Big Pine Key
Most people, when finding themselves pennyless and unemployed to not head off for adventures across the continent. Thank heavens I’m not most people. On March 27, 2001 I boarded a plane and ventured forth to a common spring time destination,. . .the Florida Keys.
I was met around 11 p.m. by Matt, in his tan Ford Ranger. He arrived just as my luggage appeared,. . .which was perfect timing (as opposed to my timing,. . . .which usually draws him out of a shower for a phone call,. . .but I digress). It was a 3-4 hour drive down to Big Pine Key, and once we arrived I promptly crashed upon my mattress in the living room.
I awoke as the warm Florida sun crept in through the sliding glass door, bringing a warmth my body had sorely missed in it’s winter in the NorthWest. I met Matt’s 5 roomates (who all work on the Key Deer Wildlife Refuge) as they filed through to the kitchen in the morning. They live in what they call “The Nutfarm”, seen in the photo above.
Matt was in the Keys working on a study through Texas A&M. As part of his work he tested the salinity level of the vanishing (Florida is in drought this year) watering holes. As he had already experienced the joys of mucking to deep enough water, he left the joy of that new experience to me and took notes. Now, the probe that I had in my hand was about the diameter of a quarter and two inches long, attached to a long chord and the probe had to be submerged. With the vanishing water, this proved to be a challenge. Many of the watering holes were dry or reduced, with a thick layer of mud and mangroves surrounding them. The trees and shrubs often held ibis, heron, and cormorants, and as we drove about the islands we also saw osprey and pelicans.
My first good experience with the mud came when, after a successful reading, I simply turned in my tracks and found my left boot suddenly sunk in to mid-calf.
“Am I allowed to say ‘shit’ at this moment?!?” I asked, and Matt, who had already started back, turned around and started to laugh before coming to my aid.
A few watering holes later I found another tricky approach. I carefully inched across a few feet of mud to a mangrove patch that hung over the remaining water. I climbed onto the roots (amidst crab-spiders that are really beautifully patterned) and had plans to move about 3 feet to my right, where both Matt and I thought it would be nice and deep. I glanced over as I balanced on the knobs and gnarled mangrove roots, and called out to Matt: “I think I”ll try here, as there’s an alligator over there.”
I wasn’t alarmed, but it was not what I expected to see. It was a four footer with some nice red/maroon coloring. Matt walked about to get a better look, reminding me that they move quickly, and I proceeded to measure the salinity at my little spot of the pond. The gator stayed quiet while I took the reading and inspected a garter snake at my feet, and then Matt and I retreated back to our vehicle.
Shortly thereafter, as we drove to another sight, I had my first sighting of the little deer, as a pregnant female and a male with freshly shed antlers were crossing the road in front of us.
After another few days of watering holes, my lounging in the sun, and a good night of fun at Key West, I joined Matt again to look for radio-collared deer. Radio-telemetry allows scientists to locate Key Deer from a distance without frightening (not that the little things aren’t tame as all get out) or disturbing the deer. The study is looking at the effects of urban development, and tracking helps provide information on deer movements, habitat use, and behavior.
A young one (note size comparison with the mailbox)
Up close and personal.
Two does and a fawn.
Four charismatic micro fauna,. . .
(or the Deerboy checking to see if the second doe is carrying)
More information on Key Deer can be found at TAMU’s Key Deer page and
Gorp’s Key Deer Refuge Page
After our harrowing week of work we got a nice start on Saterday for the Everglades. We stopped at all of the visitor centers along the way, and spent most of the afternoon driving around the Everglades. I am very used to mountains, . . .which are non-existent in Florida, and driving through the grassy planes of the upper Everglades I kept feeling like lions and elephants should appear about the next bend.
At the second interp center there were two trails to take. Right away we are looking at Softshell and painted turtles, Great White heron, cormorants and green backed heron.
The sign in this pict says “Fishing Reserved For The Birds”
A close up of the Great Blue Heron
Matt and I walk along the boardwalk, and I kept wondering what brave souls must have put the thing up, as there were gators all about. Just as we get to one nice over look, we stop and start to realize just how many alligators there are. I’m trying to get a picture of a heron when there’s this large commotion. A bit of a fight had broke out with the gators, and after the heron’s decided to depart, so did most of the gators.
One of the gators, a good 8 - 9 footer.
The camera is looking straight down from the railing.
An Anhenga
(For more information on the Everglades, check The NPS Everglads website.
After sipping drinks and watching birds fly by at the last visitors center, Matt and I headed to Hobe Sound. There I met Denise’s parents (Denise, for those who don’t know, is Matt’s girlfriend). It was a rather informal meeting actually, as they invited me into there house, and Matt offered to show me out back. I knew that a canal was there, and manitee’s were sometimes in it, so despite the dark, I trustingly followed him through the kitchen and out onto the deck. Just as my eyes are adjusting to the darkness beyond the swimming pool,. . .I was shoved in and a loud yelp met filled the air.
Denise arrived, from South Carolina, late that evening. We spent Sunday out on the ocean. Right as we left the main channel we found ourselves in a pod of dolphins. As they jumped about we realized that one of them was most definately a baby! As we kept near the shore we also coasted by a large sea turtle. Denise and Matt fished a little bit, but I mainly spent a day enjoying the rocking ocean waves and the sun.
Matt, Denise, Denise’s sister, and the Dog, Dusty.
Matt trying to snorkel, with a lot of help from Dusty.
That is as far as my photo’s take us, but the rest of the trip was a blast. Between learning how to play pool, getting ‘pummeled’ at foosball, dancing at Key West, and a day at the beach, my days were full and fun. A surprising addition though was that at the end of the trip, I knew that I was off to a new adventure, and that Matt and Denise would not be far behind.
To the Olympic Penninsula