Great Blue Heron fishing in The Orlando Wetlands Park.

This was captured on a hike through The Orlando Wetlands Park. This area is a pretty cool place to find many types of wildlife, native to central Florida. I captured this Great Blue fishing at the edge of a transfer pipe, moving water from one marsh to the next along the filtration path. The water here is really nice and clear with a light tint of brackish color. This is also a great place to get nice and close to our native alligators, also referred to as “American Death Logs.”

Here is a bit more info from the Friends of The Orlando Wetlands about the park. Please visit their website for more info: http://orlandowetlands.org

In July 1987 the World’s first large scale man-made wetland treatment system was completed. Sixteen hundred and fifty acres of pasture areas were converted to become the Orlando Wetlands Park. Wastewater from parts of Orange and Seminole counties is pumped to the City’s Iron Bridge Plant in South Seminole County. Of this highly-treated reclaimed water, approx. 6-20 million gallons a day are sent to the wetlands, where aquatic plants further remove nutrients. It takes approximately 40 days for the reclaimed water to filter through the 1,220 acres of man-made and natural wetlands before reaching the St. Johns River.

More than 20 miles of roads and woodland trails leading through marshes, hardwood hammocks and along scenic lakes. Because vehicles are restricted on the park’s berm roads, visitors to the Orlando Wetlands Park walk, bicycle, or ride their own horse. Another popular method of getting around are the tram tours provided by volunteers on Fridays, Saturdays, and specially designated dates. The friendly volunteers are happy to accommodate photographers, bird watchers, and families, stopping often for a good shot, rare bird, or to see the wildlife and the unspoiled natural habitat within the park. More than 220 different species of birds and 63 species of butterflies have been observed at this site. It is habitat for alligators, turtles, snakes, otters, white-tailed deer, bobcats and other wildlife.