Florida is home to many species of animals, and guests at the Seahorse Retreat or Palm Breeze Beach House are guaranteed to have some kind of encounter with wildlife when staying at the properties.
Our backyard is the Santa Rosa Sound, and it’s not uncommon to spot a pod of dolphins (sometimes they come very close to the dock), crabs (check the dock to see if there’s a crab trap), sting rays, and small fish.
Electric blue, green, and orange-colored lizards sometimes make an appearance as they scurry up a piling or sun themselves on the pool deck. Kids love to try to catch them - but lizards are pretty stealthy and usually disappear into a nook or crack.
The most unusual critter we’ve had visit is a black bear. Yes, a black bear. Bears have been known to cross Highway 98 and make their way down the beach. On numerous occasions black bear have strolled the beach, climbed a fence, and even took a break sitting in our Live Oak tree. While performing beach clean up, I sensed something near me and no more than twenty feet from me was a bear. I was clearly in his way of going down the beach. I sweetly spoke to the bear, but in so doing, it ran off in the opposite direction. Knowing it wanted to go down the beach, I got out of its way and kept my camera ready.
Keep your eyes open - you never know what kind of wildlife you may see!
