Looking For Something Unique? Try Turtle Watching in Florida

A visit to Central Florida usually means a trip to Orlando and its wonderful theme parks and tourist attractions. But if you want to experience something that is truly unique and do something a bit out of the ordinary, then consider taking a turtle watching tour when you are on vacation in Florida.

Sea Turtles are a species that have been on the planet for millions of years. They do their nesting and hatching in the same location year after year and if you go on a guided tour at the right time of year you may be able to watch a sea turtle complete her nesting or watch hatchlings make their way into the world. Baby sea turtles, with their incredibly big eyes, are considered one of the cutest little creatures around.

If you are visiting the east coast of Florida then there are several locations where you can join a turtle walk. They are called turtle walks rather than turtle watches because there is no guarantee that you will see a turtle at any given time. However, the odds that you will see a nesting or hatchlings are quite high if you take a properly guided walk. The season for viewing the sea turtles is in June and July.

Here are the places where you can take a tour:

Canaveral National Seashore

This is part of the Merritt Island Nation National Wildlife Refuge. Participants for the walks in the northern end of this area gather at the Canaveral National Seashore Information center located at 7611 South Atlantic Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. You can make reservations for the June walks by calling 321-428-3384 on May 15. Similarly if you want to participate in the July walks then on June 15 you must call 321-267-1110. Only 25 people can participate in a group walk and children under eight cannot take part.

Sebastian Inlet State Park, located in Melbourne Beach, is another popular turtle walk location. Public turtle walks are held several times a week in June and July. In order to take part you should make a reservation two weeks ahead of the walk. Call 321-589-2147 to make a reservation. You can reserve places for up to six people.

If you really want to be sure and see turtle hatchlings then a trip to the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale might be the best place to visit. Here, during the summer months, you can watch a display of incubated live eggs. The Museum also organizes beach turtle walks and you can make a reservation (around April 15) by calling: 954-467-6637

One thing to keep in mind is that sea turtles are an endangered species and normal flashlights and flash photography are forbidden on these tours since they disorient the turtles. In addition, only trained and authorized personnel are allowed to handle sea turtles. Violations to this rule can result in a $500, 000 fine and a prison sentence.

Other popular turtle watching locales include Marine life Center of Juno Beach (561-627-8280), Sea Turtle Preservation Society, Melbourne (321-676-1701), Florida Power and Light Company, Jensen Beach (800-334-5483), Hobe Sound Nature Center (772-546-2067), Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota (941-388-4331) and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Vero Beach (772-562-3909, ext.258)

Call the phone numbers for the various turtle watching centers in April if you want to be sure of making a tour in the summer because space is limited.

Mark Whichard writes frequently about Orlando Tourism. He is the proprietor of Orlando's Finest Vacation Home and if you are interested in great deals on Orlando vacation rentals and rental homes near Disney World, then visit his website: http://www.Orlandosfinest.com

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