Plunging into history at Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park offers ranger-led snorkel trips to its Maritime Heritage Trail at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Saturday, weather permitting. The tours cost $45 per person, which includes mask, fins, snorkel and buoyancy vest. There is no age limit, but participants must know how to swim. Trips are limited to 50 and fill quickly, so reservations are suggested. Call 305-230-1100 or visit www.nps.gov/bisc .
Snorkeling above the 12-foot-deep wreck of the schooner Mandalay in Biscayne National Park is like looking down into an aquarium.
Two graceful spotted eagle rays flap placidly by the remains of the steel hull, giant fuel tanks and exposed ribs. A large porcupine fish emerges from a clutter of wreckage on the bottom, its bulbous eyes on a handful of human visitors. Hovering in satiny clusters are schools of small-mouthed grunts, schoolmaster snapper and convict-striped sergeant-majors.
This sunken sailing vessel is perhaps the crown jewel of the park’s Maritime Heritage Trail. Made up of six shipwrecks with rich histories dating to the mid-19th century, it is the only underwater archeological trail in the National Park system.
And every Saturday until the weather gets too rough, anyone who can swim is invited to tour these sites with a park ranger.
“None of these wrecks are artificial; they’re all here because the ships actually wrecked here,” said park ranger Astrid Rybeck, who leads the tours. “Sitting on the Internet reading about a shipwreck is not as much fun as going out with a ranger and doing it.”
The Mandalay, built in Brookline, Mass., in 1928, is the youngest of the shipwrecks on the trail. The 112-foot steel-hulled schooner originally was named the Hardi Biou, and had several owners before Michael Burke of Windjammer Cruises bought, refitted and renamed it the Mandalay in 1965.
Beautifully appointed with mahogany, brass, ivory and teak, the Mandalay was returning to Miami from the Bahamas on New Year’s Eve 1965 when it veered 20 miles off course and ran hard aground on Long Reef near what is now the eastern boundary of the park.
All 23 passengers and 12 crew members were rescued, but the ship could not be saved. It was picked clean by scavengers, leaving only the fish-rich skeleton visible today.
These are the five other wrecks on the trail:
• The Arratoon Apcar, a 261-foot iron-hulled steamship built in 1861 in Scotland that sank in 1878 next to Fowey Rocks Light.
History On The Everglades National Park - News
Biscayne National Park offers ranger-led snorkel trips to its Maritime Heritage Trail at 10 am and 1:30 pm each Saturday, weather permitting. The tours cost $45 per person, which includes mask, fins, snorkel and buoyancy vest. There is no age limit,
(Shutterstock) From Miami to Everglades National Park, Fla. Approximate distance: 69 km or 1 hr. What to see: More than a million visitors head to these southern Florida wetlands each year to witness the diverse ecosystem. Herons, alligators, bobcats
Benge, 61, worked for the National Park Service and spent three years at Yosemite National Park in California, and also a season at Everglades National Park in Florida, working as a backcountry ranger, or in campgrounds and at kiosks.
Slightly acidic water dissolves limestone, creating topographic features like the sinkhole lakes characteristic of parts of central Florida, the Rocky Glades region of Everglades National Park, and our cypress dome landscape. Here in Southwest Florida,
From Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, from the hallowed ground of Gettysburg National Military Park to the Pacific waters shrouding Hawaii's USS Arizona Memorial, this catalog spans American history and territory both, with practical advice on how
Everglades National Park DVD Video
A 2-minute highlight of the Everglades National Park DVD. Available on location in Everglades National Park and from www.finleyholiday.com. Featuring the amazing picture and sound quality that only DVD can offer, this fully-narrated video lets you explore and learn about the incredible scenery and wildlife of South Floridas National Parks including Everglades, Big Cypress, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas. WILDLIFE AND WATER Visit all four parks and discover their amazing natural history and special role in South Floridas sub-tropical ecosystem. Witness over 50 species of birds and animals, from alligators to wood storks. DVD video bonus: Four unique bonus videos, including wildlife with natural sounds, an inspiring music video, Hurricane Andrew and Biscayne history. English narration. French, German and Italian subtitles. Part of Finley-Holiday Films National Parks Series DVDs. Everglade's Tours Let You See Alligators in Florida
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Sundarbans National ParkSundarbans National Park is one of the famous wildlife sanctuaries in India. It is famous for its unique location as it is located on a delta formed by mainly three rivers: The Ganga, The Brahmaputra, and The Meghna. Due to its unique location, the forests are highly dense with mangrove forests. The Royal Bengal Tiger is one of the major attractions for tourists coming from all around the world. T...
History On The Everglades National Park - Bookshelf
Everglades National Park
History in the Park Native Americans migrated to the Everglades area at least 11000 ... live on reservations on the fringes of Everglades National Park. ...Hidden History of Everglades City and Points Nearby
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Everglades National Park
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Everglades National Park travel guide - Wikitravel
Open source travel guide to Everglades National Park, featuring up-to-date information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, travel tips and more. Free and ...