Osprey nestbuilding in January on a platform near the drive can create a frenzy of whirring cameras by excited photographers. The marshy areas near the end of the drive will reveal common moorhens and, except during hot months, American alligators basking in the sun. An 11-foot American crocodile also likes to bask on Wildlife Drive in an area that had to be roped off because unwary people were getting too close. This loop trail through mangroves is a good place to see warblers during spring migration. 2-miles on the main refuge take wildlife viewers through red mangrove forests.
Tarpon Bay is also an excellent spot for observing wildlife, including manatees.
Rental canoes are available for exploring the bay, but visitors may also provide their own. Preserving The Habitat for Wildlife Wildlife, however, can only take so much close-up viewing from so many viewers. Hinds says that the popularity of this showcase refuge is causing people to love it to death. Several years ago when asked whether he had any public uses that were incompatible with wildlife, he produced a list longer than that by any other refuge. It included wildlife observation, photography, hiking, cycling, birding, mosquito control, and commercial fishing.