everglades habitat.
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| A wildbird pauses at the edge of the tram trail. |
The Everglades has three different habitats for animals: the freshwater habitat, hardwood hammocks and saltwater habitat.
The freshwater habitat is home to the alligator, largemouth bass, Woodstork and snail kite among other animals.
The bobcat, panther, rabbit and black bear all live in the hardwood hammocks.
The Miccosukee Seminole Indians used to live in the hardwood hammocks.
The saltwater habitat is home to the Great White Heron, crocodile, loggerhead turtle and mangrove snapper among other animals.
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| The Observation Tower view looking north. |
The condition in the water is essential for the survival of the animals in the Everglades.
“The mercury contamination in the water causes birth defects in the alligator,” said Matt as he pointed out a humpback alligator.
The alligator is one of the many remarkable creatures in this immense park. Birds, turtles, snakes, and other animals also compose this “River of Grass.”
From the Observation Tower, you can see the sea of grass that extends through the park.
To reach the top of the tower you need to walk up spiraling levels of concrete. A few alligators are sunbathing on the grass below and others are inside the murky water.
As I stood on the tower, it was difficult for me to imagine that city lights, busy highways and quick paced pedestrians were miles away from this serene landscape. In that moment I realized that I was stranger in my own home. Such a key place in Florida had been a mystery for so long to me and now I realized the role that it played in the state.
The Everglades National Park is ranked second in habitat diversity and it is the third largest national park in the continental United States.
IF YOU GO:
Park admission: $10 per car (seven-day pass)
Tram Tour cost: $12.75 – Adult / $7.75 – Children ages 3-12
Hours: 9 a.m.. to 4:30 p.m. May through November
Hours: 8:30 am. to 5:15 pm. November through April
Tram Tour Schedule Four times a day: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
On the Web: http://www.nps.gov/ever and http://www.everglades.national-park.com
Shark Valley Visitor Center Features exhibits, information, and book sales.
Shark Valley Visitor Center phone number: 305-221-8455.
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| Visitors walk down the ramp from the Observation Tower at Shark Valley. |
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