Places I've been

Everglades National Park

I went to Everglades National Park in the southern tip of Florida. Before the park was created, the everglades used to go from the tip all the way into central Florida. Now there is only about 25% of that left, and it is protected as a park so it can’t get any smaller. Everglades are important because of the biodiversity. Biodiversity means that a lot of different kinds of plants and animals live in the same area. Many of the animals that live in the everglades are rare like the American crocodile, Florida panther, and the West Indian manatee.  Everglades National Park is so important to the U.S. and the world that it was also named a Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance.

When I was in Everglades National Park I went on an airboat tour with some new friends to try and see some of the animals. Airboats have a flat bottom and a huge fan on the back to go through the shallow water easily. They can go really fast, and there are no breaks to slow down! If you want to stop you have to turn the fan off and there isn’t a way to back up because there is no reverse.

On the tour I saw some crocodiles and alligators. The everglades are the only place in the world where they live side by side.

You can tell them apart by looking at their nose shape and teeth.  Crocodiles have a long narrow snout shaped like a “V”, and when its mouth is closed, the bottom and top teeth show.  Alligators have a wide snout shaped like a “U”, and when its mouth is closed, their bottom teeth are hidden.  Normally alligators like to live in fresh water while crocodiles like saltier water.
I also saw some manatees swimming in the water. Manatees are also known as “sea cows” but are related to elephants.  A manatee’s skin is tough, grey-brown in color and wrinkly like an elephants. They use their nose like an elephant uses its trunk, and they even have toenails on their front flippers! With eyes similar to humans and a flipper tail, manatees might have looked like a mermaid by sailors from a distance.