Living on a FLOATING CABIN in the Everglades with Crocodiles!

Welcome to the edge of the Everglades, where land dissolves into mangrove forests and crocodiles lurk in the murky water below. We're spending two days living on a floating cabin, immersed in a world that's ruled by water. So dive in as we explore one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, both on top of the water and deep below the surface. So join us in the heart of the Florida Keys, right on the edge of Everglades National Park. This is Tiny Cabin Life. We're in the Florida Keys, right outside of Everglades National Park, making our way to probably the most unique cabin that we've ever stayed in. It's a completely off-grid floating bungalow, surrounded by water and right on the edge of a mangrove forest. We're going to be spending the next two nights here on a little tropical adventure before heading home to Minnesota and diving headfirst into winter. The coastal Everglades and Florida Keys form one of the most unique, interconnected, and fragile ecosystems in North America. Freshwater flows from the Everglades down into Florida Bay, where it mixes with the saltwater and feeds the coral reefs and mangroves of the Keys. Not only are the Everglades known for alligators, but this specific area here has American crocodiles. Unlike alligators, they prefer salty or brackish water, which is why they are often found near the mangroves. Thankfully, however, American crocs are generally shy and avoid humans, and they're mostly active at night. After arriving at the cabin, we unloaded our gear and just like that, the boat was leaving and we were on our own. All right, welcome to our floating cabin here in the Florida Keys. I can say without a doubt that this is the most unique cabin that we've ever stayed in, and it has everything that you could possibly want and more. Not only do we have a bed, a couch, a kitchen, a bathroom, but there's even a shower. We've got air conditioning, Wi-Fi. They also have tons of stuff here to help you get out and explore. A tandem kayak, paddleboard, and they even gave us some snorkeling gear as well. So you know I'm going to be getting out on the water. As you can tell, I am very pregnant right now. We are two months away from giving birth to our second daughter, and even though this is going to be a big adventure for Jack, I'm going to be relaxing because I'm looking at this as more of our baby moon. But you're going to come in the kayak with me, right? Yeah, if there's no crocodiles. There's crocs in there. There are. They don't bother humans. That's what the boat captains say. Well, you do that and I will be outside sitting on the deck soaking up the rays. The plan for this trip is to experience as much of this area as we possibly can. Not only are we going to be maximizing our time here at the cabin, but I also plan to explore the mangrove forest with the paddleboard and kayak. However, I am most excited to get out on the coral reef and do some snorkeling and diving. Most notably, checking out the Christ of the Abyss statue, which is submerged 25 feet underwater. Now, unfortunately, today the sun is already starting to set, but that's not going to stop me from getting in the water and doing some exploring. Now, real quick before diving in, I got to let you guys know that once or twice in this video, you're going to see me using one of these miniature scuba tanks. And I want to come clean and say that I made a mistake in doing so. At the time of filming this, I wasn't really aware of some of the impracticalities and concerns that make these things pointless to use even for certified divers. I've been a certified diver for over 10 years, so I know how to safely breathe compressed air underwater. But if you don't know what you're doing, these can be extremely dangerous. And so I just wanted to be clear that I made a mistake. I won't be using these again, and I 100% do not recommend you do either. Well, I'm definitely glad I tested out the tank here. It's almost impossible to stay underwater without some weight. My legs are just like shooting up to the surface. It's really, really hard. It's definitely a little eerie. There are fish, but it's pretty murky and we're on the edge of the mangroves. They did say there are crocodiles in here, so yeah, there's that. Now, I'm having a little fun with the crocodile thing here, but I want to assure you that crocodiles generally stick closer to shore. We are out in the middle of this bay right now. And again, they are very, very skittish and avoid humans as much as possible. And so I'm really not in any danger right now. Pretty amazing. This is quite the view. Yeah. So beautiful. Like this is truly such a gift and just a wonderful privilege that we're able to do this. And yeah, just so grateful. One of my favorite things to do is just sit next to a fire, quiet down and really just sit in my thoughts. And I know that Rai doesn't get to come out with me all the time anymore, but something that I love about her is the fact that the two of us can sit like this in absolute silence and be perfectly unified through that. And I think that's really, really special and something that I appreciate about her. That's really sweet. And that was also very unexpected. I wasn't expecting you to say that. So very sweet. After sitting by the fire for a while, it was time to head inside and make some dinner. Now, as you can see here, I am making myself some shrimp tacos. Now, Riley, on the other hand, is allergic to shellfish. So she's having a bowl with some beef, tenderloin, rice and more. Dear God, thank you for this amazing place we get to spend a couple of days at. Bless this food. Well, since we're out on the sea, I had to go with some shrimp tacos. Yes, it's still food wrapped in a tortilla, but it's also seafood. And I used to actually make these all the time. And so I'm pretty excited to dig in here. That is really, really good. I love the citrus. You know, I added a little bit of lemon juice in there. The shrimp is a great change up. It fits the mood perfectly out here. How is it? Really good. Thank you. Good morning. Well, good morning. It is absolutely beautiful out here. The temperature is probably in the mid 70s. It's absolutely perfect. It's also very still. And so it's just like a very, very peaceful atmosphere out here. It just feels amazing. Such a treat to wake up to and just sit out here and have a nice warm cup of coffee. And I think my favorite part is seeing the reflection of the clouds on the water. I love that. Well, the plan for the morning here before I go snorkeling is to certainly get out on the kayak. I would love to see if we can venture into a channel over there. But Rye wants to kind of wake up a little bit, and I don't blame her. And I think in the meantime, I might attempt to take the paddleboard out. I'm not good on paddleboards, so this could be really, really funny. Not only are we right next to Everglades National Park, but cutting through the mangrove forest here is the Intracoastal Waterway, a 3,000 mile network of bays, rivers, and canals that runs from Massachusetts all the way to Texas. It's a mostly calm inside passage that runs parallel to the Atlantic coast and the Gulf, weaving through mangroves, lagoons, and man-made canals. Well, I'm all ready to go. My plan is to head over to the mangroves over there and just sort of go around the border and see if we can't find anything in there. Maybe some birds, maybe a crocodile. I hope not. But yeah, it should be a lot of fun, and it's just so nice out on the water, I can't resist. All right, here goes nothing. Not a good start. You're supposed to stand like this, I think. I think we might do the old kneel. The old kneel and paddle. Here we go. Better. As I approached the mangrove forest, it felt as though I was leaving one world and entering into a whole new one. The mangrove forests of Everglades National Park are some of the most intact, wild, and ecologically important coastal habitats in all of South Florida. There would sit in the transition between the Everglades outflow and the clear tropical waters of the Florida Keys, which we will encounter in just a little bit today. This is so cool. It's amazing to me how these mangrove forests create their own little ecosystem. Because right now, we're out in the middle of this bay, you know? This is not attached to land at all. But this little forest creates habitat for birds and many other creatures. It's amazing to me how protected we are over here. Key Largo over there cuts us off from the greater part of the Gulf, so we don't get those big waves coming in here. And then the mangroves surround us here in this bay. And it just really creates some peaceful, calm waters. It certainly makes the cabin experience really, really nice too, because it doesn't really move too much. All right, we're gonna take a quick pause here so I can show you my brand new pair of hiking boots. They're from a brand called Vivo Barefoot, and I'm absolutely loving them. Their motto is that freedom starts at your feet, and their mission is to help people like you and me reconnect with nature in a very personal way. So many outdoor shoes just bury your feet in padding, but there's something incredibly special and grounding about feeling the textures underneath your feet. Whether I'm hiking through the woods or out here on the beach, it really helps me to sink into that experience in a very special way. The natural fit also gives me so much better balance as I'm able to engage with the terrain. I'm also noticing enhanced mobility and foot strength as I am able to flex and grip as nature intended. And that true ground feel really helps me to have a greater sense of awareness of where I'm hiking, which in turn makes me safer as well, especially if I'm on slick or rugged ground. They're also extremely lightweight, basically the opposite of those big clunky hiking boots. And I'd say most importantly, it's a sustainable nature-focused design that I can truly appreciate. To me, exploring nature isn't just about the view. It's a multi-sensory experience that now includes the feel of the ground underneath my feet. So if you want to experience nature the way it was meant to be felt, try Vivo Barefoot. You can go to vivobarefoot.com and use the code TINYCABINLIFE for 20% off your order. They even offer a 100-day free trial, so you can feel the difference for yourself. That's vivobarefoot.com for 20% off your order with the code TINYCABINLIFE. And with that, let's get back to the adventure. Ooh, may I join? Yeah. This looks incredible. It feels amazing. This is seriously amazing. It's kind of like a water hammock suspended just over the ocean here. Yeah, and I love the fact that you're not fully submerged under the water, but just enough to where it still cools you off. Totally. Just really nice. Riley and I took some time to relax out on the hammock. And before we knew it, we had run out of time to go on the kayak. And the boat was on its way to pick us up, so I could go out and do some snorkeling and diving with my brother. All right, it's just about time to head out and do this snorkel. Now, to do so, we're going to have to take our ferry from the cabin here back to shore. And then we're going to meet up with a different captain who's going to take us, hopefully, to see Christ of the Abyss, which is this massive statue of Jesus that's underwater at about 25 feet. If it's too choppy out there, I think he's going to take us to a reef. But we'll see, you know, I'm kind of going with the flow here. It's all you really can do. So Riley and I loaded up on the boat. And before we knew it, we were headed back to shore. Now for the snorkel and dive, we're meeting up with the rest of my family, who have been staying at a little resort here on Key Largo. My brother and mom have been taking care of Olivia. And so Riley is going to be joining the girls at the pool, while my brother Tommy is going to be coming out with me on the dive. On the other side of the island, the mangrove forests make way to the coral reef. And that is where we're headed. Pretty soon, we broke free of the mangroves, and we're surrounded by some of the most beautiful blue water I have ever seen in my life. All right, so we are officially heading to Christ of the Abyss. I am so excited. It's been a very long time since I've done some snorkeling or scuba diving. And what a place to do it. The only thing is that it is a little choppy, and I do get seasick. So I took my Dramamine ahead of this, because I definitely need it. That's for sure. All right, so we are here. It's definitely a little wavy. So we're going to gear up and get in the water as soon as we can, just to minimize the rocking and hopefully not get sick. It was pretty turbulent up on the surface. And so I stuck my head underwater. And so I decided to go for it. Take my first dive down to get a closer look at the statue. The Christ of the Abyss is one of the most iconic and beloved underwater sites in the entire Florida Keys. It's a nine-foot bronze statue of Jesus Christ standing on a concrete base on the seafloor about 25 feet below the surface. With his arms stretched open and upward, it's a peaceful and very surreal sight to take in. You know, I tried the air tank for a few moments, and that's all it lasted for. Otherwise, I was just kind of being tossed around by the waves up on the surface. However, with that being said, that was incredible. That statue is absolutely just so distinctive and inspiring, honestly. But I think we had enough of battling the waves. We're going to try to go for just a little while to a shallower reef, somewhere where it shouldn't be as chaotic, and we can see some fish and check out the coral a little bit better. For the next one, I think I'm ditching the weights and the tank that lasts a minute. Simplify this next time. This time, as soon as we got in the water, we were right on top of the coral reef. The coral reef here is one of the most ecologically important reef systems in the entire western hemisphere, and it's the only living barrier reef in the continental United States. It makes an incredible location to snorkel or dive due to the crystal clear waters and excellent visibility. it was finally time to get out of the water and load back onto the boat. Well, that was really, really cool and definitely a refresher for, you know, what it's like being out in open water like that. Christ of the Abyss was not only inspiring, but it was incredibly surreal. Just to see that beautiful statue down there at the bottom of the ocean was pretty cool. And, you know, with all the chaos of the waves and trying to manage all of our gear out there, it was very, very worthwhile to just be able to lay eyes on that. It was, it was incredible. So tonight for dinner, we decided that we weren't going to do any cooking. So we decided to order something from the restaurant that we depart from with the boat. I've got a filet mignon here with a bunch of fries. And I've got a burger with bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. The steak tastes amazing. I never make this when I'm out in the woods. And so I gotta say, this is definitely a treat. Well, it really doesn't get much better than this. Warm fire, beautiful evening. It's completely still. I'm very thankful to have so many moments like this, where I can just sit back and reflect on all the things that I have to be grateful for. To have just a beautiful and healthy family and another little girl on the way. But beyond that too, you know, just having an able body where I can get out and snorkel and dive and hike and camp. It's really not something to take for granted. And so when I get moments like this, to just kind of gaze up at the stars and really try to offer up a prayer of thanks. Because this life is pretty good. Well, as you can see, we've got some rougher seas out here today. There's some wind, which is creating quite a bit of chop out here. And as you saw inside, you know, it's really rocking the cabin. The fan is swaying back and forth, almost like what you see when you go through an earthquake. Now, unfortunately, it is our last morning here and the boat's going to be arriving to pick us up in about an hour and a half. I definitely want to try to get out on the kayak. Originally, the plan was to have Riley join me. We'll see if she's up for it with the choppiness out here. And if not, I'll just go solo. But I got to get at it if I'm going to do it before we have to take off. Well, as I'm getting all ready to go out on the kayak, we just lost power in here. So it seems like we ran through all of our solar. So I got to start up this generator. This is insane. Our bungalow is swaying back and forth right now. And yeah, it's it's pretty crazy out here. So far, so good. It's definitely choppy, but I'm able to navigate it fairly easily. All I really want to do is get around this corner up here and just see what's on the other side. Just look at the roots of the mangroves right here. It is so incredibly pretty. I find it so fascinating how a plant like this is able to have its roots in saltwater. So, so cool. So. Well, sadly, it had come time to pack up our bags and clean up the cabin. And before we knew it, the boat was on its way to pick us up. On the ride back to shore, I couldn't help but reflect on all the amazing things we got to do in just a short couple of days. Exploring new worlds and finding peace and inspiration in the depths of the ocean. But on top of everything, I am most grateful for the time that I got to spend with my family here. Getting to go out snorkeling and diving with my brother was such an awesome time and something that I definitely want to do more of in the future. But then having this precious time alone with Riley, especially with everything that we've got going on and a baby on the way. It was truly a gift and I am so incredibly thankful for it. I want to give a special shout out to our patrons for generously donating to this channel. Thank you so much. But again, to all of you who watch these videos, thank you. You're the reason that we get to come out and do this on a weekly basis. And we're so incredibly grateful. With that, we got to hit the road so we can go see Olivia. We'll see you next week. God bless.