Page 25 - Travel Guide to Florida 2020

America. The Dry Tortugas National Park occurs June through early October. Come SWIM WITH THE MANATEES
provides a home to abundant fish life, sea November through May, bioluminescent 4 ON THE NATURE COAST
stars, queen conchs, anemones, sea turtles jelly combs, a creature similar to a jelly fish Crystal River, a winter playground to the
and 30 species of coral. The Dry Tortugas can but without the sting, congregate in the West Indian manatee, attracts thousands of
be reached via daily ferry from Key West. waters of the Indian River Lagoon to illumi- these gentle giant sea cows when water
Honored with the ISO Environmental Award, nate the cooler nights. A Day Away Kayak temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico begin to
the Yankee Freedom III is the official national Tours offers 90-minute bioluminescence drop. In mid-January 2018, over 800
park ferry, providing nearly five hours of guided tours and full-moon paddle tours manatees gathered in the Crystal River area
exploration time and complimentary from Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge year- at one time. Manatees like to frolic in the
snorkeling gear to use while visiting this round. Tours can be purchased through their warmer waters of the spring systems around
remote national park. Tickets can be website. The tour launch point is at Kings Bay and are often spotted in the Three
purchased online or at 240 Margaret Street, Haulover Canal at Merritt Island National Sisters Springs at the Crystal River National
Key West, Florida 33040. The ferry departs Wildlife Refuge, Florida 32782. 1-321-268-2655. Wildlife Refuge. Though no longer on the
from 100 Grinnell Street, Key West, Florida adayawaykayaktours.com endangered list, they remain a “threatened”
33040. 1-800-634-0939. drytortugas.com
LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE RETURNED TO THE WILD, LIDO KEY • MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM
WALK THROUGH A WILDLIFE
2 HAVEN AT AUDUBON’S
CORKSCREW SWAMP
SANCTUARY IN NAPLES
A pristine wilderness dating back more than
500 years, greets visitors at this 13,000-acre
swamp. It is home to the largest old-growth
bald cypress forest in the world, as well as the
largest nesting colony of wood storks in the
U.S. It also provides an important habitat for
numerous endangered species including the
Florida Panther and rare plants such as the
ghost orchid. A 2.25-mile boardwalk
meanders through wet prairie, marshlands
and pine flatwoods where around 200 species
of birds reside, such as the snowy egret,
barred owl, limpkin and sandhill crane.
Visitors can choose a complimentary 1.5-hour
guided tour on the boardwalk or go at their
own pace to enjoy this ancient natural haven.
375 Sanctuary Road, Naples, Florida 34120.
1-239-348-9151. corkscrew.audubon.org

EXPERIENCE
3 BIOLUMINESCENCE IN A
KAYAK AT INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
In the darkness of the night, kayaks glide
across the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito
Lagoon in Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge. Every swish of the paddle and
movement in the water spawns swirls of
glowing electric green color through the
water. This glow-in-the-dark phenomenon,
caused by a combination of single-celled
microorganisms called dinoflagellates, warm
temperatures and water salinity levels,

2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA 23