Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a place like no other. Consisting of 140,000 acres, it provides habitat for 21 state and federal listed threatened and endangered species: more than any other wildlife refuge. Packed with the most concentrated array of wildlife of any Central Florida location, there are plenty of animals to see, and plenty of land to explore. Our trips start at the Haulover Canal, which is located in the center of the refuge and far from civilization. Within one leisurely two-to-three-hour kayak trip, you’ll experience wildlife up close, paddle in both the Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River, see the birds of "Mullet Head Island", a National Bird Rookery Island, plus see the rocket and space shuttle launch pads located along the Canaveral National Seashore. Not bad for just a couple hours of easy paddling.
Haulover Canal
The Haulover Canal is lined by towering Australian Pines and random coquina rock formations that were exposed when the canal was dug. One spot along the canal is a magnet for manatees. This spot contains what is believed to be a natural underground aquifer or "freshwater spring" which seeps out into the brackish canal water. This aquifer was tapped from the construction of the canal and can draw dozens of manatees on warm days. The canal is also great because it acts like a funnel for sea life moving between the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River, so up close encounters of dolphins are common.
History
Natural forces continue to change the landscape today. The Merritt Island National Wildlife National Refuge was home to at least seven different Native American cultures dating back as early as 7,000 B.C. Their burial sites and shell mounds remain today, along with many other historical sites from Spanish explorers, British colonists, pioneers, and Civil War troops. Originally set aside as a buffer zone for NASA in the 1950's, the land was turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1963, and finally to the National Park Service in 1975. During the late 1950's, engineers modified water levels of 69,000 acres of marsh to control the brutal salt-marsh mosquitoes. The old Haulover Canal was dug in 1854 by slaves from a local farmer, but was replaced in 1884 by the current Haulover Canal. The old canal was very shallow and at times boats had to be "hauled over" spots utilizing logs and the name has stuck with it since.