Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

Seeing the multitude of islands and thousands of birds left me awestruck while cycling over the bridge leading to Cedar Key. Everywhere I looked I saw tiny islands. The photos show the view looking south from the bridge. The view looking north was just as impressive, a seemingly endless expanse of water and tiny islands with many of the birds flying in large formations. Watching the birds soar in formation was simply spectacular. These islands are part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.

The Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge consists of 13 keys and was established in 1929 to protect nesting migratory birds. The islands that make up the reserve surround the town of Cedar Key. Among the islands and marshes that make up Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge are manatees, dolphins, shorebirds, wading birds, crabs, miscellaneous reptiles, bald eagles, brown pelicans, great and little blue herons, white ibis, great egrets, night herons, tri-colored herons, cormorants and all kinds of migratory birds in the various seasons. The refuge islands are only reachable by boat. The beaches of the keys are open to the public but the interiors of most islands are closed because of heavy, dense underbrush and poisonous snakes.

While at lunch yesterday, I saw more dolphins than I have ever seen before. I’ve seen a lot of dolphins at John Pass between Madiera Beach and Treasure Island in Pinellas County Florida. I saw 7-8 dolphins surfacing closely together from Cedar Key. I have no idea how many were actually out there.

I will be cycling along the Suwannee River later this week. The area along the Gulf of Mexico north of Tampa Bay up along the big bend part of Florida is called the Nature Coast. Having all these protected areas to experience is wonderful. While visiting Alaska I took a helicopter ride out of Anchorage over the Chugach Icefields. The Chugach Icefields was the most amazing landscape I ever saw in my life, massive ice blue glaciers flowing down from a vast icefield ringed by jagged peaked mountains. I remember the pilot saying that you only have to go 30 minutes outside of Anchorage to see the “Real Alaska.” The same thought is also true in Florida. One only has to travel 30 minutes outside of the major metropolitan areas to see the “Real Florida.”