A young gator wends through Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. The spot gets its name from the Shark River, where sharks gather at its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico.
The 113-mile (181-kilometer) drive on Highway 1 from mainland Florida to Key West induces sensory overload with tidal flats and teal waters dotted by distant islands.
Egrets, saw grass, and mangroves are counted as part of the unique mix of wildlife that lives in the Everglades National Park. The park covers just one-fifth of the 'Glades, dubbed the River of Grass.