Biscayne National Park - 95% Underwater

To complete our Florida National Park Trifecta, we visited Biscayne National Park. Biscayne is a small but mighty park, it is on the east coast of Florida, south of Miami. If the conditions are right, you can see the Miami skyline. Biscayne National Park is 95% underwater, and this park protects 72,000 acres of the Florida Reef. This park is also free to visit!

Biscayne National Park Sign

We’ll start with what’s on the land first. Biscayne has two islands, Elliott Key, and Boca Chita Key. Elliott Key is the largest island on the park, which was once pioneer farmland, where pineapples were grown. You can now visit the island to hike, watch wildlife, swim, and even camp. Boca Chita Key is the most visited island. Here you can find the iconic lighthouse that was made to draw people in to marvel at the beauties of the park. To see these islands though, you’ll have to take a boat, which you can do through the Biscayne National Park Institute.

The Biscayne National Park Institute is located next to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Here there is a park store, where you can get your typical souvenirs, and you can learn more about the park in the visitor center. The park store also has packed sandwiches, bug spray, sunscreen, along with dry bags for your trips on the water. At this part of the park, there is also the Convoy Point Jetty, where you can walk along the water. This was closed during our visit due to hurricane repair. It is expected to reopen June 2022.

Dakota and I decided to take the Paddling the Mangroves Tour through the Institute. This trip was only $39 a person, and it was roughly two hours long. Through the Institute, you can also take snorkeling or scuba diving trips, or boat trips to the islands. They also have trips that include snorkeling, and a trip to the island, which makes it out to be a full-day excursion.

I was super nervous to go kayaking. I’ve never stepped in a kayak before or been that close to the water (other than swimming) in my life. Dakota and I were able to share a kayak, which made me feel much better. The first 45 minutes or so was a guided tour from someone who knew a lot about the park, specifically the mangroves. Did you know there are red, black, and white mangroves? The water was a little choppy that day, so it took a lot of effort to continue along the edge of the mangroves. The water was super clear, where we could see seashells at the bottom of the water. We were able to see plenty of birds, and we were on the lookout for manatees, but unfortunately, we did not see any.

Paddling the Mangroves Tour

Paddling the Mangroves Tour

We went through some tight areas with the kayaks, which I got stuck a few different times. That was definitely embarrassing! If you were quiet enough, you could hear the mangroves popping. This was because there are gasses that were being captured by the mangroves and stored into their soil. Mangroves can survive in harsh conditions (which is why they have survived most hurricanes) and are found in coastal salt water. Mangroves serve as a buffer to protect the shoreline from wind, waves, and floods. Our guide also showed us some seedlings that fall off the plant, and into the water. They fall perfectly into the water, with their roots straight down to grow another mangrove.

The second half of our tour was a self-paddle. We were able to go wherever we wanted. Dakota and I chose to slowly make our way back to our entry point. We took our time looking at the mangroves, watching for birds, and still learning how to work the oars (at least myself). Once our 45 minutes were over, we headed back, and that ended our paddling tour. We enjoyed it so much that we even bought inflatable kayaks that we are going to use this summer - wish us luck!

Biscayne National Park is one of the least visited parks, especially when compared to Everglades National Park, which is only 30 minutes away from Biscayne. To really experience this park, it is important to get on the water. Luckily though, the Biscayne National Park Institute makes it easy to do so. If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit Biscayne National Park!

Remember, if you can’t find us at home, you can find us in the parks!

With safe travels and love,

Dakota and Kayla

Dakota & I at the Biscayne NP Sign - Post Paddling (Explains our wet pants!)

All information presented in this blog has been taken directly from the National Park’s website. All opinions are my own and I do not receive any payment for them. This information and more can be found in the link below.

https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm