57°Wildlife
Surrounded by multiple bodies of water and various habitats, Florida’s Space Coast is full of wildlife is crawling, swimming, and flying all around. With the responsibility of preserving the habitats and lives of animals, multiple sanctuaries have been created in order to honor their place on the coast. The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge provides the perfect paradise for nature lovers and adventurers. Perfect for bird watchers, tree lovers, and hikers alike, this refuge has a piece of nature for everyone. If you’re more of a hunter, they have that too. The National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting and fishing activities during certain points in the year for visitors. Take this opportunity to not only walk into nature, but really get in touch with the wildlife surrounding you. Take a guided kayak tour from one of the local centers and come face to face with all of the critters in the water. Kayakers are often lucky enough to spot a manatee on their journey atop the waters! Stroll along the water and watch hundreds of bird species fly along the skies.If you weren’t lucky enough to spot a manatee on your trips in the water, there are plenty of viewing opportunities at the animal center. Locations like the Barrier Island Sanctuary helps visitors learn more about the island’s ecosystem and endangered animals through an interactive exhibit in the heart of Melbourne. The facility offers a mile long hike with hand on activities to learn about and witness more wildlife! In fact, at some points during the year, visitors can find protected sea turtles nests and witness them hatch! Conservation centers like Barrier Island help to ensure that this unique and beautiful phenomenon can stick around for generations to come. If visitors are looking for an opportunity to observe rare animals at a safe distance, the Brevard Zoo is a good choice. As one of the best zoos in the state, the facility houses more than 650 animals ranging from about 165 different species. If you want to have a close up experience with these rare animals, sign up for a kayak tour through Africa! You can even have a giraffe eat right from your hand.
Suggested Attractions
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 'gateway site' for the Great Florida Birding Trail. Established in 1963 as an overlay of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center, the refuge consists of 140,000 acres providing a habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals. Recreational opportunities are offered at the refuge from manatee and bird watching to fishing and hunting.
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Haulover Canal
This mile-long, man-made canal connects the Indian River lagoon and the Mosquito Lagoon. From the Manatee Observation Deck, it is a haven for wildlife viewing including birds, alligators, and manatees.
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Black Point Wildlife Drive
This 7-mile, one-way wildlife drive takes you through shallow marsh impoundments and pine flatwoods. Located within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, it is one of the best places for wildlife viewing on the refuge where you can see birds, alligators, river otters, bobcats and snakes.
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Helen & Allan Cruickshank Sanctuary
Formerly a turpentine mine and farm, the 140-acre sanctuary located in Rockledge, north of Viera, is now home to a pine flatwoods habitat where raptors can be spotted circling overhead or perched in high pine trees. Patches of oak, sand pine scrub and freshwater depression marshes add to the sanctuary's diversity as well.
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Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands
As a magnet for local wildlife, visitors will see birds, alligators and turtles in abundance and otters are not uncommon. There is a bald eagle/great horned owl nest that can be viewed from the perimeter road, and depending upon the season, the park is home to migratory birds from the Caribbean.
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Turkey Creek Sanctuary
Turkey Creek Sanctuary offers nature trails along with a nature center and a 1-mile mountain bike trail with a direct connection to an additional 8-miles. The 4,000-foot boardwalk twists and turns along the murky, bass-filled black water creek – a major stopover for spring and fall migratory birds including the pileated woodpecker and rare purple martin. The sanctuary can also be accessed by canoe or kayak where you may see manatees, alligators, otters and gar fish.
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Malabar Scrub Sanctuary
The Malabar Scrub Sanctuary is a preserved 600-acre natural area with several miles of trails. A short loop through the sanctuary provides a taste of the scrub and flatwoods habitats and all of the wildlife that inhabits them.
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Coconut Point Sanctuary
This .75 mile trail leads you through the 62-acre habitat of coastal strand, oak scrub, and coastal oak forest and mangrove forest. This path rolls over sand dunes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian River Lagoon.
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Barrier Island Sanctuary
The Barrier Island Sanctuary provides hands-on educational experiences for visitors to the refuge through interactive exhibits, nature films, special programs and a 1-mile long dune-to-lagoon nature trail.
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Sebastian Inlet
Stretching over three miles of barrier island, Sebastian Inlet makes for great surfing, swimming, snorkeling and beachcombing. Boat launch facilities provide access to inshore and offshore fishing and diving, plus the two museums onsite highlight fascinating stores of local history.
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McLarty Treasure Museum
The McLarty Treasure Museum takes you back in time with tales of the fleet's return to Spain when a hurricane struck off the Florida coast nearly 300 years ago. Situated on a survivors' camp of the ill-fated 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet, the McLarty Treasure Museum features artifacts, displays, and an observation deck that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Even today, salvagers work to recover gold, silver, and the "Queen's jewels" that were lost to the sea and its sandy shores.
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