Buttonwood canal; a narrow, mangrove lined waterway is the route toward Whitewater Bay in the backwaters of Everglades Park.  Today we launch the powerboat and go exploring.  Fresh and sea water comingle here and islands of mangrove and poisonwood dot the shallow brackish water.  It is a quiet relaxing place…..occasionally there is a bit of tension when the depth finder flashes to less than 3 feet deep while we are flying across the lake.  Birding is very slow, I would say even disappointing.  We decide to try fishing.  It is equally slow for me.  I catch absolutely nothing but Kent drags in some weird looking stuff.

One expands like a balloon when he tries to get it off the hook. a Puffer fish(Poisonous)

Feisty little triangular headed guys take on a spoon bigger than they are.

This is one odd looking catfish.

All are returned to their salty home to live another day.

Canoe trails wind through these backwaters. I would want to have a very good map and GPS.  Once you leave the main channel and slip behind any of the islands everything looks the same.  I’d be nervous the whole time but I think it could be a fun trip if properly prepared.  We still haven’t spent the night in one of the raised platform chickees.  Maybe one day; but not when the mosquitoes are at horrible+.