Weather on our side, we piled into our kayaks and began paddling up the channel. Our guide shared with us the finer points of kayak paddling: Push with your shoulder; don’t pull your paddle as if in a canoe. Push, stroke, push, stroke. We found our rhythm and started (almost) effortlessly gliding over the water. This wasn’t so hard--just a nice morning warm-up.

Transportation under control, I started to take in the semi-tropical surroundings. Mangrove branches gently kissed the calm water. Some of the 300 species of local birds sang from within the thickets. Fish darted in and out of the underwater roots protecting the shoreline. Suddenly, the rock right below our kayak moved! I jumped in my seat. It was no rock but a manatee. The gentle creature swam under and around our kayak, seemingly amused by our presence in its home.

And where was this amazing, rich ecosystem teeming with life--Africa? The Amazon? No, it's in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Brevard County, Florida--just a short drive from Orlando and Port Canaveral.

Not many know that’s there such an abundance of wildlife in a region that locals fondly call Florida’s Space Coast. (The Kennedy Space Center is located at the northern tip of Brevard County.) In fact, this area is home to more than 250 square miles of wildlife refuges that protect manatees, leatherback turtles, alligators, bottlenose dolphins, and myriad endangered birds and plants. In itself, the biodiversity of this ecosystem is amazing, but even more astonishing is the fact that many of these animals live within feet of the Kennedy Space Center’s Space-Shuttle landing strip. All of this speaks to the region’s dedication to wildlife preservation and its commitment to making wildlife accessible to the public. So add an extra day to your itinerary when visiting Orlando or departing on a cruise from Port Canaveral. Here’s a surefire way to pack plenty of eco-adventures into a day:

Morning: Kayak at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Brevard County Zoo offers affordable kayaking adventures in the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon. Tours are lead by experienced paddlers with in-depth knowledge of the local flora and fauna. They’ll teach you to paddle skillfully as you glide past osprey, roseate terns, wood storks, and West Indian manatees. Tours are approximately four hours in length and include a picnic lunch. Be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, a hat, and waterproof footwear.

Afternoon: Unwind at the Brevard Zoo
After a morning of kayaking, head south to enjoy more of the region’s biodiversity. Stop at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, where you can view alligators, anteaters, birds, bats, dingoes, and over 400 other indigenous and exotic animal species. If you’re a bit tired from the morning’s kayaking, hop on the zoo’s train and enjoy a the view of the Australian aviary, where kookaburras and other exotic birds perch in the trees. You’ll then ride on to Lemur Island, where you can enjoy see these bright-eyed furry creatures up close. If you’re visiting the zoo on a Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday, walk back toward the Native Florida exhibit where you can observe the 3:30pm alligator and crocodile feedings--a sight no reptile lover would want to miss.

Evening: See Turtles Nest (May - August Only)
When the sun sets, head off to the Sebastian Inlet State Park in Melbourne and plop yourself down on a picnic bench. Evening may not be a great time for a picnic but it’s perfect for watching endangered sea turtles lay their precious eggs. Arrive around 8:30pm and enjoy a short, informative slide show about sea-turtle nesting habits presented by experts from the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. At nine o’clock, equipped with a special red, low-light flashlight, your guide will quietly lead you through the dunes and down to the beach to watch endangered loggerhead, green, or leatherback turtles lay their eggs.

The experience is truly unforgettable. The 300-pound female slithers out of the water, crawls through the sand, and locates the perfect spot to dig her nest. Once she has found the perfect spot, she uses her powerful flippers to start digging a 24-inch nest in the sand. Once the arduous digging is complete she starts laying her eggs, one by one--up to a hundred or more in one evening! Amazingly, none of the eggs breaks, even when they land on top of each other. Once all eggs are laid, a process that can take up to four hours, the giant female covers her offspring with sand, turns, and quietly slips back into the sea--a poetic end to the perfect day.•