Ten Thousand Islands

1371 November 1, 2026 Ten Thousand Islands

When we were getting ready this morning, we heard a loud boom. It sounded like a sonic boom. Shortly thereafter, we realized it was distance thunder. We put on our tennis shoes and we each went for our separate walks. We were the only people in the entire campground. It is so flat here that you can see for a great distance. The sky looked ominous and there was more rumbling.

I walked two miles and then big fat raindrops began to fall. I also saw lightning flashing and decided to quit.

A kingfisher looking for a meal, undeterred by the stormy skies.

It rained for awhile and then quit and rained again.

In the late morning, we decided to brave whatever weather was coming. We drove to Everglades City. The new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center was completed in February of this year. It replaces the old structure that was lost in a hurricane and then the two temporary buildings that were also destroyed by wind and weather. This is an elevated concrete substantial structure.

We stood on the deck, taking in the view.

We saw these three wading birds at the water’s edge; a great blue heron, a great white egret, and a roseate spoonbill. They were all feeding.

We went inside and spoke with the rangers. There was a boat tour leaving in 45 minutes. The representative told us that there was weather coming but the tour was leaving as planned. We might get wet…were we still interested?

We boarded the boat at 11:45am. We were lucky to have a captain who was born here in Everglades City and who works as a waterman. His family actually lived on one of the many islands for seven generations. He knew so much about the animals, history, and habitats. He talked as he navigated his way through the maze. The Ten Thousand Islands were each started by mangrove seeds that floated through the shallow bay and took root. These islands protect the mainland, absorbing the brunt of the storms; resulting in lower surges of water and lessened wind speeds.