Shark Valley
| Shark Valley | |||
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| Location: | Florida , United States | ||
| Next city: | Homestead (Florida) | ||
| Surface: | 6104 km² | ||
| Address: |
[3] 36000 SW 8th St, Homestead, FL 33194 Tel. (305) 305-221-8776 |
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The Shark Valley is located on the Tamiami Trail in Florida ( USA ), approximately 35 km from Miami . It is part of the Everglades National Park . Across from the Miccosukee Village & Cultural Center is the entrance to Shark Valley. A 24 km round tour through the inner part of the Everglades is accessible. Halfway along the circular tour you come to a 20 meter high observation tower, the Shark Valley Observation Tower, from which you have a good overview of the entire area, for example the Shark River Slough and the Saw Grass Prairie. In the period from May to November, heavy downpours can cause flooding on the paths, because Florida is the rainy season during these months .
Another way to explore Shark Valley is to take a boardwalk called the Otter Cave Walk. This path - partly made of planks but also partly made of coarse limestone - leads through a piece of the tropical mixed forest and offers an insight into the vegetation of Florida. The Otter Cave Walk also leads over small streams and bridges.
flora
The Shark Valley in the Everglades offers a unique vegetation with around 2,000 different plant species. These plants such as mangroves , cypresses , palms and pine trees thrive through the tropical vegetation and 45 of these plants are only found in the Everglades. The mangroves form an important factor for the natural cycle of the plant world, because the leaves serve as food for small microorganisms, which in turn are eaten by the fish or birds that live there.
The special thing about the flora of the Everglades is that the plants benefit from the mixture of salt and fresh water, the water there is particularly rich in nutrients and so the plants can thrive particularly well.
fauna
The alligators are very well known for the Everglades, and in Shark Valley they can sometimes lie on the well-developed bike paths and sidewalks. You should then stay calm and walk past them calmly, then nothing can happen. But Shark Valley is home to many more animals, such as up to 300 different species of birds, such as water and migratory birds. These include, for example, the well-known bald eagle , pelicans - which can be found all over Florida - seagulls , herons , eagle owls , rose spoonbills , ibises and also falcons . Depending on the season and also depending on the time of day, you can watch the birds in their natural environment.
The Florida panther is seldom seen , there are not many of the animals left and they hide in the thicket and do not get on the tourist routes. But not only the Florida panther is threatened, but also the American crocodiles, which find their habitat in salt water, but also certain species of turtles, such as the green sea turtle. In Shark Valley there are also many small mammals that you come across again and again, including raccoons, squirrels, swamp hares, possums and even skunks.
Trails
There are several accessible trails in Shark Valley that traverse part of the Everglades. Depending on the tour, you can explore up to 24 kilometers; the exploration tours are possible on foot, by tram or even by bike. There is an observation tower in Shark Valley, from which one can see the Shark Valley from a bird's eye view and thus gain an overview of the vastness of the tropical landscape. There is also a boardwalk through Shark Valley, which is called the Otter Cave Walk. This plank path leads through a dense tropical mixed forest and you sometimes walk over coarse limestone and have to pass small streams and bridges.