General Information about Everglades Tours
Everybody is looking for something else when visiting the Everglades and also on our guided Tours: wilderness, adventure, fun, knowledge, nature, animals, the unusual, the unique... . While we are doing our best to fulfill all your expectations, your safety is our first priority.
Of course, we are visiting the largest wilderness east of the Rocky Mountains and you expect "dangerous" animals, like Alligators and Snakes, also the plants are waiting for you with Poisonwood and others, and the mosquitoes are appearing in unbelievable numbers, at least in summer (but thankfully without dangerous diseases).
As it usually is with potential dangers, they are highly reduced with the right way to deal with them and with increasing experience - and in regard to this, you can completely rely on your guide!
With the experience of being a wildlife biologist with a lot of outdoor experience, many expeditions und group-adventure-travels, and also being an Everglades Nationalpark Interpreter as well as a guide in diverse areas of South Florida and especially the Everglades, your guide will led you competently through the Everglades, while You can experience and enjoy the beauty and fascination of this unique eco-system.
We would like to say that everything is totally safe, like some others do. But that wouldn't be honest. What we like to say is, that the most dangerous part of our tours is the road with the cars, which we drive on, which we cross ans at which we maybe stand to watch alligators, turtles and snakes from a safe distance. And this kind of danger you may know from your own experience.
In every season of the year, Safety is also an important topic in regard to Sun, Heat, Drinking, as well as Mosquitoes and Weather, those especially in summer.
To bring it to the point, when you feel, that the sun begins to effect the skin, that it may become a bit too warm or that you really could drink a little water, then it is usually already too late in South-Florida.
That means that the sun is standing very high even in winter, so that you can easily get a sunburn, also when the sky is covered by clouds (!), that you can easily overheat and you cool down only
very slowly, und that you become thirsty much too late because of the high humidity.
Drink a lot and especially very often!
If you feel tired or unconcentrated and headaches begin to develop, then it is rarely the heat or the sun, much more often it is the lack of water.
We will remind you often during the tour...
Mosquitoes and Weather are the main topics in the Rainy Season, that begins more or less in May and will continue to the end of October. Mosquitoes and weather can be difficult to the end of November. Depending from the location, eco-system and the time of the day the mosquitoes can show in unbelievable numbers. At the sea you can also have the very tiny No-see-ums (really small biting flies) and depending on the season (form spring) also the bigger, biting Rain- and Deerflies.
During our Tours we will see that we avoid most of the mosquitoes. But it will not be possible to visit the Everglades without mosquito-repellent and maybe a few bites. The canoe-tours are usually mostly free of mosquitoes since we choose the better canoe-trails, also some of the shorter hiking-trails are absolutely ok. Just in case it will be necessary, we will bring some mosquito-nets.
The weather in summer is very warm and hunid with legenday rainfalls, fascinating cloud-formations, interesting light-impressions and one of the highest numbers of thunderstorms at all. Rain and thunderstorms are usually locally and timely limited, so that you can avoid both of them quite often with a skilled "rain-hopping". Or one has to wait a little bit... or reorganize a bit ... just be flexible... Only in rare cases the rain will be really everywhere.
Therefore, tours are (nearly) always possible and enjoyable, also in summertime!
It is a very special experience, sometimes a bit demanding, but generally absolutely amazing. Think of it as the time, that brings the Everglades to life, that lets the River of Grass run down to the sea, and that creates this unique eco-system.
And you are right within it!
It is also the time, when the fishes Fische and other aquatic animals are spreading into wide area of the Everglades. The fish-eaters are following. Other animal spend the summer in the North, as we knoe itz from the migratory birds. for others it is too warm in the Everglades and they look for cooler regions.
For us, all this means, that we have much less animals to see over summer, as in winter, when all the animals meet at the waterholes where they try to survive dryseason.
We will try to find the Alligators, Birds und Fishes with our experience, but sometimes the success remains limited. But the Everglades show a lot of other amazing charms in summer, that cannot hide so easily!
Often people worry, that in the mirky, swampy waters dangerous animals could sneak in. Well, it is not at all like this. We do not have a Swamp, but a wide, shallow river! The water is christal clear, wonderful, and has nearly drinking water qualities! You can see everything, nobody can sneak in, if someone or something wanted at all. Alligators and Snakes etc. don't do something like this at all!!! Therefore you do not need to worry!
You see, the summer asks for a special summer-program, in which maybe not everything is possible or only with the knowledge of mosquitoes, weather and that there fewer animals to see. But nevertheless you can learn to know and love the Everglades also in summer, go on paddle-tours und hikings, and we can also make possible those wishes of yours that are including some more mosquitoes if you really want to go for it.
In Main Season (winter and spring) you will see most of the animals, the least of the mosquitoes, only rarely rain and the temperatures are mostly comfortable with low humidity.
But there can also be strong cold spells, which afford some warm clothes. The temperatures can drop well below the 50s and also the 40s, at least for a short time.
Main season is also the dry-season, when the Everglades, the great River of Grass, falls dry. Sometimes it is difficult in winter, to imagine this amazing quality of the Everglades, that a wide river runs periodically through the prairie, when the water is not there anymore.
With developing dry conditions, the living conditions of the wildlife and the conditions of our tours are changing, for example the canoe-trails or the wet walk trails through the Cypress forests, which show less and less water.
This also means, that some species that are not seen often at the beginning of the season will appear more and more often, but for other species it means the opposite. The migratory birds will fly in, but they will also leave again.
Depending whenin main season you will visit the Everglades, you will find different conditions.
This is what makes the Everglades so special: every day is different, always new, never boring, always fascinating and beautiful!
Let Everglades encharm you through the special conditions of Your Tour!