Swamp High

While Southwest Florida is beautiful by land or sea, many areas are inaccessible by car or foot. Chartering a helicopter gives visitors a rare aerial view of the vast wild areas of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

On a clear, balmy morning, I climb aboard for my first helicopter journey. The take-off is smooth, and in minutes we are buzzing across a dwarf cypress prairie. Looking down from the open side of the helicopter, I am reminded of an African savanna. A bounding herd of gazelles wouldn't seem out of place in this expansive wilderness. I see a tan form dart from a cypress dome and I lean out as far as my seatbelt will allow, hoping for a panther sighting. Instead, it's a small, white-tailed deer; her hooves throw up minute splashes of water that shine in the sunlight. A large flock of white ibis circle a strand of cypress. From above, they look like flying bits of popcorn. As we pass, they settle into the swaying boughs, their bodies a stark contrast to the bright-green cypress needles.

We approach a pond, deep inside a cypress dome. From the air the water below looks perfectly round, and dark as midnight. The pilot drops low to check for alligators, but we don't see any. As we ascend, I notice lines etched into the earth. Via my helmet headIset, I ask the biologist traveling with us about them. They're caused by off-road vehicles, she explains. Tires dig into the thin topsoil here, revealing the limestone rock. A tire track can take years to heal. A part of the Big Cypress Preserve has been set aside for ORV use, but people continue to ride outside of the area. As we fly east, we see extreme damage-something we'd never notice on the ground.

We fly at about 500 feet for most of the trip, but towards the end, we fly higher and I see the Ten Thousand Islands popping up like moss-covered stepping-stones. Off to the east, Miami lies shrouded in haze. I am struck by the eternal openness of the prairies, and the occasional cypress domes that rise from the flatlands, as cool and silent as European cathedrals. It's hard to conceive of these vast, wild spaces so close to cosmopolitan Naples and booming Fort Myers.

London Helicopters, 100 Aviation Drive S., Naples (239) 643-4468, offers flights by appointment.