Sarasota, A Heavenly Habitat For Nature Lovers

Beyond lies a beach shiny with shells and sharks' teeth gleaming in the sun; its azure waters filled with dolphins, manatees, sea rays and more. It's these natural curiosities that draw the adventurous, the eco-responsible and the eco-curious to Sarasota and her barrier islands year round.

The warm waters that border Sarasota's coastline, surround its barrier islands and wind through its mainland make this destination the premier place to explore natural habitats via kayak, canoe, snorkel or boat.

Visitors can enjoy a guided tour from Almost Heaven Kayak Adventures or Bay and Gulf Adventures and wind their way through a mangrove forest to catch a glimpse of a white heron, pelican or other seabird nesting among the sand-anchored trunks. The more adventurous can paddle into the bay to cavort with the manatees that pop to the surface for a breath of fresh air. Guided cruises given by Sarasota Bay Explorers, Enterprise Sailing Charters, or any one of Sarasota's many eco-tour specialists also offer excellent opportunities to see wild bottlenose dolphin, osprey, egrets and more in their saltwater habitat. If it's alligator you're after, hop aboard an airboat to explore 14 miles of "wild and scenic" river at Myakka State Park or paddle through its wetlands for an up-close encounter with Florida's freshwater friend.

Underwater playgrounds include the reef at Point of Rocks on the south side of Siesta Key, abundant with snook, small grouper, tropical reef fish and the occasional shark. At Venice Beach, snorkelers and scuba divers regularly find the petrified shark's teeth that have made Venice beaches famous, returning to shore with dozens of teeth in all sizes.

Fishing charters ferry both the amateur and avid to saltwater and freshwater venues, where Gulf-fed waters offer amberjack, snapper, cobia, trout, tarpon, grouper and other native fish. Wolfmouth Charters offers custom charters day or night, and Reelin' and Chillin' Charters welcomes children. For bait and tackle, CB's Saltwater Outfitters and Hart's Landing can provide everything an angler needs to reel in the catch.

Sarasota's diverse habitats include not only saltwater and freshwater habitats, but also pine flatwoods, scrub forests, wetlands, hardwood hammocks and prairies.

Sarasota's Legacy Trail stretches more than 12 miles from Sarasota to Venice, with seven trailheads. Bikers, rollerbladers and walkers can see gopher tortoises, bobcats and foxes, to name just a few of the wildlife residents living near the trail. In Venice, trail explorers can opt to continue on to Venetian Waterway Park, where they can explore the Shamrock Park Nature Center, or cross the Intercoastal Waterway to Casperson Beach and Park. Joggers and bikers will appreciate the new exercise trail recently completed at Nathan Benderson Park, the site of a planned rowing facility.

Mayakka State Park's vast prairie and woodlands can be explored on foot, bike or horseback. A walk across the Canopy Walkway provides a 25-foot aerial view of Florida flora and fauna, and the park's Wildlife Tour offers up-close encounters of the park's diverse wildlife and habitats.

The Florida Scrub-Jay is easily spotted in Oscar Scherer State Park, where 15 miles of hiking and biking trails offer opportunities to see bobcats, bald eagles, gopher tortoises, white-tailed deer, eastern cotton-tail rabbits, raccoons and more. Camping amenities are available at both Oscar Scherer and Myakka state parks, as well as the Sun N Fun Resort, which offers RVers the resort experience with a day spa, dining and recreational facilities.

Educational opportunities near Sarasota include the Mote Marine Laboratory, a private marine research facility. Touch pools, working labs and interactive exhibits that feature sharks, dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, rays, seahorses, and more than 100 other species quench one's thirst for knowledge of marine life. Explore Florida pioneer life through the environmental and cultural preservation efforts at the Crowley Museum and Nature Center and enjoy the canopied artistry only nature can provide at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

Discover something unique to take home at Artisans' World Marketplace, which offers fair trade art and gifts from artisans from Central and South America to Southeast Asia and Africa.

For more information on discovering Sarasota and Her Islands, call the Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-522-9799 or visit www.sarasotafl.org, as well as www.discovernaturalsarasota.com.