Everglades: Sea Kayaking
in Florida's Wildlands

January 5-12, 2008
January 13-20, 2008
$999

Sea kayaking the Everglades allows us to glide quietly into the mysterious and fragile environment of a shallow freshwater river filled with a blend of tropical life from the Caribbean islands and temperate species of the mainland

At the southern tip of Florida a shallow freshwater river 50 miles wide creeps seaward filled with a blend of tropical life from the Caribbean islands and temperate species of the mainland. Near the western shore of the Everglades the fresh water river comes together with saltwater in a brackish mixture that sustains and encourages this wonderful variety of flora and fauna. Mangrove-lined creeks and shallow, mud bottomed bays are populated with wood storks, ibis, roseate spoonbills, alligators, manatee, raccoons, and a host of fresh and salt water fish. The Everglades spills out into the Gulf of Mexico to form the Ten Thousand Island area, which was home to the fierce Caloosa Indians, who constructed vast shell mounds, and in more recent times the Seminoles. Europeans moved onto the islands either to escape their pasts or to live a free and solitary life; their history is rich with heroes and hermits, dreamers and doers.

Sea kayaking allows us to glide quietly into this mysterious and fragile environment. During a week in the backcountry we will slow our pace to match the rhythm of the tides, winds, and sunsets. We will experience camping on three styles of sites: chickees, shell mounds and beach sites. The elevated wooden platforms, called chickees by the Seminole, allow us to perch above the ebb and flow of the tide, where we can watch the evening feeding of wading birds. Coastal aboriginals constructed the mound sites from shells and soil, and while we are camped there we will recount stories about Ed Watson who turned a good profit farming this calcium rich mound but unfortunately resorted to murder when he was angered. The islands have shells and shards of Indian pottery littered along the beach sites we will stay at. Here we can watch sunsets, wade through the shallow low tides in search of sea life, and build drift wood campfires. January is a wonderful time to be in south Florida. Air temperature should range from mid 60's at night to high 70's during the day. Although rain is always possible, January is Florida's dry season.

Adventure Travel Team
Call: 800-232-7238 ext 333 or Click here to send us a message
View Itinerary (PDF)
View River Descriptions (PDF)

BACK TO ADVENTURE TRAVEL MAIN PAGE

TOP