Seashell Valentine
February 14, 2021 4 Comments
Warm wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day from Florida!
Nature Photography by Pam & Richard
February 14, 2021 4 Comments
Warm wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day from Florida!
December 24, 2019 14 Comments
Warm wishes from the beach here in Florida for a wonderful holiday and happy new year!
March 2, 2019 5 Comments
We enjoy going to Sebastian Inlet State Park on Florida’s central Atlantic coast. It is a spectacular place to visit! The weather this winter has been especially beautiful. We made this collage of our favorite scenes at the inlet (click on the picture to enlarge and see details). Info and live cam links are available at: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/sebastian-inlet-state-park
November 25, 2017 4 Comments
The weather is perfect here in Florida! Migrating birds have arrived, and it is a beautiful time for a walk at Sebastian Inlet State Park.
September 18, 2017 5 Comments
I am very happy to say that our beautiful beaches here on Florida’s Space Coast still look great after Hurricane Irma! We were all nervous staring down a Category 5 hurricane – at times the projected track went right over our coastal area east of Orlando. There certainly was damage in Brevard County, but nothing that can’t be fixed. Our house itself is fine, although we do have an enormous amount of yard work to do. It is such a luxury now to have use of power, water, internet, gas, and grocery stores – makes you appreciate what surrounds you every day. It was also nice to see people helping one another. All our animals and birds are back too. Great to get back to normal!
August 12, 2017 7 Comments
Florida in summer is a land of ocean breezes, afternoon showers, and warm nights. A walk on Cocoa Beach in the morning is perfect!
January 1, 2017 11 Comments
Warm wishes from Florida for a new year filled with peace, love, and happiness.
October 14, 2016 6 Comments
We saw the Faithful Beauty moth (also known as the Uncle Sam moth) for the first time only a couple of weeks ago at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida. So pretty! Its Latin name is Composia fidelissima, and it is more commonly seen in southern Florida. You can tell it is a moth by its feathery antennae. We are happy to get back to normal after a very close call here on Florida’s Atlantic Coast with Hurricane Matthew.
October 2, 2016 10 Comments
Here is a dramatic panorama of Sebastian Beach today in Florida – blue sky to the north, and storm coming from the south.
August 26, 2016 3 Comments
We make frequent trips to Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida, to walk out on the fishing pier and stroll on the beach. The water is especially pretty right now, and there is always lots to see! You can view a live cam at: http://www.sebastianinletcam.com/
July 16, 2016 2 Comments
Today was a gorgeous day at Sebastian Beach, Florida. The weather and water are warm, and the sea turtles are busy nesting at night. In fact as of today, the area has recorded the second highest count ever of documented sea turtle nests. Scientists rope off the nest sites to keep the eggs safe until the turtles hatch. Great time of year!
UPDATE: Final sea turtle nesting totals at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge on August 27, 2016, are: Loggerhead – 20,376; Green – 1,295; Leatherback – 72, and Kemp’s Ridley – 1.
January 28, 2016 8 Comments
In Florida we enjoy an outdoor lifestyle year round. Although it may get chilly from time to time when winter cold fronts blow through from the north, the weather usually warms back up to 70°F within a few days. That means we go outside and enjoy the beach, gardens, and wildlife.
Florida is home to over 500 species of birds, which makes it one of the top birdwatching destinations in the world. Our local birding and wildlife festival is the largest in the nation! Info about the festival is at: http://www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org/ Come on down and enjoy nature in the Sunshine State!
October 24, 2015 7 Comments
Fall weather is great in Florida for long walks at the beach. We often visit Sebastian Inlet State Park. The views all around are a constant delight!
August 17, 2015 9 Comments
We always enjoy visiting Sebastian Inlet State Park. The beach is beautiful, and we never know what we’ll see from the fishing jetty. More info is at: https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Sebastian-Inlet
April 12, 2015 2 Comments
A recent scientific article describes how hidden patterns can be revealed by viewing fossilized seashells under UV light. I had to try this myself! I dug out our box of Florida fossils and looked at the chalky white seashells under a UV blacklight. Like magic – the patterns appeared! Nature is truly amazing. The detailed article on glowing shells is at: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0120924.
March 17, 2015 2 Comments
On Saturday we attended the First Sea Glass and Ocean Gems Symposium at the Barrier Island Center in Melbourne Beach, Florida. The Center is located in the heart of Archie Carr Refuge, a major nesting site for sea turtles. The festival celebrated not only sea glass, but also sea life and all treasures found at the beach. There were educational displays, along with arts and crafts on the back deck overlooking the ocean. The sea glass displayed was collected on local beaches over the past 40 years – some of it washed in from ancient shipwrecks! More info about the Center is at: https://www.facebook.com/BrevardCountyBarrierIslandCenter/ and https://www.brevardfl.gov/EELProgram/Sanctuaries/BarrierIslandSanctuary
January 5, 2015 16 Comments
Happy New Year! Warm wishes for a year ahead filled with peace, beauty, and joy.
December 23, 2014 6 Comments
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫
Oh the weather is so delightful,
For Flo-ri-da we’re thankful.
Things to do, we can’t pick just one,
Let’s have fun, let’s have fun, let’s have fun.
♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♫♪♫♪♫
October 26, 2014 5 Comments
If you visit Central Florida, be sure to stop by Port Canaveral and Jetty Park near Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Exploration Tower acts as a Welcome Center for the area. The building opened in November 2013, and is meant to evoke the image of a sailing ship. The architecture is stunning, especially at night. From the tower’s 7th floor Observation Deck there is a bird’s eye view of Port Canaveral, Jetty Park, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and NASA to the north. It is an excellent place to view rocket launches (check schedule at: http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/). Info about visiting the tower is at: http://www.explorationtower.com/.
A fun thing to do is to watch the cruise ships go out to sea. They exit the port past Jetty Park, with people waving and cheering all the way. Popular times to watch are Thursday and Sunday afternoons around 4 pm (a full schedule of departures and arrivals is at: https://www.portcanaveral.com/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules. Port Canaveral was named America’s Best North American Cruise Port in 2015 by CruiseCritic.com. The ship “Carla C” that inspired the TV show “The Love Boat” visited the Port in 1979.
Jetty Park’s wide sandy beach is especially nice for families. It is popular year round. If you walk onto the fishing pier, be sure to look for manatees, dolphins, and sea turtles in the water below. You’ll probably see egrets and pelicans “fishing” too. And don’t forget to bring bread to feed the seagulls – it is a family favorite. More info about visiting Port Canaveral is at: http://visitportcanaveral.com/. Details about Jetty Park Beach and Campground are at: https://www.portcanaveral.com/jpc and https://www.portcanaveral.com/Recreation/Jetty-Park-Beach-Pier
September 14, 2014 11 Comments
Summer and early Fall are the best time to see colorful giant land crabs in Florida. They live along the Atlantic coast from Central to Southern Florida, and are also found along the Gulf coast. We usually see them around the time of the full moon in August and September in the Sebastian/Vero Beach area. Giant blue land crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) like to live in wet sandy burrows, and need to be within 5 miles of the ocean to spawn. Only one in a million eggs survives to adulthood. The distinctive brown “fuzz” around the mouth parts of land crabs is actually a net-like pattern of hairs. It works in conjunction with the internal gills to help them “breathe” while on land. Both male and female adult land crabs have one claw bigger than the other. The crabs can grow up to 6 inches across, and come in a variety of colors including blue, purple, red, orange, brown, and white. More info about the life history of these fascinating crabs is at: http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/crustaceans/blue-crabs/life-cycle/
May 23, 2014 4 Comments
In Florida, manatee mating activity peaks in spring and early summer. When wildlife societies receive calls about beached manatees this time of year, they explain that it is natural behavior and manatee love is in the air. A female manatee will usually be pursued by several males into shallow water, and that forms a mating herd. Florida’s West Indian manatee is an endangered species, so it is a real privilege to witness such an event. Best of all, a baby manatee will arrive a year later! At Sebastian Inlet State Park today, we saw 8 manatees off the pier in the ocean, and a mating herd of 4 on the lagoon side. A manatee named “Barney” swam beside the jetty (named by surfers for the barnacles on his skin).
January 19, 2014 15 Comments
Florida beaches are delightful in winter. Occasionally a sweater is needed, but otherwise it is great weather for being outside and walking on the sand. These pictures were taken at Sebastian Inlet State Park on Florida’s central Atlantic coast (east of Orlando).
January 7, 2014 2 Comments
White pelicans are one of North America’s largest birds. Their 9 foot wingspan is second only to the American Condor. They are true snow birds – they spend winter along our southern coasts and head inland and north in summer. During nesting season, they grow temporary knobs on their bills and have bright yellow around their eyes. They feed by dipping their pouches into the water, and sometimes work together to corral and scoop up fish. It is always a treat to see these magnificent birds!
January 1, 2014 2 Comments
Pelicans have incredible pouches. The expandable pouches are used to scoop up food, and can hold up to 3 gallons of water and fish! Brown pelicans are the only pelicans that are plunge divers. They drop from the air with a big splash, and then scoop up the stunned fish. We watched this funny brown pelican stretching at Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida. In the process, we got a great look at its amazing pouch.
May 2, 2013 4 Comments
This year 2013 marks the 500th anniversary of Ponce de Leon’s landing in Florida (“Land of Flowers”). In celebration, a replica 16th century Spanish tall ship named El Galeon is stopping at ports along the state’s Atlantic coast. It is on a path similar to that taken by the explorer. The ship is currently at Port Canaveral from May 1-12, 2013. It is a real beauty! The ship is 170 feet long and weighs 495 tons. The anchor alone weighs over one ton. The ship has 6 decks, and 3 masts with 7 sails. Most striking is the wood, which is found throughout the ship and is gorgeous in scale and detail. Below deck are interpretive displays. UPDATE: This ship will be featured in the NBC TV show “Crossbones”, and will return to port in St. Augustine in 2015 to celebrate the city’s 450th birthday. More info is at: https://www.facebook.com/elgaleonandalucia/
February 27, 2013 9 Comments
Today is Nellie the Dolphin’s 60th birthday! She was born at Marineland, Florida, on February 27, 1953, to mother Susie and father Happy. She was famously in several television shows in the 1950’s and a Timex commercial in 1961. In 1970 she became the mascot for Jacksonville University, and was awarded a master’s degree in marine science. Nellie is doing very well and is loved by everyone who visits her. The picture shows a vintage postcard from Nellie’s 20th birthday celebration. Marineland’s birthday tribute to Nellie is at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTIAnCfaoC8
UPDATE: Nellie passed away at the age of 61 on May 1, 2014. The previous May (2013) Nellie was given an honorary Ph.D. in health science and longevity by Jacksonville University.
January 30, 2013 6 Comments
The beaches are perfect here in Florida in January. The view is absolutely gorgeous, and the birdlife is amazing. Come and visit to enjoy the warm sunshine!
December 10, 2012 11 Comments
Big Talbot Island State Park has the only beach in Florida that is covered in driftwood! The wood comes from trees that have fallen from the eroded bluffs above the beach. Over time the wood is polished by the sand and surf. The bleached-out trunks have given rise to its popular name “Boneyard Beach”. More info on this unique beach north of Jacksonville is at: http://www.floridastateparks.org/bigtalbotisland/
December 8, 2012 4 Comments
Marineland was one of Florida’s earliest tourist attractions. It debuted in 1938 as the “World’s First Oceanarium” (south of St. Augustine). The attraction’s original name was Marine Studios, because it catered to both tourists and film studios. Movies and television shows filmed there include Tarzan, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Sea Hunt, and Benji (which featured the first scuba-diving dog).
In 1951 Marineland was rated number one in Florida tourism. I can’t help but smile when I look at those vintage photographs. Marineland’s beloved dolphin Nellie was born there in 1953, and is now 59 years old. She is one of the world’s oldest dolphins!
Although the facility fell on hard times in the 1980s, the future looks much brighter now that it was bought by the premier Georgia Aquarium. I especially like Marineland’s authentic feel. Besides, where else can you feed a dolphin for $29? More info is at: http://www.marineland.net/index.html
UPDATE: Nellie passed away at the age of 61 on May 1, 2014. The previous May (2013) Nellie was given an honorary Ph.D. in health science and longevity by Jacksonville University.
December 4, 2012 6 Comments
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a sea turtle hospital, research facility, and education campus in Juno Beach, Florida. Sick or injured sea turtles are brought to the center for veterinary care. Turtles receive treatment and are rehabilitated for release. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibits, watch veterinary care, and get a close-up view of current patients. More info is at: http://marinelife.org/