Since we had a few days in Miami, we knew we had to visit the Everglades. We originally booked a motorboat tour but that got cancelled and so the operator rebooked us on a tour of the Ten Thousand Islands for bird and dolphin watching (cool!), as well shell collecting (yawn). This required an early start (6am) and long drive (2 hours) but once the sun started to rise it was lovely.

On the tour itself, we saw a number of birds, including ospreys, pelicans, different kinds of herons, cattle egrets, vultures, and – best of all – a roseate spoonbill.

As for dolphins, we caught brief glimpses of a few, but the best part was when one surfed in our wake, so close to the boat I could have touched it. So cool to see an animal just having fun.

On our way back to Miami, we stopped to do an airboat tour, which featured lots of mangroves and quite a few alligators.