Black Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar

Habitat:

The 62-acre habitat of coastal strand, oak scrub, coastal oak forest, and mangrove forest at the Coconut Point Sanctuary rolls over ancient sand dunes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian River Lagoon. Early Native Americans, known as the Ais Indians, once lived along the shores of the Indian River Lagoon in this area and ate native plants, shellfish, birds, and fish. It was also near this site that historians believe Juan Ponce de Leon set foot in Florida in 1513. Along the hiking trail is an observation platform over the Indian River Lagoon--an ideal spot to view wading and shorebirds, soaring osprey, and the occasional pod of dolphin. Although they are hard to see, juvenile sea turtles also swim in the Indian River Lagoon and feed among the sea grasses growing here.