Mud, Mosquitos, No Seeums, odd odors, and one of the most prolific
nursery areas for birds, fish, crabs and plankton on earth. Well worth
visiting. Mangroves grow on prop roots on tidal flats hence the mud,
they build new land by trapping silt and fallen leaves in their roots
gradually expanding the shore line. This nutrient and oxygen rich
landscape is the reason it is such a fantastic nursery area, plus all
the nooks and crannies in the prop roots provide safe haven from
larger predators for small fish. Not sure what flowers you are likely
to find in Punta Cana, some Mangrove forest do support populations of
Orchids and Bromiliads, though usually smaller more salt tolerant
types. Keep your eyes open, you never know.

Oh and watch for the giant golden silk web spiders they are very
common, not dangerous but spin colonial webs up to 20 feet or more
across.

Dave

On 16 Feb 2003 14:03:06 GMT, arden (NAearthMOM)
wrote:

We're going to Punta Cana this week (eighty five degrees weather after yet
another 8" snowfall tomorrow!)
The resort is in the middle of a mangrove forest.
I did some searches on this, but would like to know if anyone here has ever
visited one? What should I expect?
my fave part of any vacation is seeing all the indigineous flora & fauna.
Love caryn
"Come into my garden, my flowers want to meet you!"