Cold, Busy Seahorse Key Open House

Seahorse Key dock, under construction

Marine Lab pavilion at Seahorse Key

March 15 was a cold morning…..40’s, windy and cloudy. Refuge Manager Andrew Gude and Deputy Manager John Stark motored the Friends volunteers out at 8 a.m.!  The dock is under construction.  Tour boats started bringing visitors at 9:00. The boats were full even with the cold weather.

Zoey and Adam, UF graduate students, had a touch tank set up at the dock. The kids especially enjoyed seeing and touching some of the marine animals that hang out in the grasses.

Andrew and John welcomed visitors and gave a brief history of Seahorse and the Lighthouse. Visitors began the steep walk to the Lighthouse which is 55’ above sea level! Many brought lunch, ate outdoors and on the beach.

Light Station steps

The Light Station

The Beach at Seahorse Key

Most of the folks making it to the lighthouse were keen on getting to the beach or finding a place to sit down and recover from the climb. Everyone loved the beach. Dolphins entertained the visitors with splashing and playing off the beach. The weather warmed up and became a sunny day. 

There were quite a few that were interested in the cemetery and who were buried there.

Driftwood on the Beach

Dolphins Splashing near the Beach

The Cemetery at Seahorse Key

The count was 98 visitors.  Next Open house March 29th.  

Signs for the Cedar Keys NWR and both Univ of FL and Santa Fe College who use the Refuge for education and research

The steep walkway up to the Light Station