Keep these fun facts and tips handy for your next trip to the Ten Thousand Islands:

• The name Ten Thousand Islands is actually misleading. In fact, this vast untouched wilderness is made up of hundreds, not thousands of mangrove islets.
• Over 300 different species of birds live here either year-round or during seasonal migration.
• Seminole Indians call red mangroves “Walking Trees” because their arching prop roots appear to stand or walk above water.
• More than 90% of all the species considered valuable for commercial and sports fisheries spend some part of their lives in these protected waters. 
• Can’t get enough of Flipper? Bottlenose dolphins are a common sight in these islands.
• Scientists at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve use artificial substrates called Hester-Dendies to monitor crab species living in the Ten Thousand Islands.