Explore Florida's Banana River--such an appealing journey!(extra credit)

A certain mouse may dominate the image of Central Florida, but an entirely different set of critters is ready to capture your attention. For a walk on the wild(rife) side, a visit to the Banana River Aquatic Preserve is a must-do. Of course, boating is more likely than walking, as the preserve comprises some 30,000 acres (approximately 46.4 square miles) of submerged lands.

The Banana River itself is a significant part of the Indian River Lagoon, a 156-mile long estuary that is home to more than 479 species of shrimp and crab, 400 species of fish, 260 types of mollusks, reptiles such as the American alligator, Atlantic green turtle and Eastern indigo snake, and birds including the little blue heron, the roseate spoonbill and the least tern. As one of the most diverse estuaries in the United States, the Indian River Lagoon is demarcated by the Ponce de Leon inlet, in the north, and Jupiter inlet, in the south.

Among the most popular inhabitants of the Banana River are manatees and bottlenose dolphins. Both mammals spend much of their time under water and can flourish in this quintessential Florida landscape with its hunched mangrove ("walking trees") marshes and beds of shallow seagrass.

Sea Cows and Mermaids

The Florida manatee is one of two subspecies of the West Indian manatee (the other being the Antillean manatee whose habitat ranges from Brazil to Mexico and includes the Caribbean islands). Slow-moving, gentle and uniquely shaped, manatees are a herbivorous, migratory animal.

Although sometimes called sea cows, manatees are more closely linked to elephants and hyraxes (a small hoofed mammal native to Africa). Under optimal conditions, experts believe that manatees can live for 60 or more years. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Manatees face the ongoing loss of habitat as well as often fatal encounters with watercraft, fishing lines, trapping equipment and other manmade structures. Only 3,000 or so West Indian manatees currently flourish in the ...