Daytona Beach is a beautiful place filled with various attractions and events happening all year long. From the annual Bike Week to the Nascar Daytona 500, there is always something going on in the world’s most famous beach. When you are ready for a small break from all the noise and sounds you can go on a different kind of adventure. Daytona is not only host to a variety of cultures and lifestyles, it is also home to a diverse assortment of wildlife, especially when it comes to the ocean.
Sometimes this diverse and humbling wildlife is easy to spot around the Daytona Beach area. For others it takes the right timing and a little bit of luck to spot them out on the water. Luckily you can see a good percentage of this wildlife both on land and on sea from the shoreline. Take a stroll from your ocean view resort toward the river or toward the ocean. When you get toward the water’s edge, keep an eye open and your camera ready. You may just get a glimpse of some of the following.
Dolphins: One of the most beloved sea creatures is the dolphin, and in Florida you have a chance to see them swimming around in the waterways and canals near the ocean. The Halifax River, which divides the mainland to the beach areas is a prime location to spot dolphins surfacing and sometimes even jumping playfully out of the water. google sites down . A good place to see this is from any of the various bridges that span over the river.
Manatees: When near the water’s edge along the Halifax river and other waterways around Daytona keep an eye open for odd looking ripples along the water’s surface. Manatees often times blend in with their surroundings, and can be hard to spot in the water. You may be surprised to look down and see a manatee’s head above the water looking up at you.
Jellyfish: The waters off the shore of Florida is an entire eco community of various forms of sealife. During certain times of the year, that sealife can be moved closer to the shoreline. During the times before and after a large storm, you may want to be careful walking along the beach. Jellyfish tend to come ashore and will dot the sand along the waveline of the beach.
Sharks: Luckily for the inhabitants of Florida a Sharknado isn’t a very likely occurrence. In the water though you may just find a shark or two. Hopefully from the safety of a boat. You are not very likely to spot them from the shoreline, but if you go out on the water you have a good chance to see one swimming along the surface. The sharks found in the waters around Daytona can vary in size from small two or three foot long to a much more dangerous 5 to 6 foot. Don’t let this discourage you from a trip down to the beach though. The waters near the shore are typically very safe.
Birds: When you go to the waters edge are a variety of birds that are cautious around people, but not exactly shy to be near them. Of course you have the seagulls flying and fishing in large groups around and above the water. Bring a camera with even a small level zoom function and you can capture some amazing images of herons, especially when near major fishing spots. Pelicans have a tendency to relax beneath the bridges spanning the Halifax River. At the right moment, you can even spot pelicans flying over the water before diving down, looking for their next meal.
Turtles: The beaches of Daytona host a very popular visitor from May 15th through October 31st each month. Sea turtles come up on the beach during the night and lay their eggs in the dry sand before returning to the sea. In about two months these eggs will hatch and about 100 baby turtles will push and crawl their way to the ocean to begin their own great adventure. The areas where this happens is a protected area, to help preserve this age old yearly display of nature. When you are in or near one of these protected areas, please take extra care not to disturb the area or the animals located in them.
When you are looking around for these amazing examples of the Daytona wildlife, please take care not to disturb them when possible. Feel free to take plenty of photographs, (keep flash to a minimum), but try and refrain from trying to go pet them, (Especially the sharks). Also be respectful of their environment by throwing out any trash items in appropriate containers and disposing of food properly.