Palm Island Park reopens after ‘aggressive alligator’ forced a temporary closure

American Alligator Near River in Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Jim Schwabel Palm Island Park in Mount Dora, Florida, reopened on Monday morning after being temporarily closed over the weekend due to an “aggressive alligator.” The Mount Dora Police Department posted early Sunday morning that the park would remain closed because of the

What is that smell? Central Florida’s coast is covered in tons of foul seaweed

Stinky Seaweed Covering Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by nomis_h If you’re looking to visit the beach soon, you may encounter a foul stench and sand that is covered in brown seaweed. Sargassum, a type of seaweed, is arriving in record quantities this year on the coast of Central Florida, according to researchers, and

A Florida county has been overrun by huge African land snails

Giant African Land Snails on Human Hand – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Olena Kurashova The Sunshine State’s Pasco County has been under quarantine for over a week, thanks to an increasing population of invasive, disease-carrying giant snails.  The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has confirmed that the enormous African land snail,

Experts warn South Florida dog owners of an increase in toxic bufo toads

Bufo Toads – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Joe McDonald More bufo toads have reportedly been spotted in South Florida, prompting experts to warn dog owners to keep a watchful eye and exercise caution. Despite not being native to Florida, bufo toads are deadly to canines. If your dog is exposed to the toxin, it

The biggest python ever found in Florida weighs a whopping 200 pounds and is 18 feet long

Burmese Python in the Everglades – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Heiko Kiera According to National Geographic, researchers used another python as bait to coax the largest Burmese python ever spotted in Florida out of its hiding place in the Everglades. The enormous snake is a female that measures nearly 18 feet long and weighs

Red snapper season set to start in Gulf state and federal waters off Florida

Red Snapper School of Fish – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by SergeUWPhoto PINELLAS COUNTY, Fl. – It’s time to catch some red snapper. The recreational red snapper season will begin on June 17 in Gulf state and Florida federal waters and stay open through July 31 with 12 days during the fall.  The season will

Giant great white shark found just off Florida’s Indian River Lagoon

Great White Shark – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Martin Prochazkacz A monstrous great white shark, also known as Breton, has been found just off of Florida’s Indian River lagoon system. On June 6, a tracker hosted by ocean research organization OCEARCH spotted Breton in Florida, not too far away from Port Saint Lucie at

The Sunshine State’s Lion Country Safari is named one of the nation’s Top 5 safari parks

Lion Country Safari, Loxahatchee, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by mariakray Providing a one-on-one experience with exotic animals since 1967, and rumored to be the first-ever cage-less zoo in the U.S., Lion Country Safari has officially been named the fifth best safari park in the nation in USA Today’s “10 Best” Readers’ Choice 2022

Can I go glamping in Florida?

Glamping Set Up – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Moise Sebastian The word “glamping” is a perfect blend of “glamorous” and “camping,” and it describes a semi-luxurious overnight outdoor experience. Africa safaris have been around since way before the term glamping became trendy, and are an example of how to combine outdoor adventure and amenities

Florida public libraries and Florida State Parks team up to launch The Real Florida Reader program

Located in Florida, Ichetucknee Springs State Park – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Joanne Dale This summer, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida State Parks and its partners will extend outdoor access for all Floridians through the Real Florida Program. Through a collaboration between the Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information