Kayaking on the Indian River Lagoon in Central Florida

Kayaking can be a wonderful, relaxing sport, what better place to do it than the scenic, nature filled area of the Indian River Lagoon in Central Florida. We moved to the Sebastian area of Central Florida around five years ago, but we didn't discover what the Indian River Lagoon had to offer until the last two. Now we look forward to the outstanding experience of kayaking on it as often as possible.

Whether you have your own kayak or rent one in the area you are sure to have a great time. The lagoon is a great place for beginners because it is so shallow. In the Sebastian area the lagoon is only about a mile across to the other side and most of it is so shallow that you can stand up if you accidently flip your kayak. You can paddle north or south along the shoreline and see all the nice homes or you can head out to one of the many cut islands that are in the area. A lot of people like to take their camping gear and kayak out to one of the islands for the weekend. There are many good camping spots on them with fire pits already made. You can usually walk all over the island in a short time as they are small and not to heavily wooded. There are quite a few paths to follow to explore each island, it is fun to see where they lead you and what you will find while on your excursion. If you spend the night and are lucky enough to catch the sunrise in the morning it is a very beautiful sight coming up over the water. The sunsets in the area are breathtaking also, so you will definitely want to bring your camera!

While kayaking on the lagoon many people also like to bring a fishing pole with them to try catching some of the over one hundred and fifty different species of fish in the area. Everything from Pompano, Snook, Flounder, Lady Fish and Catfish, to the many different types of Snappers are caught easily throughout the day. We have found that in many places you can pull Snappers up one right after another just before the sun goes down. If you have your fire going they make an easy, delicious dinner on the grill, just bring a little aluminum foil and your all set!

Another one of the great attractions to kayaking on the Indian River Lagoon is the abundance of wildlife in the area. It is not out of the ordinary to see a pod of dolphins swimming by. Each time they surface they blow air through their blow hole, which can be pretty startling if you weren't aware they were so close. It is quite the sight when they surface near you as you are paddling along, especially because you are at water level with them and they are such impressively large animals. In the winter time, which has perfect weather for kayaking in Florida, there a lot of manatee in the area too. Huge and awesome they look a little intimidating but they are very docile and curious, coming right up to your kayak to get a good look at you. There are also many sting rays in the area along with gigantic sea turtles, we have spotted some at least five foot across, with a head that is bigger than a humans. Other than all of the incredible things in the water to see, the area has a generous amount of waterfowl to observe also. Our favorite to watch are the pelicans as they spot their food from up above and dive down with a horrendous crash into the water, coming up with a flailing fish in their beak.

So, if you are just out to have a great time kayaking or want to fish, camp or take in all of the amazing wildlife, the Indian River Lagoon area in Central Florida is a great place to do it.