2010-25 Homosassa Springs, Florida
Hello All,
We jumped on I-75 departing Fort Lauderdale and followed it across Alligator Alley to the west coast of Florida. Upon reaching Punta Gorda we stopped and visited friends Jack & Robin for a couple of days catching up on recent travels, sharing great meals, and having good cribbage games. We departed Punta Gorda traveling north on I-75. After passing Tampa we made the decision to make a stop at Homosassa Springs, FL. We turned west off I-75 and followed US-98 until we reached our target destination which was Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
We have visited the park before but it had been years since our last visit. So, we were excited. It is such a wonderful place to see and photograph native Florida species of wildlife. It was a beautiful “blue sky” fall day although a bit crisp by Florida standards with temperatures in the 50’s.
The park provides a holding and treatment area for injured, sick and orphaned manatees before releasing them back into the wild. They work in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Manatee programs are offered three times a day where a ranger presents an informative program on the history of this endangered marine mammal and general information on the wild manatee population. There is even a fish bowl underwater observatory where visitors can watch them swimming and feeding in the warm spring water. They are fed heads of lettuce donated by wholesale distributors and markets in the area.
Evolving over millions of years, manatees are now condemned by the traits that served them so well until man came along. With no natural predators, they have no defenses. They did not need to worry about boat propellers in the past, and never developed rapid flight mechanisms to get out of harm’s way. With their great bulk, up to 13 feet in length and 3,000 pounds, they command your attention. However, despite their blubber, manatees cannot tolerate water temperatures below about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So they have for eons wintered in Florida springs, which maintain more or less constant temperatures.
From the Visitors Center we hopped on one of the tour boats that transport visitors along Pepper Creek to the West Entrance to the Wildlife Park. Rangers give you an introduction to the park and the spring’s history. Wildlife and fauna were identified along the way, and the beautiful day provided some great reflections along the creek into the park.
We jumped on I-75 departing Fort Lauderdale and followed it across Alligator Alley to the west coast of Florida. Upon reaching Punta Gorda we stopped and visited friends Jack & Robin for a couple of days catching up on recent travels, sharing great meals, and having good cribbage games. We departed Punta Gorda traveling north on I-75. After passing Tampa we made the decision to make a stop at Homosassa Springs, FL. We turned west off I-75 and followed US-98 until we reached our target destination which was Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
We have visited the park before but it had been years since our last visit. So, we were excited. It is such a wonderful place to see and photograph native Florida species of wildlife. It was a beautiful “blue sky” fall day although a bit crisp by Florida standards with temperatures in the 50’s.
The park provides a holding and treatment area for injured, sick and orphaned manatees before releasing them back into the wild. They work in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Manatee programs are offered three times a day where a ranger presents an informative program on the history of this endangered marine mammal and general information on the wild manatee population. There is even a fish bowl underwater observatory where visitors can watch them swimming and feeding in the warm spring water. They are fed heads of lettuce donated by wholesale distributors and markets in the area.
Evolving over millions of years, manatees are now condemned by the traits that served them so well until man came along. With no natural predators, they have no defenses. They did not need to worry about boat propellers in the past, and never developed rapid flight mechanisms to get out of harm’s way. With their great bulk, up to 13 feet in length and 3,000 pounds, they command your attention. However, despite their blubber, manatees cannot tolerate water temperatures below about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So they have for eons wintered in Florida springs, which maintain more or less constant temperatures.
From the Visitors Center we hopped on one of the tour boats that transport visitors along Pepper Creek to the West Entrance to the Wildlife Park. Rangers give you an introduction to the park and the spring’s history. Wildlife and fauna were identified along the way, and the beautiful day provided some great reflections along the creek into the park.
Once in the park our first
adventure was to walk the 1.1 mile trail that winds around the park. Every few
feet provided a different photo opportunity. The park offers so many ways to
capture the real Florida and its wildlife. Note how crystal clear the beautiful
green water is from Homosassa Spring.
Since we have lots of photos
of manatees our focus was on the other wildlife in the park. Here is a
cormorant preening its feathers while drying out on a fallen palm tree. You can
see cormorants all around the country but rarely do you get to see one this
close. Note how amazingly beautiful the markings on it are.
This red fox was taking a
snooze in the sun. Occasionally he would open his eyes to check everything out.
Here is a great blue heron posing for us on a
snag in the water. What a magnificent specimen he is.
It would be an understatement
to say we had a ball shooting photos of the varied wildlife. We were like kids
in a candy store! There were alligators, great horned owls, white and brown
pelicans, flamingos, bald eagles, egrets, red-tailed hawks, wood ducks, crested
caracaras, and sandhill cranes, just to name a few species we saw.
Check out the crested caracara below. Isn’t he spectacular! Southern Arizona, Texas and central Florida are the only places you will see this beautiful bird in the USA. They range primarily in Central and South America.
Check out the crested caracara below. Isn’t he spectacular! Southern Arizona, Texas and central Florida are the only places you will see this beautiful bird in the USA. They range primarily in Central and South America.
Here is a close-up shot of a
bald eagle--a photo that we are pretty fond of. He definitely kept an eye on us
being so close to him.
This one of a red-tailed hawk
isn’t too bad either. It was kind of like being almost nose to beak with him!
This snowy egret was perched
on a fallen tree over the water waiting to strike any unwary fish passing
within range.
This one must be a bit of a
novice. Note how he has gotten his landing gear crossed!
It is easy to see the
difference between the white and brown pelicans in the following photos.
This alligator was showing off
his dentures while lazily soaking up the warm sun.
Also at the park is an African
hippopotamus. Now you might ask what in the world is a hippo doing in a park
that is supposed to be a collection of native Florida animals. The story goes
like this--in the early 1990s, when the park service started looking for
another home for the hippo, the local newspaper started a letter-writing
campaign to the governor. Thousands of letters were written in favor of keeping
the hippo, and then Governor Lawton Chiles responded by making the hippo an “honorary
citizen of the State of Florida” and allowing him to live out his life at the
park. This big ole boy kept a watchful eye on us. Don’t think it would be a
good place to think about going for a swim!
We had a wonderful day
exploring and taking photos at the Wildlife Park. It is a family destination
that we would highly recommend for anyone visiting the central Florida area.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns