The prominent statue in Silver Springs State Park depicts Osceola an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida stabbing a treaty with his dagger. Osceola was of mixed parentage, including Creek, Scottish, African American, and English. In 1832, a few Seminole chiefs signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing, by which they agreed to give up their Florida lands in exchange for lands west of the Mississippi River in the Indian Territory. According to legend, Osceola stabbed the treaty with his knife, thus signaling the refusal to sign the treaty by him and the group of Seminole chiefs he represented. In 1836, Osceola led a small group of warriors in the Seminole resistance during the Second Seminole War, when the United States tried to remove the tribe from their lands in Florida to the Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Silver Springs State Park is a Florida State Park located on the Silver River in Silver Springs, Florida in the Ocala area. Silver Springs is often called the gateway to the Ocala National Forest, the second-largest, most southern National Forest east of the Mississippi. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida’s first tourist attraction featuring one of the largest artesian springs in the world. The park became renowned for the Glass Bottom Boat tours: guided boat rides where guests could travel around the spring on a vessel with a clear bottom in order to view life underwater. Today, visitors still enjoy the Glass Bottom Boat tours on top of the same crystal springs that have been enjoyed for decades and sustaining a wealth of aquatic life. The Silver Springs attraction dates to the 1870s. In 1985 the state of Florida purchased the land surrounding Silver Springs to spare it from development, creating the Silver River State Park. In 1993 the state acquired Silver Springs as well, and in 2013 the state of Florida took over control of Silver Springs, merging it with the adjacent parkland to create Silver Springs State Park. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Silver Springs State Park and the surrounding areas offer a wealth of cultural and historical significance.—silversprings.com & Wikipedia
The anhinga seen at Silver Springs State Park in Florida is sometimes called snakebird, darter, American darter, or water turkey, which is a water bird of the warmer parts of the Americas. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means devil bird or snakebird. The origin of the name snakebird is apparent when swimming: only the neck appears above water so the bird looks like a snake ready to strike. They do not have external nostrils and breathe solely through their epiglottis. Like other darters, the anhinga hunts by spearing fish and other small prey using its sharp, slender beak. Silver Springs State Park is a Florida State Park located on the Silver River in Silver Springs, Florida in the Ocala area. Silver Springs is often called the gateway to the Ocala National Forest, the second-largest, most southern National Forest east of the Mississippi. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida’s first tourist attraction featuring one of the largest artesian springs in the world. The park became renowned for the Glass Bottom Boat tours: guided boat rides where guests could travel around the spring on a vessel with a clear bottom in order to view life underwater. Today, visitors still enjoy the Glass Bottom Boat tours on top of the same crystal springs that have been enjoyed for decades and sustaining a wealth of aquatic life. The Silver Springs attraction dates to the 1870s. In 1985 the state of Florida purchased the land surrounding Silver Springs to spare it from development, creating the Silver River State Park. In 1993 the state acquired Silver Springs as well, and in 2013 the state of Florida took over control of Silver Springs, merging it with the adjacent parkland to create Silver Springs State Park. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Silver Springs State Park and the surrounding areas offer a wealth of cultural and historical significance.—silversprings.com & Wikipedia
Silver Springs State Park’s glass-bottom boats are located at the headspring waters near the entrance to the park and are based at the site of the former Silver Springs Nature Theme Park. The glass-bottom allows visitors to observe the springs and aquatic life beneath the boat along the Silver River from within the boat. The springs became a tourist attraction in the 1870s; the first glass-bottom boat was built to provide views of the springs in 1878. Silver Springs State Park is a Florida State Park located on the Silver River in Silver Springs, Florida in the Ocala area. Silver Springs is often called the gateway to the Ocala National Forest, the second-largest, most southern National Forest east of the Mississippi. The park contains Silver Springs, Florida’s first tourist attraction featuring one of the largest artesian springs in the world. The park became renowned for the Glass Bottom Boat tours: guided boat rides where guests could travel around the spring on a vessel with a clear bottom in order to view life underwater. Today, visitors still enjoy the Glass Bottom Boat tours on top of the same crystal springs that have been enjoyed for decades and sustaining a wealth of aquatic life. The Silver Springs attraction dates to the 1870s. In 1985 the state of Florida purchased the land surrounding Silver Springs to spare it from development, creating the Silver River State Park. In 1993 the state acquired Silver Springs as well, and in 2013 the state of Florida took over control of Silver Springs, merging it with the adjacent parkland to create Silver Springs State Park. Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Silver Springs State Park and the surrounding areas offer a wealth of cultural and historical significance.—silversprings.com & Wikipedia
