I see a lot of statistics and info on the blogs here in AR but I want to explain why living here on the East Coast of Florida can be so special. First off we have two huge NASCAR Races, the Daytona 500 and Pepsi 400 every year, the ROLEX 24, we have BIKEWEEK, Biketober Fest, and of course Spring Break all through March, and many other events through out the year.
Our Natural Special Events are even better tho....
In December the Manatee flock to a beautiful State Park called Blue Springs in Orange City by the hundreds to keep warm. It is a natural spring that is a constant 72º year round. The water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom and watch the moms with their calves. If you visit the park from December to February make sure to get there early, after 11 it could take you a couple hours to get in.
Another Natural Event usually occurs in February but this year it's begun early.
Northern Right Whales have arrived in Flagler County and are headed for Volusia County. This is a super special event as there are only between 300-350 animals left in the Atlantic ocean. I've been lucky to see at least 13 animals in the last 3 years. This is a truly rare event. I'm part of the whale sighting network and attended a dinner last year at Marineland where some folks didn't see one whale all season, imagine how bad I felt when I told them I had 3 whales stop in front of my office in Ormond By The Sea. On Feb 14th 2006 a mom/calf duo stopped for about a hour, and a week later a juvenile whale (pictured to the left) played for 2 hours showing off his beautiful tail, then swam south doing the same all way to Daytona Beach Shores. I received a email on the 28th telling me there was a sighting just between Jacksonville and St. Augustine of a mother and calf heading south, then another email this am that said yesterday the same mom and calf were spotted at Sea Colony in Flagler County and spent most of the day close to shore. Steve and I will head to Ormond By The Sea later this afternoon to see if we can spot them. If I see them and get photos I'll post them for you.
I realize I probably put way to many links on here to click on, but this is only a small portion of what makes my area of Florida a pleasure to live in (plus my mantee cd is in the office). In my eyes it is a special place full of amazement and wonder. We call Florida's East Coast "The Right Coast" to Live.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!
Lysa
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