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Home > Visitor
Information > Nature
You’ve seen the fantasy; now come see the real Florida. Experience what
you’ve seen on television. Allow yourself to be touched by nature. Low key
and low cost, renourish your soul.
Unspoiled and protected, our
beautiful and natural parks are refuges for birds, mammals and humans
alike.
Brooker Creek Preserve’s 8,500 acres are home to more than 160 bird
species, 20 amphibians, 50 reptiles and 40 mammals, many of them rare or
listed as protected in Florida and/or the nation.
Weedon Island Preserve’s 1,500 island acres offers 9 miles of hiking
trails, 4 miles of canoe and kayak trails, a fishing pier, observation
platforms and an elevated boardwalk providing an intimate view of the flora
and fauna of Florida. New is their Cultural and National Historic Center, a
National Historical Register site, which features a creative blend of the
Weedon Native American culture with the environment. Guided walks are
available at both the state and nature parks.
Florida once was orange trees, cattle ranches and flush with nature. The
Starkey’s, original Florida pioneers, have opened their working cattle ranch
to visitors to experience areas untouched since the 1800s. Just 45 minutes
from Clearwater,
J.B. Starkey’s Flatwoods Adventures offers history, amazing scenery and
lifelong memories. Wildlife sightings are common. Two tours are offered in
a “Range Buggy” or on horseback.
An
undisturbed barrier island,
Caladesi Island State Park the #1 beach in the United States, is
accessible by ferry or boat, and by foot from Clearwater Beach (a three-plus
mile walk; no automobile access). The unspoiled island offers natural
vegetation, abundant bird life and interpretive programs for Florida nature
study. A ferry service to the island departs hourly from
Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area marina. Boat berths are available
during the day at the marina.
Offering both
quality and quantity of species, Clearwater is a birdwatcher’s paradise.
Commonly seen birds include osprey, numerous species of egret, heron and
gull, white ibis, roseate spoonbill, immature bald eagle, brown pelican,
double-crested cormorant, willet and sanderling. Known as the fish hawk, the
osprey community is growing on
Honeymoon Island State Recreation Area with more than 20 nests showing
activity in 2002.
The Gulf of Mexico and our
rivers offer watchable wildlife. Approximately 2,600 manatees inhabit our
springs, bays and canals, feeding on aquatic plants. North American river
otters play in brackish creeks and streams. Everyone’s favorite, the
Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, can be seen cavorting with beauty and grace.
Alligators can be found in some freshwater areas of the county. Over 300
species of fish swim in our waters, most of them edible and all of them
worthy of study. Remember to "watch" Florida’s wildlife today so that future
generations can "see" them in their natural environment. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Few destinations offer the opportunity to visit five wildlife
sanctuaries specifically focused on rescue, rehabilitation and release
of these birds and mammals not often see as up close and personal as
these refuges allow.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a renowned marine life rescue center,
specializes in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured marine
life. The aquarium is host to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles,
and other marine life. With a breadth of activities, one can touch one
of the dolphins, watch their world-famous open-air dolphin show, hit the
high seas on their popular eco-boat tour, work with the trainers in an
interactive session or have a picture taken with a dolphin. Come meet
Winter, one of the world’s most famous dolphins, who lost her tail in an
accident; she is now healthy and swimming freely. She wears a prosthetic
tail, as seen on the NBC Today Show, and is learning how to paint.
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Moccasin Lake Nature Park is a 51 acre preserve featuring rescued
and rehabilitated birds (including two bald eagles, a black vulture, a
red tail hawk and horned owl), reptilian, insect and fish displays,
plant and energy exhibits, and nature trails through a diversity of
natural Florida habitats, allowing viewing of native birds, insects,
amphibians, mammals and reptiles. 
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The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is home to more than 600 birds,
representing dozens of species, living and recuperating in the
sanctuary; the center breeds permanently disabled birds in hopes of
releasing their offspring back into nature. The Sanctuary treats over
10,000 injured birds annually. 
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The
Suncoast Primate Sanctuary cares for more than 70 animals. In
addition to orangutan, chimpanzees and various monkeys, the sanctuary
also has birds, reptiles, goats and lemurs. One of their more famous
primates is Cheetah, one of the chimps who starred in the Tarzan movies
of the early 1930s. 
Nowhere else but
Big Cat Rescue can one be face to face with more than 130 big cats
and many of the 20-plus species of exotic and endangered cats which
number less than 200 on the planet. Some of the more unusual cats
include Fishing, Leopard, Geoffrey, and Bear but also protected are
Asian Lions, Siberian Lynx, Clouded Leopards, Servals, Tigers, Caracals
and more.
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