Friday, November 11, 2011

Charlotte Harbor Preserve

The Charlotte Harbor Preserve is a state park encompassing the Myakka River Delta and boundary islands of Charlotte Harbor. The estuary is made of mangrove swamps and border islands. The mangroves are incredibly dense, but have a maze of water "trails" cut through them. They are marked with numbers, without which getting lost would be inevitable. It was like being in a mangrove tunnel filled with wildlife. We heard reports of a Manatee in the main boat channel, but even after searching for over an hour, never saw him.

Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park


Lighthouse House


Brown Pelican



Mangrove Trails


Looking Back at the Tunnel Entrance


Into the Maze




Mangrove Roots


Tree Climbing Mangrove Crab
(they were perfectly camouflaged)



White Ibis



Emerging from the Mangrove Tunnel


Florida Osprey








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