Where Miami ends and the Florida Keys begin is a national park located under the sea. While most people think of a national park as preserving public lands, this a park that focuses more on the conservation of important public waters. About 95 percent of the park is located underwater, working to save coral reefs, sea creatures and the distinct ecosystems of the Florida Keys. Originally proposed to become part of the Everglades, protection for these important ecosystems came more than 30 years after Florida’s first national park was established. The threat of overdevelopment and exploitation of fossil fuels and nuclear power in the region finally prompted the protection that had been sought for this area dating back to the turn of the century. Now a haven for boaters and underwater explorers, this is Biscayne National Park. |
History
Most of the villages originally settled here are now underwater, though the Cutler Fossil Site west of the park has yielded some evidence of these early settlers, including conch shells and whelk. Around 8,000 years ago, the water began to rise and the portion of the Glades culture that occupied this most southern portion of the state had to retreat. When the water again revealed land about 2,500 years ago, a new culture moved into the area. |
The first European to arrive in the area was Juan Ponce de Leon and his expedition in 1513. He was among the first to encounter the Tequesta, but by the time successive Spanish explorers returned in the 1540s, most of the tribe had moved or died off from the exposure to disease. Originally known as the Chequescha Bay, the area was renamed Biscayne Bay later on by a Basque sailor who shipwrecked here. The area’s waters soon became known for their dangers as numerous Spanish treasure ships sunk off the coast of the Florida mainland here. At least 44 shipwrecks have been documented in this area stretching from the 1500s to the modern period and other wrecks remain undiscovered. Despite the amount of exploration and occasional castaways found in the region, it would be centuries before permanent settlements were established here. |
It was a black man who made the area more viable for settlement. Born in North Carolina to parents who were potentially slaves, Israel Lafayette Jones purchased Porgy Key for $300 in 1897. The following year, he purchased the adjacent Old Rhodes Key and cleared the land to grow limes and pineapples. In 1911, he purchased 212 acres on Totten Key as well. A former farm worker himself, Jones became one of the biggest landowners in the area despite the intense racial segregation in the area of the time. Jones helped found one of the first black churches in the area and himself became a minister. |
Entrepreneur and real estate developer Carl Graham Fisher decided to purchase Adams Key - originally known as Cocolobo Key, in 1916. Fisher had already helped develop much of early Miami and decided he would turn Adams Key into a resort club the rival of those in Newport or on Jekyll Island. The Cocolobo Cay Club opened in 1922 with ten guest rooms, a dining room and recreation lodge. Club members and patrons included President Warren G. Harding, Albert Fall, T. Coleman du Pont, Harvey Firestone, Jack Dempsey, Charles F. Kettering, Will Rogers, and Frank Seiberling. |
As shipwrecking and channel dredging continued, many more people came to build shacks in the area creating a colony known as Stiltsville. The area became home to the Calvert Club, Miami Beach Rod and Reel Club, and the famous Quaterdeck Club run by Commodore Edward Turner. The area became a popular destination for sportsmen and celebrities, though the Hurricane King of 1950 destroyed much of the area. Most owners did not rebuild after this and then again after Hurricane Donna in 1960. |
While Biscayne Bay had originally been part of the proposed Everglades National Park, it had been cut out prior to the park’s establishment in 1947. The proposed development of the 1960s, particularly those around Elliott Key, prompted both members of the new environmental movement and those who had lobbied for the Everglades to take action. A study was undertaken in 1966 about the potential for national protection for the area and in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson created Biscayne National Monument. |
Ecology and Ecosystems
The western edge and mainland shoreline is home to the park’s mangrove swamp ecosystem. This marshy transitional zone is dominated by the red and black mangrove trees in the shallow waters while white mangroves grow in deeper waters, providing shelter for plants and animals, often serving as a nursery area for younger creatures. Unlike many plant species, mangroves flourish in saltwater environments and serve as something of a purification system. |
Heading further east and out to sea, the next ecosystem visitors will likely encounter is the lagoon or bay waters ecosystem, which largely consists of Biscayne Bay itself. The bay is a shallow lagoon with little salinity due to its lack of depth and because of fresh water entering the salt water of the sea. Salinity patterns change over time with June being the peak salinity for the bay. How saline the waters can change what animals and make their home there. During certain times of year, the bay serves as a nursery for several fish species. |
While the seagrass seems akin to an underwater forest, the hardbottom area looks more like a desert under the water. Invertebrates such as the spiny lobster tend to find shelter in this area. Both areas of the park are subject to damage by humans. Seagrass beds are often scarred by vessel groundings and propellers while shrimp trawling nets often harm or damage softer corals and sponges. |
The keys serve as barrier islands with rocky cores but also have coral rock platforms to the south, fringed with mangroves and have subtropical vegetation and hardwood forests on their interiors. The wide variety of lifeforms is because the keys are an ecological transitional area, capable of hosting both shorebirds that have strayed too far from the mainland and seabirds that have strayed too far from the sea. The area is also capable of hosting Caribbean species that have strayed off their course. |
The coral colonies are created when polyps obtain seawater and manufacture limestone skeletons for protection, joining together over years to create reefs. Some of the most common coral varieties found in the park include elkhorn coral, staghorn coral, boulder star coral, symmetrical brain coral, lesser starlet coral, finger corals, and gorgonians such as sea whips and sea fans. Among these reefs, divers might find the more than 40 shipwrecks that are located within the park’s boundaries. |
Landmarks
The national park can be divided into two major sections, bisected by the intracostal waterway line. The eastern section reaches further north and further south than the western coastal section. While the Matheson Hammock Park in South Miami is often used to gain access to the park, the northernmost boundary of the park’s western boundary is just north of Southwest 184th Street, following the coast southward toward Black Point Park in Miami-Dade County, the first boat launch actually located within the park. |
The most northern boundary of the park’s eastern section begins not far off the coast of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. This area of the Biscayne Channel was once home to Stiltsville and the few remnants of that enclave that are still maintained. The Fowley Rocks Lighthouse is also located here, seven miles off the coast of Key Biscayne. Only accessible by sea, the lighthouse was not completed before the nearby wreck of the Arratoon Apcar, but did manage to survive a massive hurricane in 1935. Reefs that breach or reach near the surface are common healing southward along the Safety Valve area. Safety Valve is a series of shallow sand flats separated by tidal flow channels stretching from Key Biscayne to the Ragged Keys. The term “safety valve” was given to the area because it is believed this area moderates storm surges on the bay, protecting the coast from the damage of hurricane. |
West of Boca Chita Key is the Feathered Bank along the intracostal waterway. Lewis Cut separates Boca Chita Key from Sands Key with Bowles Bank located to the east of both islands. East of that is the Legare Anchorage, a triangular area containing Bache Shoal and Triumph Reef, which is closed to the public at night. Sands Cut separates Sands Key from Elliott Key, the largest key in the park. |
Heading east into the Atlantic from Old Rhodes Key, visitors can sail out to various coral reefs including Anniversary Reef, Pacific Reef, Elkhorn Coral Reef, Pacific Reef, the drop, Rocky Reef and Ball Buoy Reef. While the park boundary doesn’t extend all the way to the Gulf Stream, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary provides a safe haven for reefs and creatures in the boundary between the park and the stream. This sanctuary extends to a depth of 300 feet below the surface while the park’s eastern boundary only extends to a depth of 60 feet. |
Flora and Fauna
The mammals that inhabit the park are one such example of the marine/terrestrial divide. Land mammals found in the park include the bobcat, Brazilian free-tailed bat, cotton mouse, gray fox, gray squirrel, hispid cotton rat, least shrew, marsh rabbit, Seminole bat, southern flying squirrel, striped skunk, Virginia opossum, Wagner's mastiff bat, and the white-tailed deer. Some of the park’s marine mammals include the Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin, false killer whale, river otter, and West Indian manatee. |
While the park is known as a place where water and land collide, the fact that much of this water is saline means that not many amphibians call the park home. Of the park’s eight documented amphibian species, three are not native to the area. The cane toad, Cuban tree frog, eastern narrowmouth toad, Florida cricket frog, green tree frog, greenhouse frog, southern toad, and squirrel tree frog all call the park home. Of these amphibian species, the cane toad, greenhouse frog and Cuban tree frog are not native to the park. |
Other native species found in the park include the black racer, black swamp snake, corn snake, dusky pigmy rattlesnake, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Eastern indigo snake, Everglades racer, Everglades rat snake, Florida box turtle, Florida water snake, green anole, ground skink, mangrove salt marsh snake, mangrove terrapin, mole skink, northern coral snake, reef gecko, ring-necked snake, rough green snake, southeastern five-lined skink, southern black racer, southern ring-necked snake, striped mud turtle and yellow rat snake. Non-native reptile species found in the park include the Cuban brown anole, common agama lizard, Brown basilisk or Jesus lizard, Indo-Pacific gecko, tropical house gecko, Mediterranean gecko, green iguana, Burmese python, Brahminy blind snake, black and white tegu lizard and monitor lizard. |
Non-native bird species that have come to the park include the common myna, mute swan, European starling, muscovy duck, pekin duck, Eurasian collared dove, rock dove, monk parakeet, orange-winged parrot, hill myna, red-legged honeycreeper, and house sparrow. Of course, the park is most famed for its sea and shorebirds. These include the Audubon’s shearwater, Wilson’s storm petrel, brown pelican, American flamingo, American coot, clapper rail, common gallinule, parasitic jaeger, pomarine jaeger, piping plover, reddish egret, least tern, little blue heron, roseate spoonbill, snowy egret, tricolored heron, white ibis, and the endangered wood stork. In total, the park is home to two species of loons, two species of greebes, eight pelecaniformes, 15 wading birds, 26 shorebird species, 19 species of gulls and terns, and 17 species of swans, geese and ducks. |
Of course, the bulk of the park’s wildlife can be found under the water, beginning with the dozens of fish species found here. Some of the more exotic fish that callt he park home include dwarf seahorses, lined seahorses, longsnout seahorses, guitarfish, electric manta rays, smalltooth sawfish, barbfish, glassy sweeper, 10 species of rays and skates, 12 species of pipefish, and 14 species of shark. At least 18 non-native fish species have been introduced to the park and have made trouble for native inhabitants, particularly the red lionfish. |
Fish aren’t the only creatures encountered at the bottom of the sea. Mollusks, crustaceans and a host of marine invertebrates make their home in Biscayne’s waters. Mollusks that call the park home include a variety of bivalves, cephalopods, chiton, nudibranch, sea slugs, sea hare, and snails. The park’s crustaceans include various amphipods, barnacles, crabs, cumacean, isopods, lobster, mantis shrimp, shrimp and tanaidaceans. |
The trees in the park show the transition into the subtropical climate. Most of the trees found here are tropical in nature, including the Australian pine, Bahama strongback, balsam apple, bay cedar, black mangrove, buttonwood mangrove, cabbage palm, Canary Island date palm, coconut palm, darling plum, date palm, dragontree, Everglades palm, false mastic, false tamarind, Florida fish poison tree, Florida strangler fig, Florida thatch palm, Geiger tree, Guiana palm, gumbo limbo tree, inkwood, key lime, key thatch palm, leadwood, lemon, longleaf blolly, milkbark, papaya, paradise tree, pigeon plum, poisonwood, red mangrove, saffron plum, Sargent’s cherry palm, Senegal date palm, seven-year apple, silver palm, sour orange, tangerine, torchwood, West Indian mahogany, white mangrove, wild banyantree and wild lime. |
There are several other wildflower species found in the park including bayhops, butterfly orchid, Chinese hibiscus, climbing dayflower, coastal searocket, coatbuttons, creeping daisy, creeping oxalis, Cuban jute, dollar orchid, false buttonweed, false daisy, Florida hammock milkpea, goatweed, Hammock viper’s tail, horseweed, juniper leaf, leafless bentspur orchid, Madagascar periwinkle, Mexican clover, oceanblue morning glory, perfumed spiderlily, Queen Anne’s lace, red spiderling, sea hibiscus, silverhead, snow squarestem, southern beeblossom, Tampa butterfly orchid, tree seaside tansy, tropical white morning glory, Virginia buttonweed, yellow pricklypoppy and yellow sweet clover. |
The park is also home to several species of ferns that thrive in the understory and underbrush of the forested areas of the park. Some of the most common include the aspidium fern, Boston fern, Boston swordfern, Browne’s blechum, clinging snakefern, fishtail swordfern, giant leather fern, golden leather fern, inland leather fern, resurrection fern, and ribbon fern. |
Things to Do
As the majority of the park is underwater, the bulk of activities at Biscayne Bay involve getting out on the bay area itself. Boating is by far the most popular activity in the bark with four county marinas nearby providing access to the park. There are slow speed zones and several steps boaters are encouraged to take to help protect the ecosystem of the park, especially as many of the park’s waters are shallows. Personal watercraft like jetskis and waverunners are prohibited in the park. |
Guided boat and sailing tours offer visitors a chance to see wildlife and enjoy the local scenery. The most popular tour is the ranger guided tour around Boca Chita Key, which takes visitors to the island’s lighthouse. Tickets for these tours also provide same-day free admission to Homestead Bayfront Park. While tickets can be sold the day of an excursion, visitors are encouraged to reserve their seats ahead of time as tours are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. |
Several of the wrecks in the waters can also be explored through snorkeling, though diving is required for many of those reefs and wrecks further out into the ocean. Most of the wrecks in the park do not require much diving experience, though there are wrecks outside the park’s waters that can provide more challenging dives. Snorkelers and divers are required to display diving flags, which can be borrowed or purchased from the park. Several guided scuba and snorkeling tours are provided for those who do not want to venture out on their own or would prefer an experienced guide. |
Bonefish, tarpon, permit, seatrout, gagfish, grouper, ladyfish, and barracudas are the main species many anglers come to the area for. Blue crab, lobster, stone crab and shrimp are among the non-fish creatures most commonly harvested in the park. Organizations like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Biscayne Bay -Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council oversee the research, management, stocking and enforcement of regulations in these waters. Various fishing tours of the area are also offered. |
Further Reading
- Biscayne National Park | U.S. National Park Service - Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay.
- Biscayne National Park | National Geographic - Biscayne National Park basically begins where Miami ends—in the shallow, aquamarine waters and lush sea-grass beds of Biscayne Bay. Protected within the park’s mostly submerged 173,000 acres are the longest stretch of mangrove forest on Florida's east coast, the northernmost Florida Keys, and part of the world's third longest coral reef tract. Many visitors never venture beyond the park’s northern waters, a popular playground for boaters, anglers, and windsurfers, as well as Miami-based charter boat trips and sunset cruises.
- Biscayne National Park | National Park Foundation - Biscayne National Park preserves Biscayne Bay, one of the top scuba diving areas in the United States. Within the national park, which is over 90 percent water, there is an extensive mangrove forest along the shoreline, a portion of the world's third-longest living coral reef, and the northernmost Florida Keys.
- Biscayne National Park | National Parks Conservation Association - Located just a few miles from the city of Miami, Biscayne is the largest marine park in the National Park System and preserves the diverse marine environment where the Atlantic Ocean meets Biscayne Bay. The park features a variety of plant and animal life both above and below the water's surface, including the longest stretch of mangrove forest remaining on Florida's east coast and part of the only living tropical coral reef system in the continental United States.