Whether you're a snowbird escaping to a warmer clime or a family looking for fun in the sun, the selection of condos in Ponce Inlet offers something for everyone. See the varied and endangered wildlife of Florida at nearby national wildlife refuges and waterways.
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Located in the Ocala National Forest, Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge provides a habitat for wintering and migrating birds encompassing more than 21,000 acres of freshwater marshes. Avian species commonly seen nesting in the wetlands include the snowy egret, black vulture, American kestrel falcon and osprey. More than 50 miles of waterways meander through the refuge and are utilized by endangered manatees for foraging, breeding, and calving. You can also catch an occasional glimpse of the rare eastern indigo snake. The refuge is about 36 miles east of Ponce Inlet.
Haulover Canal
The best West Indian manatee viewing area is the observation deck at Haulover Canal, approximately an hour's drive south at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville. Less than 3,000 of these massive, aquatic mammals remain in the United States. From the deck's vantage point, you can view manatees resting just below the water's surface coming up for air every three to five minutes. Weighing between 800 and 1,200 lbs. the average length of an adult is almost 10 feet.
Pine Island Conservation Area
Bottlenose dolphins frequent the waters of Indian River Lagoon at the Pine Island Conservation area north of Merritt Island. You can hike or bike along designated trails traversing portions of the 1000-acre mangrove forest and hardwood hammocks habitats. Look for slow-moving gopher tortoise in pine flatwoods, and migratory blue-winged teal and wood stork in salt marshes.
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