Cooking & Conversation: Cocoa Beach-Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Alligators

Today was a beautiful day at Merritt Island.

The refuge traces its beginnings to the development of the nation’s Space Program.
In 1962, NASA acquired 140,000 acres of land, water, and marshes adjacent to Cape Canaveral to establish the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
NASA built a launch complex and other space-related facilities,
but development of most of the area was not necessary.
In1963 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement to establish the refuge
and in 1975 a second agreement established Canaveral National Seashore.
Today, the Department of Interior manages most of the unused portions of the Kennedy Space Center as a National Wildlife Refuge and National Seashore.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/merritt_island/about.html

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

was established as an overlay of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center for the protection of migratory birds.

Consisting of 140,000 acres, the Refuge provides a wide variety of habitats:

coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, freshwater impoundments, scrub, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks that provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and animals and 15 federally listed species.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Merritt_Island/wildlife_and_habitat.html

My first up close alligator.
We were walking through the refuge and Doug spotted this amazing specimen.

Yes, we were just a few feet from it.

American alligators are abundant on the refuge!

They can be found basking in the sun on canal banks or floating in the impoundments.

They are very hard to spot among the mangroves.

Father down the road we stopped at Canaveral National Seashore.

Located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida,

I am so glad we did.

Beyond this boardwalk is some of the most beautiful pristine white sand beaches.

No matter what direction you look,

there are always views of the Space Center.

This 25 miles of pristine Atlantic Ocean beach,

dunes and Mosquito Lagoon is the longest expanse of undeveloped land

along the East Coast of Florida

and as a federally protected area will remain primarily as it is today.

(Wikipedia)

Stepping into the Atlantic Ocean.

Our next stop is the Manatee viewing area.

Manatees: Facts About Sea Cows
The manatee is a large marine mammal with an egg-shaped head, flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are also known as sea cows. This name is apt, due to their large stature; slow, lolling nature; and propensity to be eaten by other animals. However, despite the name, they are more closely related to elephants. Though they may seem like cumbersome creatures, manatees can swim quickly and gracefully.

from: https://www.livescience.com/27405-manatees.html

Manatees are herbivores. At sea, they tend to prefer sea grasses. When they live in rivers, they consume freshwater vegetation. Manatees also eat algae. According to National Geographic, a manatee can eat a tenth of its own weight in 24 hours. That can equal up to 130 lbs. (59 kg).

Manatees range in size from 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 meters) and can weigh 440 to 1,300 lbs. (200 to 590 kilograms). They have large, strong tails that power their swimming. Manatees usually swim about 5 mph (8 km/h), but they can swim up to 15 mph (24 km/h) in short bursts when they feel a need for speed, according to National Geographic.

One gentleman called them baked potatoes.
I would have to agree.

This restaurant was highly recommended, so we tried it.
It did not disappoint.

Gator Bites.
I asked the waitress what they were and she said it was alligator tail that was breaded
and fried.
I said, you mean you actually eat alligator???
She said yes, they are good.
I tried them, and I liked them.
The dipping sauce was great, and they do taste like chicken,
only a little more chewy.

Yes, I am adventurous.