Have you ever visited the Everglades? The Port of the Islands Resort and Marina is the last stop before Everglades City and part of the Big Cypress Preserve. It is a relatively small enclave of condos, single family homes, an old Florida style resort and marine that offers an up-close experience with nature at her very best. There is also a very nice restaurant and bar to full your tunny and quench your thirst.
Many animals call this nearly pristine estuary, the Everglades, home. Airboat rides, many captained by the Seminole Tribe, take tourists out to see the local flora and fauna, as well as, the splendid mix of wildlife. The Everglades is a well-known birding spot, but that is not all there is to see. I’d dare say there is nothing like the Everglades any place else in the continental USA.
At Port of the Islands Resort and Marina in Naples, Florida there are a few reptiles that have been known to cross paths with their human counterparts. I’ve personally seen at least a couple of alligators skimming the surface of the inky blue-black waters of the Fakahatchee River and the Faka-Union Canal in search of their next meal. While they appear tame they should not be fed by people nor invited to come into contact with humans.
Below I’ve added a few fun facts about the alligator that are sure to leave you scratching your head.
- Alligators are able to remain under water for eight (8) hours without coming up for a single breath of air!
- Alligators are able to move at ten (10) mph for short periods of time.
- Alligators have been around for nearly ninety-eight (98M) million years. They came about during the Crustaceous Period.
- Alligators are an important part of keeping the ecosystem in the Everglades in tact. They help to ensure that some species do not overrun others.
- Alligators were nearly extinct, but are now making a comeback! They were taken off the endangered species list in 1987.
- Alligators are able to hunt on land or in the water.
- Alligators typically eat fish, frogs, larvae, shrimp, insects, snails, spiders, and worms, but will eat carrion if their ecosystem is threatened.
- The alligators jaw can break the shell of a turtle, but can be held closed by two human hands clapping it together.
- Alligators have stones in their stomachs that help them to grind up larger pieces of food.
- The only predator of the alligator is the human.