Everglades Day Safari – Gator Nuggets

Published by at under Ft. Myers,Tour du Juor

Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose DolphinDolphins in the Everglades? Most people don’t expect to see the playful marine mammals in the world’s greatest swamp, but many have the good fortune to do just that. The Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin feeds, mates and plays in the shallow waters of Chokoloskee Bay where we take our 90-minute boat cruise through the Everglades National Park. Males can grow to be up to 13-feet in length and weigh nearly 1400 lbs.

Curious wild dolphins often approach the boat and apparently enjoy playing in the wake while displaying their amazing speed, strength and agility as they perform their natural acrobatics. Dolphins have been spotted playing with their food as well. They hunt fish and slap them out of the water with their beak, eventually catching up to the stunned fish and eating them.

Everglades Day Safari

Each day safari includes:
  • a spectacular airboat ride through freshwater marshes and pond apples sloughs.
  • a relaxing 90-minute boat cruise through the 10,000 islands of the Everglades National Park.
  • A delicious lunch at a water-side restaurant in the heart of the Everglades.
  • a wildlife drive through the back country of the Big Cypress National Preserve.
  • A nature walk full of alligators, bird and much more.
  • guided transportation is included.

Buy Everglades Day Safari Tickets here

Great Aigrettes

Great Egret Plumes

Many birds are genetically pre-programmed to develop colorfully enhanced lores, bills and legs, as well as flashy breeding plumes during courtship that make them desirable to the opposite sex. Take for example the Great Egret. The origin of the name egret comes from the French word aigrette which in turn has Germanic origins and referred to herons.

Today the word aigrette refers to the unique breeding plumes many birds develop on their head, neck and back which they use during courtship displays. One common nest-side exhibition includes a male stretching its neck and head forward and with neck aigrettes erect and back feathers splayed out, snaps its bill loudly. As nesting season approaches, egrets, herons and several other species of birds can be spotted performing beautiful courtship displays.

2 responses so far

2 Responses to “Everglades Day Safari – Gator Nuggets”

  1. # Tomon 25 Apr 2010 at 1:51 pm

    That’s a fantastic picture of a dolphin. Do you use stock photography or can you really get a picture of a dolphin like this on a tour?

  2. # JunglePeteon 30 Apr 2010 at 3:10 pm

    Hello Tom,
    Both photos were taken by me on tour. Guests often have the opportunity to get photos of dolphins as well. This one was my favorite of my batch of photos from that day which included several photos of nothing but water!

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