After a calm, warm day running south from Everglades City, we pulled into Russel Nay in the Everglades Park. There were many more protected anchorages further in the park, but we had been warned to stay on the outside boundary. In the 1970s, park Naturalists informed the park service that if this was to ne a true nature preserve, they had to stop spraying to control insects. The birds and fish eat the insects.
Consequently, as soon as you drop anchor, you are covered with these
" flying teeth"!
The first wave is the no-see-ums. They measure the width of one hair follicle. Ok, I hear it now, I am short a few of those! You can't see them, but all of a sudden, a part of you hurts! Next come the formations of green headed burrowing flys! They dive bomb you and somehow bounce off leaving a gouge in you skin, minus a bit of blood. Next come the big fellows, basically mosquitoes, and finish off the job. At that time you are lying on the deck, crawling towards the hatch to escape.
Good thing we were warned.! All the windows were shut, and we did not venture out unless covered in fly juice, and wearing fly repellent clothing from good old Marks Work wear house.
And that was on the outside of the park. The birds and fish are doing very well in the boundaries, humans, not so much.
Needless to say, we stayed indoors that evening and read our books.