Sunday 8 AM–sunset
Monday 8 AM–sunset
Tuesday 8 AM–sunset
Wednesday 8 AM–sunset
Thursday 8 AM–sunset
Friday 8 AM–sunset
Saturday 8 AM–sunset
* park times subject to change and may be open longer to accommodate tours.

The Indian River is not actually a river at all, but, more precisely, an estuary and a lagoon. It is the body of water wedged between the barrier islands of Florida’s eastern coast and its mainland.
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It is a national estuary that has evolved over the past 240,000 years.
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The Lagoon varies in width from half a mile to 5 miles across. It has a 4ft average depth with large shallow flats that are under 2ft deep. Dredged channels, basins, and canals are deeper. The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) channel is maintained at an average 10-12ft depth by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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The Indian River Lagoon is actually a grouping of three water ways: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River and the Indian River.
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It has five saltwater Atlantic Ocean inlets. Ponce de Leon, Sebastian, Ft. Pierce, St. Lucie, and Jupiter inlets are within the Indian River Lagoon estuary. Ponce de Leon and Jupiter are natural inlets, the other three are man-made cuts through the barrier island.
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The lagoon contains 27% of eastern Florida’s coastal salt marshes.
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Spanning 156 miles from Ponce de Leon Inlet in Volusia County to the southern boundary in Martin County, the lagoon supports commercial and recreational fisheries and acts as an economic engine for the region.
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During glacial periods, the ocean receded and the area that is now the lagoon was grassland, 30 miles from the current shoreline. When the glaciers melted, the sea rose, but the lagoon remained as captured water. Fossils from dinosaurs can be found along the shores and beaches of the spoil islands within the lagoon system.
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The lagoon watershed covers 2,284 square miles and the lagoon’s waters span 353 square miles.
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On any given day, the Indian River may flow north. The next day it may flow south, and another day it might be completely stagnant and not flow at all. That is because it is affected by winds, which vary the lagoon’s direction of flow. A true river flows a single direction. Thus, the Indian River is not a true river at all.
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It is brackish meaning it’s half salt, half fresh water. The saltwater comes from the ocean through inlets like the Sebastian Inlet. The fresh water comes from tributaries that flow off the mainland, like the Sebastian River or Turkey Creek and natural underground springs.
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The Indian River Lagoon is North America's most diverse estuary, with more than 2,100 species of plants and 2,200 animals.
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The lagoon basin contains a large number of species relative to other estuaries in North America, with 685 fish species and 370 bird species.
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The IRL has been called “the cradle of the ocean,” acting as a refuge for countless species of animals, birds and fish. It serves as a spawning and nursery ground for many of the fish species that can be found just offshore Florida’s coast.
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Ocean beaches in the lagoon region attract some of the highest numbers of nesting sea turtles in the western hemisphere. Juvenile Loggerhead, Green and Leatherback sea turtles can be found in the Indian River Lagoon seeking food and protection.
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The IRL contains 35 species of animal and plant listed as threatened or endangered.
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It has one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America.
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The lagoon is located along the Atlantic Flyway, a key biological highway for many migrating birds. The Atlantic Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in North America. The route generally starts in Greenland, then follows the Atlantic coast of Canada, then south down the Atlantic Coast of the United States to the tropical areas of South America and the Caribbean. Every year, migratory birds travel up and down this route following food sources, heading to breeding grounds, or traveling to overwintering sites.
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Nearly 1/3 of the nation's manatee population lives here or migrates through the Lagoon seasonally.
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It’s estimated that somewhere in the area of 1,000 Bottle-nosed Dolphins live in the Indian River Lagoon system.
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Red Drum, Spotted Sea Trout, Common Snook and Tarpon are the main gamefish in the Titusville area of the lagoon system. Blue Crab, Oyster and Mullet are also fished.
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The lagoon is part of the 3,000 mile Intercostal Waterway that stretches from Massachusetts to Texas. The project was launched by the US Government in the 1800s, and it allows boats to travel the eastern seaboard from Gloucester, Massachusetts, around the tip of Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico to Brownsville, Texas with minimal ocean travel. It was completed June 18, 1949. The inland waterway of today was originally the solution to shipping hazards that were created by travel on the Atlantic coast. When the US had first become independent, it was a time when the commercial and military use of the Atlantic coast had become very important.
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The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Intercostal Waterway for 1,088 miles between Norfolk, Virginia and Miami Florida. The Atlantic Intracoastal Water Way is authorized to 12 feet deep with widths of 90 feet through land cuts and 150 feet in open water areas, with a nine feet deep in most of Florida.
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More than 200 spoil islands created from dredge material provide habitat and recreational sites in the Lagoon.
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The IRL contains five state parks, four federal wildlife refuges and a national seashore.
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The Indian River is known to be fairly safe for swimmers and has not proven to be much of a concern when it comes to bacteria levels. But swimmers should still exercise extreme caution when swimming in the river as it is home to two of the deadliest apex predators in the world: the Bull Shark and the Great White Shark.
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Indian River Lagoon is abundant with bioluminescent Dinoflagellates in the summer (June-September) and Ctenophore (comb jellies) in the winter (October-May).

Pictorial of IRL inhabitants

A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers.
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Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees, also called halophytes, and are adapted to live in harsh coastal conditions. They contain a complex salt filtration system and a complex root system to cope with saltwater immersion and wave action. Their special adaptations allow them to take in extra oxygen and to remove salt, which allow them to tolerate conditions that would kill most plants.
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In Florida, the mangrove community consists of three main species of true mangroves: the red mangrove, the black mangrove,, and the white mangrove,
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In the IRL, the most recognizable and common species is the red mangrove. Dominating the shoreline from the upper subtidal to the lower intertidal zones, red mangroves are easily identified by their tangled, reddish “prop roots” that grow outward and down from the trunk into the water and underlying sediments. The tree often appears to be standing or walking on the surface of the water.
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Mangrove swamps protect coastal areas from erosion and storm surge (especially during hurricanes.)
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The unique ecosystem found in the intricate mesh of mangrove roots offers a quiet marine habitat for young organisms.
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Both seagrasses and mangroves are important habitats for the health and productivity of countless inshore, coastal, and offshore species, as well as the overall health of the lagoon.

The IRL was originally named Rio de Ais (pronounced Ah-es) after the Ais Indian tribe, who lived along the east coast of Florida.
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They ate fish, turtle, shellfish, cocoplums, sabal palm berries and other gathered fruits. Prior to contact with European colonizers, the Ais population had grown to several hundred thousand and may have flourished for over 10,000 years.
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The Ais tribe were one of many tribes that lived in Florida prior to first contact with the Spanish in 1513. The Ais were hunters and gatherers, not farmers, and lived in what is now Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and northernmost Martin counties. Their tribe is mostly the reason the waterway is now called Indian River.
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The Ais Indians were aboriginal and should not be confused with the Seminole Indians of a later date. The Ais lived in small nomadic bands and chose various prime locations along the Indian River to make camp.
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Physically, the Ais were small in stature in comparison with the average contemporary American Indian. Their small stature did not result in timidity, however, for all known accounts indicate that the Ais were very warlike and were great hunters and skilled in the use of the bow and arrow and other weapons.
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The Ais controlled some 150 miles of the coast from modern-day Cape Canaveral in the north to the St. Lucie Inlet in the south.
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They lived in villages consisting of small collections of huts framed with sticks and covered on the sides with fronds.
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The largest house in each village belonged to the chief and it was usually located in the center of the village. In his house was a seat of honor and other places where his second in command and advisors were stationed.
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The Ais chiefdom consisted of a number of villages, each led by a chief who was subordinate to the paramount chief of Ais.
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Both Ais men and women wore their hair long and frequently painted parts of their bodies with black and/or red paint. Men usually wore their hair pulled up into a knot near the tops of their heads. At least some Ais men wore beards. Spanish accounts report that the paramount Ais cacique wore a broad gold headband and his leading men wore smaller ones.
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The Ais language has been linked to the Chitimacha language by linguist Julian Granberry, who points out that "Ais" means "the people" in the Chitimacha language.
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As they became more civilized, their society lost much of its simplicity. An example of the complexity which required a community effort is the burial mounds. One of the larger burial grounds is located on Kennedy Space Center property at the northermost boundaries of the Spaceport near Oak Hill. The most noteworthy of the various mounds is the Ross Hammock Site. Here the dirt is piled twenty-five feet high in an area 100 feet in diameter. The mound is full of skeletons at varying levels of depth and was dug into in 1963 by the Florida State Museum. Evidence shows that there are at least forty separate burials in a small portion of the mound.
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Shortly after 1700, Spanish settlers and their Indian allies raided and killed or enslaved many of the Ais tribe. After 1703 the Ais were absorbed into the Costas tribe. Their numbers had diminished to 137 individuals by 1711.
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Diseases brought by the Europeans eradicated the remaining Ais/Costas by the mid-1740’s.
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The Ais disappear from area records after 1760.

Lifespan: Manatees are thought to live 50 to 60 years in the wild. They may live over 65 years in captivity.
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Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants.
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There are five known species of Sirenia - the West Indian Manatee, the Amazonian Manatee, the West African Manatee, the Dugong (Austrailia), and the extinct Stellar’s sea cow (hunted to extinction in the 18th Century).
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The West African Manatee, is roughly the same size as a West Indian Manatee, but has more protruding eyes, a blunter snout, a less robust body, and a more downward-pointing rostrum.
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In Florida, Manatees are typically found in shallow coastal areas and rivers where they feed on sea grass, mangrove leaves, and algae. They munch on food for almost half the day, eating ten percent of their body weight in plant mass every day.
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The closest living relatives of Manatees are elephants. Manatees evolved from the same land animals as elephants over 50 million years ago and the fossil record shows a much more diverse group of sirenians than we have today.
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Warm water is a must for the West Indian and West African manatee species. With low metabolic rates and minimal fat protection from cold water, they stick to water that is 60 degrees or warmer. They may look fat and insulated, but the large body of the manatee is mostly made up of their stomach and intestines!
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Manatees can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts during summer months. But, during the winter, they congregate in Florida as they require warm-water habitats to survive.
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Because prolonged exposure to water temperatures below 18°C (65°F) can be lethal to manatees, Florida manatees are confined largely to the southern two-thirds of the Florida Peninsula in winter. There they aggregate at warm-water springs and thermal outfalls from power plants, or remain along the edge of the Everglades at the southern tip of the state. As water temperatures rise in spring and summer, Florida manatees disperse throughout the state and into neighboring states.
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Manatees weigh 880 to 1,210 lb, and average 9 ft. in length, (sometimes growing to 15 ft.) Females tend to be larger and heavier than males. At birth, baby manatees weigh about 66 lb each.
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The manatee reproductive rate is low, with a mature female giving birth every two to five years. After a gestation period of almost a year, the female gives birth to one calf, or rarely twins.
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Males do not assist with raising the calf. But the mother nurses her calf for one to two years. During this time the calf is dependent on its mother. Calves are capable of swimming to the surface on their own and vocalizing soon after birth. Females reach sexual maturity around 3 to 5 years of age and males at 5 to 7 years of age.
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The manatee has a large, flexible, prehensile upper lip, used to gather food and eat and for social interaction and communication.
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Manatees go to the surface of the water every three to five minutes to breathe although they can remain underwater longer, holding their breath for up to 20 minutes. When they do take a breath, 90 percent of the air in their lungs is replaced (whereas humans tend to replace about 10 percent).
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Manatee adults have no incisor or canine teeth, just a set of cheek teeth, which are not clearly differentiated into molars and premolars. Like their elephant relatives, manatees continuously replace their teeth throughout their lives with the older teeth at the front falling out and new teeth growing in at the back of their mouth.
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Manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, but usually only swim 3 to 5 miles per hour.
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Manatees have some pachyostotic bones, which means bone that is solid, with no marrow. The ribs and in other long bone areas are very dense, with no marrow cavity. This contributes to their skeleton being relatively quite heavy. They make red blood cells in their sternum where the marrow is found.
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Tests have shown that manatee bone material is less strong and tough than other mammalian bone. Although the bone increases in static strength as the animals grow, it is not able to absorb more energy.
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They're the only aquatic mammals to have only six cervical vertebrae instead of seven. So, if it wants to turn its head, the manatee has to move its entire body around. Scientists think this may have to do with their slow metabolism. Most other mammals, including giraffes, have seven.
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The pectoral flippers are jointed and flexible, with three to four “finger” nails at the ends.
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The term “sea cow” is a reference to the species' slow, peaceful, herbivorous nature, reminiscent of that of bovines.
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Manatees do emit sounds under water. The chirps, whistles, or squeaks are probably produced in the larynx. They seem to make these sounds when they are frightened, sexually aroused, or interacting with each other. Vocalizations are an integral part of the cow-calf relationship.
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A manatee’s small eyes have nictitating membranes that can be drawn over them for protection underwater but still allow the animal some sight.
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The ear openings, located just behind the eyes, are small and lack external lobes. Manatees can hear very well despite the absence of external ear lobes.
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A manatee can move each side of its lip pads independently. This flexibility allowsthe manatee to "grab" aquatic plants and draw them into its mouth. The manatee uses its muscular prehensile upper lips much like how an elephant uses the tip of its trunk to pick up items.
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Manatees do not have eyelids or eyelashes. Their eye muscles close in a circular motion, much like an aperture on a camera.
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Manatees can sleep with one half of their brain while the other half remains awake, a sleep behavior called unihemispheric sleep. This sleep pattern, also known as asymmetric slow-wave sleep (USWS), allows manatees to get the benefits of sleep while still being alert for threats. For example, unihemispheric sleep allows manatees to surface to breathe while still being able to watch for danger.
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During resting periods, manatees will come up for air every 20 minutes or so expending as little energy as possible. They rest for around 12 hours a day.
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Manatees have no natural predators in the wild but humans have played a large part in making all three species at risk of extinction. According to NOAA, alligators tend not to eat manatees.
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Christopher Columbus and other early explorers claimed to have seen female figures swimming in the ocean—the mermaids in the writings and drawings of this era. Whether they had been at sea for too long or it was a trick of the light, we now know that many of these encounters were with manatees. Columbus, sailing near what is now the Dominican Republic, saw three “mermaids” and described them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.”
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Around 20 to 30 percent of manatee mortalities are a result of human-related threats like watercraft collisions.
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*** Manatees and Dugongs are related to each other and while they are very similar in appearance and behavior, there is one key difference – their tails. Manatees have paddle-shaped tails and Dugongs have fluked tails, giving it a whale-like appearance.
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Unlike manatees, which use freshwater areas, the Dugong is strictly a marine mammal.
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** Manatees are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. It is illegal to feed, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, annoy, or molest manatees. It also illegal to impede a manatees path or separate a mother from her calf.

Lifespan: Although some Bottle-nose Dolphins can reach 40 years of age, their average age is between 15 and 16 years. IRL dolphins can live to about 20 years of age.
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The closest living relatives of dolphins today are the even toed ungulates such as camels and cows with the humble hippopotamus being the closest living relative.
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Dolphins are naturally curious creatures, and their interactions with humans may be driven by curiosity about new or unusual objects in their environment, including humans in boats or the water.
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Dolphins don't have vocal cords, so they use their nasal cavities to produce high-frequency clicks and other sounds to echolocate. A Dolphin can produce a massive volume of clicks, hundreds per second, and at a volume of 220 decibels.
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In echolocating, they produce short broad-spectrum burst-pulses that sound to us like "clicks." These "clicks" are reflected from objects of interest back to the Dolphin and provide information on food sources.
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The Atlantic Bottle-nose Dolphin is the apex predator of the IRL weighing in from 400 to 1,200 lbs, with a length five to thirteen feet.
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Dolphins feed largely on fish and squid.
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In order to stun the fish they are after (mostly mullet fish,) they corral and slap the fish against the sea walls, stunning the fish thus allowing them to grab them with ease.
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As well as the Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphin, there is a sub-species called the Indian River Lagoon Bottle-nosed Dolphin.
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Due to the subset dolphin being born in the IRL system and typically never leaving it, they are around twenty percent smaller than the ones in the ocean. This is because the average depth of the Indian River Lagoon is only around three-four feet deep, along with the sea walls surrounding the system creating limited room for the dolphin to swim around.
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A group of dolphins is called a "school" or a "pod". Male dolphins are called "bulls", females called "cows" and young dolphins are called "calves".
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Calves are typically born in the spring and summer months and females bear all the responsibility for raising them. Mothers of some species fast and nurse their young for a relatively long period of time.
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Young male dolphins have recorded killing things just for the fun of it. They also 'hunt' females in packs and then isolate them to have sex with them. They are also notorious for infanticide (killing off the offspring of other males).
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The males will forcibly mate with females, sometimes for weeks at a time. To keep her in line, they make aggressive noises, threatening movements and even smack her around with their tails. Other females may try to protect her but will be forced away by the aggressive males.
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Typically, IRL dolphins don’t have to hunt in pods as they do in the ocean due to their ability to use the sea walls and shallow waters to their advantage while they pin the fish against them.
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Dolphins can hold their breath for 8-10 minutes and can swim up to about 22 mph.
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Dolphins have to remain conscious, even when they are sleeping. This is because their breathing is not automatic, it is consciously controlled. In other words dolphins have to actively decide when to breathe, and so they must be continually conscious to breathe. If like us, dolphins went into a deep unconscious sleep, they would stop breathing and suffocate or drown!
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Dolphins only allow one half of their brains to sleep at a time; the other half stays alert to enable the dolphin to continue breathing and look out for dangers in the environment.
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Dolphins only close one eye when they sleep; the left eye will be closed when the right half of the brain sleeps, and vice versa. This type of sleep is known as “unihemispheric sleep” as only one brain hemisphere sleeps at a time. Dolphins alternate which half of the brain is sleeping periodically so that they can get the rest they need without ever losing consciousness.
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Previous estimates put the population of dolphin in the IRL at a few hundred dolphins in the system. Then in 2016 and 2017, a team of researchers embarked on 135 surveys to determine the exact number. After collecting over 150,000 images of dorsal fins and analyzing them for unique marks, the researchers discovered there are at least 1,032 dolphins living in the lagoon. That’s about six dolphins per mile of water!
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Typically, they live their entire lives in the IRL (it’s possible that some don’t even know the ocean exists.)
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Dolphins and porpoises differ in their faces, fins, and body shapes. Dolphins have longer noses, bigger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and longer, leaner bodies than porpoises.
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Dolphins are known to exhibit aggressive behavior towards porpoises, including attacking and killing them. While there have been instances of dolphins playing with porpoises, there have also been documented cases of dolphins actively hunting and killing young porpoises.
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Dolphin snouts are biological battering rams. Dolphins will position themselves several yards under a shark and burst upwards jabbing their snout into the soft underbelly of the shark causing serious internal injuries.
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** It is against federal law to feed or harass wild dolphins. Swimming with or feeding dolphins can be dangerous for both human and dolphin and should not be attempted. The NOAA Fisheries Service warns that disruption of normal behavior and activities can ultimately harm these mammals.
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*** Mahi-Mahi is sometimes referred to as a dolphin or more likely, a dolphin fish, because of its similar appearance to the mammal dolphin. The name “dolphin” most likely came about because of the fish's early scientific classification in the genus dolfyn. They are not the same animal.

Fossils in the Indian River include shark teeth, mammoth teeth and bones, giant sloth, giant armadillo, mastodon, camel, deer, bison, giant 6 foot turtle shell and bone, horse, alligator, tapir, even a 30 foot crocodile! Also ancient Native American arrow heads, pottery and tools can be found. State law prohibits the removal of most fossils and artifacts.
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Fossils and artifacts should be left where found unless you carry a fossil permit from the State of Florida.
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Fossils are black because of the groundwater elements that replace minerals giving fossils a dark appearance..
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It takes a minimum of 10,000 years for a bone to turn completely black.
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Due to their abundance, sharks teeth are permissible to take.
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Bone is porous and stone is not. The purpose of pores and holes is for strength, and to allow air or liquid to pass through. That means that one way paleontologists check if something is a bone is to put the possible fossil on their tongue. If it sticks to your tongue, it is a fossil.
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Fossil Dugongs (a relative to manatees) are the most common mammal fossils found in Florida, and of the several known species,

Lifespan: The typical lifespan is 7–10 years, though rarely individuals can grow to as old as 20–25 years.
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Osprey are also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk.
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The Osprey species is at least 11 million years old and is so well adapted to its sea-faring lifestyle that it has evolved unique characteristics that set it apart from other raptor species.
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The Osprey is a diurnal species, meaning that its activity predominantly takes place during the daytime.
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The Osprey is piscivorous, with fish making up 99% of its diet. They typically prey on fish that range from 4 to 12 inches long. In addition to fish, Ospreys may occasionally prey on small birds, eels, snakes, and frogs, likely only when fish are scarce.
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They were formerly classified with other hawks but are now placed in a separate family of their own.
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The Osprey is the second most widely distributed raptor species, after the Peregrine Falcon, and is one of only six land-birds with a worldwide distribution. It is found in temperate and tropical regions of all continents, except Antarctica.
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It is brown on the upperparts and predominantly greyish on the head and underparts.
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The sexes appear fairly similar, but the adult male can be distinguished from the female by its slimmer body and narrower wings. The breast band of the male is also weaker than that of the female or is non-existent, and the underwing coverts of the male are more uniformly pale. It is straightforward to determine the sex in a breeding pair, but harder with individual birds.
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Along coastlines, lakes, and rivers almost worldwide, the Osprey is often seen flying over the water, hovering, and then plunging feet-first to catch fish in its talons. After a successful strike, the bird rises heavily from the water and flies away, carrying the fish head-forward with its feet.
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Barbed pads on the soles of the birds' feet help them grip slippery fish. When flying with prey, an Osprey lines up its catch head first for less wind resistance.
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Osprey and owls are the only raptors whose outer toe is reversible, allowing them to grasp their prey with two toes in front and two behind. This is particularly helpful when they grab slippery fish.
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They catch fish by diving into a body of water, oftentimes completely submerging their entire bodies. As an osprey dives it adjusts the angle of its flight to account for the distortion of the fish's image caused by refraction. Ospreys will typically eat on a nearby perch but have also been known to carry fish for longer distances.
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Bald Eagles sometimes chase Ospreys and force them to drop their catch.
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Landowners sometimes put up poles near the water to attract nesting Ospreys.
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Ospreys have a vision that is well adapted to detecting underwater objects from the air.
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Ospreys are able to express different signals in a variety of ways. A study of osprey behavior revealed that they have eight distinctive vocalizations to express feelings, including excitement, alarm, and requests for food, and physical displays to convey messages of courtship, protection, rest, and attack.
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Ospreys usually mate for life. The female lays two to four eggs with a month-long incubation period and relies on the size of the nest to conserve heat.
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Ospreys reuse their nests every year and the size of the nest can grow to 10 feet high when the ospreys add more materials.
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Nearly half of young osprey can die within the first year. Juvenile offspring are ready to fledge from the nest once sixty days have passed after hatching. Upon fledging, the young ospreys remain with their parents for up to two months. After two to three years, they head north in search of a mate for breeding.
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Young ospreys don’t rely on their parents to lead them in migration and instinctively migrate independently.
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** The osprey is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Although it is no longer listed as a Species of Special Concern, it is still included in the Imperiled Species Management Plan. Inactive nests (i.e., nests without eggs or flightless young) can be removed without a permit.

Lifespan: 15-25 years in the wild
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Pelicans are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before swallowing.
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They can weigh up to about 30 pounds.
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They have predominantly pale plumage, except for the Brown and Peruvian Pelicans.
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The bills, pouches, and bare facial skin of all Pelicans become brightly coloured before the breeding season.
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A fibrous layer deep in the breast muscles can hold the wings rigidly horizontal for gliding and soaring. Thus, they use thermals for soaring to heights of 10,000 feet or more, combined both with gliding and with flapping flight in V formation, to commute distances up to 93 miles to feeding areas.
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It's a good thing pelicans are successful fishers, because they are among the largest of all birds. An adult pelican may eat up to 4 pounds of fish per day!
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They have a pretty effective way to catch that fish. First they take aim... bank left... Then dive downward at 40 miles an hour.
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By swimming, they are able to locate schools of fish or other prey and then dive into the water to catch them. Secondly, swimming helps pelicans to cool off on hot days. Like all birds, pelicans have a high body temperature, and they can overheat if they are exposed to hot temperatures for too long.
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Brown pelicans are very gregarious and live throughout the year in flocks. They are diurnal but sometimes forage at night during a full moon.
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They sleep on land either while standing on both their feet or resting on their breast and belly, their head sideways on their shoulder with their beak tilted towards the side.

Lifespan: 25 years
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Horseshoe crabs have been on the Earth for over 445 million years.
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Horseshoe crabs are considered living fossils because they have not changed much in million of years.
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Horseshoe crabs come from very small eggs and they grow quickly. While they are growing they molt about 17 times to get to full size.
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They feed on clams, crustaceans, worms, other small animals, and even algae.
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Adult horseshoes serve as prey for sea turtles, alligators, horse conchs, and sharks.
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Horseshoe Crabs have survived for so long because they are not susceptible to diseases. Their blood contains amebocytes, cells that attack disease-causing pathogens and clot around them.
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Horseshoe crabs have blue blood! Instead of iron, their blood contains copper giving it a blue color.
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This blood is extremely useful in the medical world, it is used to test vaccines and new medicines as well as to detect virus and bacteria.
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A protein in the blood called Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) is used by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to test their products for the presence of endotoxins, bacterial substances that can cause fevers and even be fatal to humans.
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The animals are drained of some of their blood and returned to the shore, but many die from the bleeding.
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Their blood is worth around $15,000 a quart! This is because despite science's best efforts, there is still not a perfect substitute for its use as a vaccination safety test.
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Horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders and arachnids than crabs.
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Horseshoe crabs have a total of 10 eyes used for finding mates and sensing light. The most obvious eyes are the 2 lateral compound eyes. These are used for finding mates during the spawning season.
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Without interrupting spawning, it is possible to determine the gender of the horseshoe crab by the size and location. The females are larger in size than the males and are usually buried in the sand with one or more males surrounding her.
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While only one male can attach to a given female, other males will follow her and try to fertilize her eggs as well. These following males are referred to as “satellite males.” Once spawning has been completed the two horseshoe crabs will detach until the next time they spawn.
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The Horseshoe crabs' six pairs of gills that they use to breathe are called book gills because they are broad and flat and lie like pages in a book. They use the gills to get oxygen from the water, but if taken out of the water they can get oxygen from air if their gills are kept moist.
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Horseshoe Crabs can become stranded and die. With their energy drained from spawning, it can be difficult for them to right themselves, particularly if they are somehow impaired (i.e., broken tail). During rough weather, up to 10% of crabs that approach the beach may become stranded.
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Horseshoe crabs can survive about 4 days out of water. However, this is only if their gills are kept moist. In fact, during the mating season, because they mate during the full moon at high tide, they may become stranded at low tide.
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Sharks, other fishes, sea turtles and birds all prey on adult and young horseshoe crabs. Many migrating shorebirds feed on horseshoe crab eggs during their spawning season. Humans are also a predator of horseshoe crabs, harvesting them for bait.

Crown Conchs are snail predators – seeking prey slow enough for them to catch. Common targets include the bivalves such as oysters and clams, but they are known to seek out other snails – like whelks.
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Crown conchs are known to feed on dead organisms they encounter and may be cannibalistic.
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Crown conchs are subtropical species and have a low tolerance for cold water.
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Crown Conchs breed from winter to early summer. Females, larger than males, will develop 15-500 eggs in capsules, which they attach to hard structures within the habitat; such as wood, seagrass blades, and shell material.
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The conchs tend to stay closer to shallow water (less than 3 ft.) due the large number of predators at depth. They are common in seagrass meadows and salt marshes and – if in high numbers with few competitors – have been considered an indicator of poor water quality.
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Crown Conch shells are spiral with a wide aperture (opening) and brown to purple to white in color. Each whorl ends with white spins giving it the appearance of a crown and – hence – its common name.
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They are typically seen cruising along the sediments near grassbeds, salt marshes and oyster reefs – their long black siphons extended drawing in seawater for oxygen, but also to detect scents that will lead them to food.

Lifespan: Bull sharks usually live for 12 to 16 years, but one bull shark in captivity was recorded living to 30 years old.
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The Indian River Lagoon is one of the most important Bull Shark nurseries along the US Atlantic Coast.
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Bull Sharks are tolerant of both salt and fresh water and known to go far up into the rivulets of estuaries.
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These fish are listed as near threatened. Because of their coastal distribution, bull sharks are more at risk from pollution and habitat degradation than other species.
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The Bull Sharks of the Indian River Lagoon are their own genetic stock, unique from bull sharks of other areas.
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In the spring, female Bull Sharks enter the lagoon through inlets, and have live baby sharks in the northern lagoon. The females’ gestation period is around 10-11 months. She does not enter the lagoon until she is ready to have birth and will bear between 1-13 “pups.” She leaves afterwards and the young sharks are on their own. They will eat seagrass critters, rays, fishes, turtles, and even take chunks out of Bottle-nosed Dolphins.
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Baby Bull Sharks show “site fidelity,” (they stay in certain areas,) but beginning in October or November they appear to migrate south.
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Sharks under three feet represent the “dominant size-class” in the lagoon.
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When the sharks get to just over 6 feet, they leave the nursery and fully transition to offshore adult habitats in the Atlantic Ocean.
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They do not actively hunt humans, but they are known to be some of the most dangerous apex predators on the planet and account for the majority of shark attacks worldwide.
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Bull Sharks hunt both during the day and at night and they never sleep. As with all sharks, they must keep moving. Water must be constantly moving over their gills in order to breathe.
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Bull Sharks have developed special adaptations which allow them to swim in freshwater. These include glands near their tails and the way their kidneys function. It is not known how or why they have developed these abilities, as scientists are still studying this phenomenon.
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Great White Sharks have also been seen in the lagoon system. Be careful where you swim!

Bioluminescence can be created by several organisms, but in the Indian River Lagoon the majority of the blue glow comes from dinoflagellates, microscopic single-celled organisms. Also known as phytoplankton, dinoflagellates are plant-like creatures that use photosynthesis to produce the food they need to survive.
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Dinoflagellates are most abundant in the Indian River Lagoon during the warm summer months, June through September.
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The reason for the beautiful light show these microscopic organisms display is for predator avoidance. They will actually shoot off a spark of light to be able to distract their predator and escape. It is also proven they use the glow as communication with each other for mating.
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The best viewing is on the darkest nights, long after sunset and ideally during a new moon.
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Bioluminescence is considered cold light, which means that less than 20% of the light generates thermal radiation or any type of heat.
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The light is produced by a chemical reaction within the organism itself. The enzyme luciferase reacts with oxygen, converting chemical energy into light energy. Luciferin is similar to the chlorophyll that plants use. The color is always a blueish or green, this is because blue wavelengths travel farther through the water. Marine organisms for the most part are only sensitive to blue lights as well.
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According to scientists, you will see the most activity five days after the full moon of the month.
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Locals used to refer to the phenomena as “Fire Water” because as the boats were in motion it appeared as though the water was on fire.
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May be toxic (*Guests not to worry, usually only through the consumption of shellfish or fish like the puffer fish in the IRL Northern end).
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Reproduce through cell division.
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Believe to operate on an internal clock or rhythm (circadian rhythm), photosynthesize at day, rest and bio-illuminate at night. Same way we get sleepy at night and active in the day.

Lifespan: Little is known, but the lifespan of those that have been studied ranges from less than a month to three years.
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Ctenophores (their official name) are the largest non-colonial animals that use cilia for locomotion. The comb rows scatter light and produce a rainbow effect when used.
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Even though they look like jellyfish, they are zoologically not related to them. They lack the characteristic nematocysts (stinging cells), but have colloblasts, sticky cells that snare small victims.
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Ctenophores live all over the world, from the tropics to the poles and from the ocean surface down to its depths. Comb jellies are not found in fresh water. They live in the ocean and in brackish bays, marshes, and estuaries.
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Most species are bioluminescent blue or green and some flash light or eject a bioluminescent "ink" when disturbed.
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Depending on the species, adult ctenophores range from a few millimeters to 5 ft. in size.
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They have eight rows of cilia which look like the teeth of a comb (hence Ctenophore = comb-bearer.)
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Ctenophores have connective tissues and a nervous system. They have no brain or central nervous system. Instead, they have a subepidermal nerve net (rather like a cobweb) that forms a ring round the mouth and is densest near structures such as the comb rows, pharynx, tentacles (if present) and the sensory complex furthest from the mouth.
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Comb jellies are carnivores. They prey on other ctenophores and on zooplankton, including small crustaceans, fish larvae, and mollusk larvae. A comb jelly will eat other comb jellies larger than itself by biting off chunks with the special cilia structures in its mouth.
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Their bodies consist of a mass of jelly, with a layer two cells thick on the outside, and another lining the internal cavity.
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Despite their soft, gelatinous bodies, fossils thought to represent Ctenophores date back as far back as the early Cambrian, about 525 million years ago.
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Most jellies can detect chemical traces in the water that allow them to locate food, and many are equipped with a gravity-sensitive structure, called a statocyst made of calcium carbonate, that provides orientation in the water.
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Nervous impulses direct muscles to move the animal as well as to capture and manipulate prey. It has Chemo receptive cells near its mouth that allow it to "taste" prey.
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Most ctenophores that live near the surface are mostly colorless and almost transparent.
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Adults can regenerate tissues that are damaged or removed.
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Most comb jellies are simultaneously male & female. Both self-fertilization and cross-fertilization can occur.
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A jelly can be very sensitive to water quality during certain points in its lifecycle. Changes in the health of jelly populations may be a tip-off to larger environmental problems.