The National Parks: Biscayne

11/3/2016

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.

The park conserves the Biscayne Bay region, stretching from Miami down the southern tip of Florida to Homestead and then out to seat at Elliot Key, the northernmost of the Florida Keys. An ecosystem linked to that of Florida’s famous Everglades, the area preserves both an important south Florida ecosystem as well as a piece of Florida history with human habitation dating back at least 10,000 years ago. This water wonderland has brought together native peoples, presidents, millionaires, pirates, farmers, researchers, exiles and outdoorsmen over the years. Rainbow colored fish and coral lie beneath the crystal blue waters and emerald islands

History

Two major native groups inhabited the area that now consists of the national park, the first inhabiting area in 10,000 years ago. The first were known as the Glades culture as they also occupied areas that include the Florida Everglades. The group arrived in the area when the tide was low and much of the area now covered by water was exposed. Most of the Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico were a land mass and animals such as bisons and mammoths roamed the land along with rabbits and deer. Marine animals were also a part of the diet of this early culture. r. Many of the artifacts left behind by this culture include undecorated pottery created from sand and grit.

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.

Known as the Tequestra, this tribe’s central village was located at the mouth of the Miami River though there might have been others near Cape Sable. The dominant culture of the region were the Calusa, who ruled much of what is now the Everglades. The Tequestra often allied with their northern neighbors, the Jaega, to stem off the Calusa. As the Tequestra didn’t practice agriculture, most of their food was gathered or hunted. Fish, turtle, snails and wahle were common foods for the poor while trunkfish, lobster and monk seals were eaten by the wealthy.

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.

Juan Ponce de Leon

The first settlers of European descent arrived in the area in the early 1800s, predominantly small farms settled on Elliott Key to grow key limes and pineapples. John James Audubon was an early visitor in 1832 coming to chronicle the rare birds of the area. In 1849, Col. Robert E. Lee arrived to survey the area for potential fortification locations, but the area remained largely inhabited by few settlers. Following the Confederacy’s loss in the Civil War, a few former Confederate soldiers, such as former Confederate Vice President John C. Breckinridge, passed through the area on their way to Cuba to escape from prosecution.

The Jones family on the porch of their Porgy Key home.

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.

Following his death, his sons Lancelot and King Arthur carried on the business and became the largest key lime producers in the state. Eventually, a hurricane and the cheaper output of limes from Mexico prompted the closure of the farm in the 1930s. The sons then turned to offering fishing and guided tours of the region, including those given to prominent early guests. Many of these guests they catered to were the wealthy businessmen and politicians who were coming to the area on vacation courtesy of a new yacht and outdoors club that had been settled in the area.

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.

U.S. President Warren G. Harding and fishing party at the Cocolobo Cay Club. The Jones brothers probably guided the group.

While the club enjoyed a few good years, the stock market crash bankrupted Fisher. He sold it to Garfield Wood in 1934 who then sold the club in 1954. Later clients of the club included John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Herman Talmadge and George Smathers. While the rich visitors who once came to the area had disappeared with the Great Depression, a new community would emerge from this period. Shacks on stilts had probably been constructed in the area as early as the 1920s to combat tides and other natural forces, but “Crawfish” Eddie made the concept popular when he constructed his own shack in 1933. A legal mile offshore, the shack was a legal place for visitors to drink and gamble. He also sold bait, beer, and a crawfish chowder known as chilau from the are

Built on stilts, shacks and bars like the Calvert Club were located far enough away from shore their patrons could openly flout Florida and federal law.

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 developers had been looking at linking the keys to the mainland as far back as the 1890s, development really got underway in the 1960s. Formed in 1960, the city of Islandia supported connecting the keys to the mainland and well as development of the area. An industrial seaport and oil refinery known as SeaDade was proposed in 1962 and the following year, Florida Power and Light announced plants for oil-fired plants at Turkey Light. Both would cut through coral reefs and dredge a channel through the bay. While the jobs created by this ventures were supported by many locals and politicians, environmentalists fought against the development and began seeking a national protection for the area. Some Islandia residents hoped that destruction of the natural resources would cause enough environmental damage to stop any national protection and allow development to move forward. In 1964, Florida Power and Light announced plans to open two nuclear reactors at Turkey Point, utilizing the Biscayne Bay waters for cooling.

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.

The Boca Chita Key Lighthouse and the skyline of Miami in the distance. Boca Chita Key was one of several areas added to the park when it was officially designated in 1980.

Lancelot Jones was the first Islandia resident to sell property to the National Park Service. With national protection given to the area, the Islandia residents realized their development dreams would never be realized and began abandoning the area. The town was officially abolished in 2012. At present, Biscayne National Park is nearly 173,000 acres large, but about 95 percent of that is water rather than land. The park is considered the largest marine park in the NPS, and boasts both one of the world’s most extensive coral reefs as well as the east coast’s longest stretch of mangrove forest. The park attracts more than 525,000 visitors annually.

Ecology and Ecosystems

The ecology of Biscayne National Park is one of the most unique in the country, particularly because it is located in the section of Florida that transitions between two ecozones. As a result, a wide variety of plant and animal life can thrive in the area. The climate of the park also allows for interesting ecology, with the area being classified as a tropical savanna. The four main ecosystems found in the park include the mangrove swamp, island key, offshore reef and the lagoon ecosystem, also sometimes referred to as the bay ecosystem as it takes up much of Biscayne Bay itself.

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.

The trees can excrete salt through their leaves, allowing them to survive in an area where other trees cannot. While the mangrove forests can thrive in saltwater, they have also managed to expand into more inland freshwater areas as well. Mangroves are one of few plant and animal species that can survive in both kinds of water and help serve as a transition point from fresh to salt water. The mangrove forests help isolate former freshwater marshlands as well as prevent salt waters from tidal areas from reaching into the freshwater ecosystems inland. This natural buffer has also provided a habitat for species like the crocodile, which were largely forced out of their natural habitat by the construct of the Turkey Point energy facilities.

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.

A school of grunt fish navigate the seagrass at the bottom of Biscayne Bay.

Juvenile fish species often live here as well until they are mature enough to traverse the open sea. One of the most diverse of the park’s ecosystems, the bay waters can be divided up into two major categories: seagrasses and hardbottom. Roughly 75 percent of the floor of the bay is covered by seagrasses while sponges and soft corals often grow in areas that are not hospitable to seagrasses. While several species of seagrass are found throughout the park, the three most common are turtlegrass, shoal grass and manatee grass. Seagrass typically grows where sediment is thicker and produces flowering plants with roots and stems. Seagrasses require clear water to reach them and can die without sunlight streaming through the bay waters. The grasses help stabilize sediments, keep the waters clear and provide food and shelter for various animals. By contrast, the corals and sponges make up the area of the bay waters known as the hardbottom. These plants grow in areas where the sediment is thin and other underwater plants cannot take root.

The hardbottom area of the bay is covered with coral and similar 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 Florida Keys themselves have a unique ecosystem often known as the island key ecosystem. Keys located within the park include Elliott Key, Old Rhodes Key, Sands Key, Totten Key, Little Totten Key, Boca Chita Key, Swan Key, Porgy Key, Gold Key, Rubicon Keys, Mangrove Key, West Arsenicker, Arsenicker Key, Long Arsenicker, East Arsenicker, Reid Key, Soldier Key, Adams Key and the private Ragged Keys. The largest of the keys, Elliott Key is considered by many to be the first true member of the Florida Keys, though there are several smaller keys north of it including Sands Key, Soldier Key and the Ragged Keys. These are considered by some to be more “transitional islands” than true keys.

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.

Hardwood forests and subtropical plants are found in the interior of the keys.

The offshore waters, particularly those facing the Atlantic, are home to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. The seafloor of the ocean slopes gradually down before rising in a nearly continuous coral reef, which is inhabited by more than 200 fish species as well as various invertebrates. Coral reefs cover about half of the park and these reefs are home to literally hundreds of coral species, sea anemones and sponges. While the amount of coral in these waters has declined due to development in the area, the coral reefs still remain one of the park’s top attractions.

Colorful corals liven up the waters of Biscayne National park.

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.

Reefs located in the park include Rocky Reef, Ball Buoy Reef, Elkhorn Reef, Anniversary Reef, Pacific Reef, Ajax Reef, Long Reef, Star Reef, and Brewster Reef. While some of these reefs are located under the water, others are found closer to the surface. Many a shipwreck has been caused by encountering these reefs closer to the surface. In addition to the park itself, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Florida Keys National Maritime Sanctuary to the south of the national park help protect these important reefs and the creatures that call them home.

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 Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located on the mainland shore of the national park not far from Homestead.

The park is near Black Point. Further south along the shore is Fender Point. The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at Convoy Point, the same location as the park headquarters, the Homestead Bayfront Park and Herbert Hoover Marina. South of that is the Turkey Point Power Plant at Turkey Point. The park loops around Turkey Point near Pelican Bank and then goes further south to Mangrove Cove, and the Midnight Pass, which separates the mainlands from the Arsenicker Keys. In the bay toward the intracostal waterway are various spoil areas as well as the Black Ledge area of the bay toward the northern central area.

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.

Soldier Key is located about midway down the Safety Valve area and further east out toward the ocean from it are the Fowey Rocks, the wreck of the Arratoon Apcar, and Brewster Reef. The Safety Valve area continues south into the Ragged Keys, which are east of Star Reef. Boca Chita Key is below the Ragged Keys, the location of the park’s famed lighthouse and the Boca Chita Key Historic District. In addition to the famed lighthouse that dates to the 1930s, this historical district includes a chapel, picnic pavilion, cannon and stone wall that were all constructed here by Mark C. Honeywell. A wealthy industrialist, Honeywell purchased all of Boca Chita Key as a prt of a development plant during the 1930s. It became a holiday resort for the Honeywell family and they often brought guests from their Miami house to the island on luxury vessels. The cannon was often fired to welcome guests. When his wife died and he remarried, Honeywell sold the island to Florence Emerman in 1942.

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.

Elliott Key is home to its own ranger’s station, Point Adelle, the Elliott Key Harbor, Ott Point, University Sock, Coon Point, Sea Grape Point, the Margot Fish Shoal, Billy’s Point, Petrel Point, and Sandwich Cove. The Sweeting Homestead, also known as the Sweeting Plantation, is located on this island, though it is not always open to visitors. The Jones family homestead is located on Elliott Key as well as parts of Islandia, which also stretch to Totten Key. Christmas Point is the southernmost point on Elliott Key, and to its west are Caesar's Creek and Caesar's Creek Bank, which possibly received their name from Meig's Key, originally known as Black Caesar Key. The Hawk Channel makes up much of the eastern sea boundary of the key, leading toward Long Reef, Ajax Reef and the wrecks of the Lugano, Mandalay, Erl King, Alicia and an wooden sailing vessel that has not yet been identified.

Remnants of the former city of Islandia can be found on Adams Key, southern Elliott Key and the other surrounding keys. Residents and real estate speculators purchased property here in hopes of the area being developed as the next Miami Beach, but the rare species and unique environment of the area prompted the creation of Biscayne National Park, putting an end to any dreams of developing the area as a resort or luxury community.

Off the southeastern tip of Elliott Key are several other smaller keys including Adams Key, Rubicon Keys, Reid Key, Porgy Key, and Meig’s Key. These smaller keys help separate Elliott Key from the larger Totten Key and Old Rhodes Key. Adams Key was originally known as Cocolobo Key and was the site of the Cocolobo Cay Club. It and Meig’s Key were believed to have been popular haunts of famed Key pirate Black Caesar. The Rubicon Keys were named for Julius Caesar and his famed crossing of the Rubicon River. Reid Key was named for an early settler and Porgy Key - originally spelled Porgee Key - was the longtime home for Lancelot Jones.

Between these keys and Hurricane Creek are Totten Key to the west and Old Rhodes Key to the east. Old Rhodes is the larger of the two and the Jones Lagoon is in the middle of both keys. West of Totten Key at the intracoastal waterway is the Cutter Bank Shallows. Named for U.S. Amry Corps of Engineers Gen. Joseph Totten, this key was one of the major figures in the survey of the Florida coast in the 1840s, along with future Gen. Robert E. Lee. Originally known as Old Road and Jennings Island, Old Rhodes Key was the site of the Jones family’s major pineapple and lime plantation. South of these two large keys are the smaller Swan Key and Gold Key. Broad Creek marks the park boundary south of these keys.

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.

Hurricane Creek at Old Rhodes Key.

While there are various places for visitors to explore both above and below the water, some of the most popular destinations in the park are Convoy Point on the mainland, Adams Key, Elliott Key and Boca Chita Key. Many of those who come to see what is underwater instead of online follow along the Biscayne Bay National Park Maritime Heritage Trail. This underwater trail takes visitors past six shipwrecks that help detail the maritime history of the area as well as seeing some of the unique coral reefs the park provides.

Flora and Fauna

Biscayne National Park can be divided into two worlds: the one above water and the one below it. Most of the plants and animals that call the park home live in one or the other, but those like mangrove trees, crocodiles and sea turtles can exist in both. As a result, this park has a vast diversity of wildlife to study, including creatures that seem to blur the lines between plant and animal. Non-native species have also arrived here, calling the park home despite posing a danger to those creatures and plants that have lived here for centuries.

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.

Endangered or threatened mammal species calling the park home include the Key Largo woodrat, Key Largo cotton mouse, finback whale, Florida manatee, humpback whale, North Atlantic right whale, sei whale and sperm whale. Three non-native species that have made their home in the park have become a pest population here. The feral cat, black rat, and Mexican red-bellied squirrel have all been seen in the park, but can often make things difficult for native inhabitants. The park does work to corral the most abundant exotic species to prevent the infringement on the lives of those endangered native creatures.

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.

Reptiles are a bit more common in the park, and like in the Everglades, Biscayne is home to both alligators and crocodiles. Both the American alligator and American crocodile are on the park’s list of endangered or threatened species along with the Eastern indigo snake, green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, and loggerhead sea turtle. Sea turtles have become a particular focus of the park’s conservation efforts, particularly restoring and preserving seal turtle nesting grounds. Visitors are often urged to be careful on beaches as it is federal crime to kill or tamper with these endangered sea turtles and their nests. May through October are the peak nesting seasons for the park’s turtles, though nesting typically peaks between June and August.

A baby loggerhead sea turtle begins its journey from the beaches to the waters of Biscayne Bay National 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.

The vast population of birds that both live and visit the park during migration or nesting season have made Biscayne very popular with birders. Finches, sparrows, orioles, grackles, tanagers, cardinals, warblers, waxwings, piptits, starlings, mimids, wrens, swallows, jays, crows, shrikes, vireos, flycatchers, kingfishers, swifts, peafowl, cuckoos, and doves. are among some of the park’s bird species. The park is also home to the ruby throated hummingbird and five woodpecker species. Birds of prey commonly found in the park include the American kestrel, bald eagle, black vulture, broad-winged hawk, Cooper’s hawk, merlin, northern harrier, osprey, peregrine falcon, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, snail kite, short-tailed hawk, and turkey vulture. barn owl, barred owl, eastern screech owl, and great horned owl.

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.

Commonly seen in the park, the tricolored heron is considered a species of concern in Florida.

While insects, spiders, centipedes and millipedes aren’t on the check list for all wildlife watchers, Biscayne has a wealth of these creatures. Often thought of as creepy or crawly, these animals are an integral part of the ecosystem that makes up the park. Biscayne is home to flies, bees, borers, beetles, bagworms, 12 species of moth, 15 species of ants, and more than 20 butterfly species. While the prickly pear moth and imported red fire ant are exotic species found in the park, the area is also a haven for the endangered Miami blue and Schaus swallowtail butterflies.

While the park has dozens of fish species and 18 non-native or exotic species, the only endangered fish listed in the park is the smalltooth sawfish seen here. It is also one of the park's more unique species.

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.

Types of fish found in the park waters include anchovies, angelfish, barracudas, batfish, bigeyes, billfish, blennies, bluefish, bonnetmouths, bowfins, boxfish, bullheads, butterflyfish, cardinalfish, carps, minnows, catfish, chubs, cichlids, clingfish, cobias, cornetfish, cusk eels, damselfish, dragonets, driftfish, drums, eels, filefish, flatfish, flounders, soles, whiffs, flyingfish, frogfish, gars, goatfish, gobies, groupers, seabass, grunts, hakes, halfbeaks, hawkfish, headstanders, herrings, menhaden, sardines, shad, jacks, jawfish, killifish, ladyfish, livebearers, lizardfish, mackerels, tuna, bonitos, mojarras, moorish Idols, mullets, needlefish, ocean sunfish, parrotfish, pearlfish, perches, porcupinefish, porgies, pufferfish, scorpionfish, searobins, sharksuckers, silversides, snappesr, snooks, soapfish, spadefish, squirrelfish, sunfish, surgeonfish, tarpons, trumpetfish, wormfish, dartfish, and wrasses.

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 most famous crustacean is probably the spiny lobster, which is monitored, researched and conserved as the Card Sound Lobster Sanctuary. While they may look like plants, invertebrates like anemones, comb jellies, corallimorphs, hydrocorals, hydroids, jellyfish, siphonophores, octocorals, stony corals, zoanthids, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sand dollars, horseshoe crab, sponges, tardigrades, tunicates and sea worms are actually invertebrate animals. The pillar coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral are among the endangered marine invertebrates that can be found in the park.

Sargent's cherry palm

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.

A wide variety of shrubs also call the park home including Asian snakewood, Bahama wild coffee, balloonvine, bottle brush, boxleaf stopper, Brazilian pepper, buttonsage, Carolina primrose willow, Carolina wolfberry, castorbean, catclaw, coastal water hyssop, cocoplum, coontie, curaciao bush, doctorbush, dogfennel, Everglades greenrbrier, faux persil, Florida blackbead, Florida pellitory, Florida tasseflower, Guianese colicwood, holywood, Jamaican caper, Jamaican feverplant, joewood, monk orchid, nettle, oysterwood, painted leaf, poorman’s pepper, purple nightshade, quail plant, rougeplant, satinleaf, sacrletbush, scorpion’s tail, sea rosemary, soapberry, Surinam cherry, tiplant, uhaloa, white spicewood, whiteroot, wild cinnamon, and yellow nicker. Many shrubs found in the park are also flowering plants.

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 Tampa butterfly orchid is a subspecies of the Florida butterfly orchid and is only found in the wild in Central and South Florida.

It may surprise some to find that several cacti, desert succulents and yuccas grow in the park. Aloe yucca, dildoe cactus, erect pricklypear, false sisal, iguanatail, prickly apple cactus, prickly pear, semaphore prickly pear cactus, Simpson’s apple cactus, and triangle cactus all call the park home. Of these, the dildoe cactus, erect pricklypear, prickly apple cactus, Simpson’s applecactus, and semaphore prickly pear cactus are all considered threatened or endangered species.

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.

Grass species are important both on land and in the seas. The seagrass ecosystem below the bay is one of the most important coastal ecosystem in North America and provides a nursery for a wide variety of important animal species as well as stabilizing the sediments under the ocean. Some of the most commonly encountered seagrasses include turtle grass, manatee grass, shoal grass, star grass and paddle grass. The leaves of these grasses are often colonized by tiny organisms known as epiphytes. These diverse creatures include microalgae, macroalgae, bacteria, bryozoans, fungi, sponges, hydroids, crustaceans and mollusks. Many of these creatures contribute to the photosynthesis process under the sea waters as well as provide food for larger creatures that dwell in the seagrass ecosystem.

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.

Because the water can be shallow, canoeing and kayaking are also extremely popular with several kayak routes throughout the park. Certain areas are closed to boaters kayakers and canoers because of the endangered species that live or nest there. Kayaks and canoes can be launched at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Some of the most popular areas to navigate are Jones Lagoon and Hurricane Creek. Paddle trails are available for these areas as well as Black Point, Crocodile Creek, Deering, Elliott Key, and Mowry Canal. Those who are not comfortable boating on their own can take a guided boat tours offered through the park and the various concessionaires allowed to operate here.

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.

Concessionaires also provide snorkeling and diving trips into the park to allow visitors to see the wonders under the waters. Much of the park water is not deep enough to require diving equipment, and even those with little experience can easy learn to snorkel here. Those who want to snorkel can do so from the shoreline, but should be prepared for shallow waters with seagrass and mudbottoms. Reef visits do require a boat to access as most of them are 10 miles from the shore, though the waters are often just as shallow.

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.

Many of the parks wrecks are shallow enough snorkelers can reach them.

Fishing, including spearfishing, lobstering and crabbing, are permitted in the park, but visitors must follow state and federal laws. Several species cannot be collected from the park including giant land crab, goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, queen conch, smalltooth sawfish, sea turtles, stony corals, fire corals, sea fans, longspine sea urchins and various shark species. The park also offers an educational fishing clinic to learn about angling in the park as well as what to avoid. There are also some marine protected areas in the park where no fishing is permitted. The park encourages the harvesting of lionfish as it is a dangerous species and, despite containing poison, can be eaten and is considered a delicacy by some.

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.

While Biscayne is not particularly noted for its hiking, there are still several trails landlubbers can visit. Elliott Key has a mile-long loop trail as well as the six-mile Spite Highway, which runs down the center of the island and through the maritime forest. Adams Key has a short trail through the hardwood hammock. Visitors on land can also explore the area around the Boca Chita Key lighthouse. The park headquarters at Convoy Point On the mainland also offers a boardwalk view of the park and is a nice way to be introduced to the park.

Picnicking is permitted on Elliott Key, Boca Chita Key, and Adams Key, but visitors must pack and store their trash to dispose of once they leave the islands. Campgrounds are located at Boca Chita Key and on Elliott Key at a first-come, first-serve basis. Reservations are not accepted here, and most of those who camp also boat in as well, staying at the overnight docks. Camping is tent only as there are not facilities nor means of conveying RVs onto the islands. However, those who don’t get a chance to camp in the park can do so at a variety of state and local parks around the area. Likewise, the park has no swimming beaches, but there are some available around the national park area for those who want to hang out at the beach. Beaches available in the Florida Keys themselves can be found in some of the lower keys at Bahia Honda State Park and Long Key State Park. In the more localized area, beachgoers can head to Key Biscayne, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderale north of the park or Homestead Bayfront Park, next door to Convoy Point, which has a man-made swimming lagoon.