OUTDOOR FUN animals By Lauren Tjaden ALL ABOUT Manatees, dolphins and roseate spoonbills are among the many animal species that set Florida apart and will leave you in awe. Crandon Park, Key Biscayne, photo by Peter W. Cross & Patrick Farrell Panama City Beach, photo by Andrew Wardlow BEACH BEAUTIES Waves, horses and you: a perfect combo. Explore Northeast Florida’s unspoiled beaches atop one of Kelly Seahorse Ranch’s trusty steeds on Amelia Island. Or, enjoy a beach ride in Cape San Blas (Northwest) or Fort Pierce (Central East). GENTLE GIANTS Manatees are huge, curious and ridiculously cute. In Central West Florida, you can snorkel with them in the wild in Crystal River. Your tour guide will teach you all you need to know about proper manatee interaction. FOR THE BIRDS Wood storks, pelicans and roseate spoonbills are just a few of the reasons birders flock to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on the Central East coast. It’s part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, a network with more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state, where majestic avians are always near. Find out more at floridabirdingtrail.com. DOLPHIN DELIGHT Want to help researchers survey bottlenose dolphins? Join an ecotour on Marco Island’s Dolphin Explorer (Southwest Florida). Its 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project is a long-term study of these awe-inspiring animals, and the only one in the United States open to the public. Gatorland, photo by Scott Audette
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