Photos: Camping in Sebastian Inlet State Park

Sebastian Inlet in the state park seen from the bridge - Photo: Still Gravity.
Sebastian Inlet, Florida (the campground is on the left side) - License our images here.        

Second time in this park. Sebastian Inlet State Park covers parts of two barrier islands of the Atlantic. The inlet connects the Indian River to the ocean. 

The campground was almost full. We got a campsite with a partial view of the inlet and Indian River Lagoon. Sunsets were special - because of the light and the mosquitoes. 

Sunset in the campground of Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
View from our campsite.         

Many folks come to fish in the Sebastian Inlet. The boat ramp of the park always was busy - even during the night. The campground is close to the access road and there was always traffic.  

People fishing from boat in the Sebastian Inlet - Photo: Still Gravity.
People fishing in the Sebastian Inlet. 

There are bike trails on the northern side of the inlet. The park calls them "mountain bike trails", but they are easy off-road trails. The path is a little sandy by the beach and gets bushy by the side of the park marina. We found two snakes basking on the trail. They rushed to the bushes.  

Bike trail in the north side of Sebastian Inlet State Park - Photo: Still Gravity.
One of the bike trails in the north side of the inlet. 

There is also a paved path bordering the road A1A good for biking or walking. We had a relaxed ride there. Some nice views of Indian River Lagoon from this trail.

Our bikes in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
We had a great time biking around this area.

The Atlantic was furious during these days. Surfers had a blast of fun near the north jetty. We found refuge in the protected beach on the north shore of the inlet. This weird-looking fish swam with us there.

Strange fish in the Sebastian Inlet - Photo: Still Gravity.
Strange and veggie looking fish in the protected beach by the inlet. 

One day, coming from the beach, we witnessed a kayak rescue. The Sebastian Inlet has a strong current that changes direction every six hours - comes inside to the lagoon and then goes out towards the ocean. The speed of the current is amazing. Looks like a roaring river. 

Jet ski helping a kayaker in the strong current of the Sebastian Inlet - Photo: Still Gravity.
Jet ski helping a kayaker in the strong current of the inlet. 

A man felt from his kayak and was separated by the current. Someone in a jet ski pulled the guy from the waters. Later came back and rescued the kayak already in the open ocean. 

There is a lot of wildlife in Sebastian Inlet State Park. We saw dolphins every day. One of them swam just feets from us. 

Dolphin in the Atlantic beach in the Sebastian Inlet - Photo: Still Gravity.
The dolphin got pretty close to the shore. 

Did you know that the Greeks punished anyone harming a dolphin with death? For them, dolphins were the messengers of Poseidon. 

Birds are also plenty in the Sebastian Inlet. We saw herons, egrets, pelicans, storks, and many other species. Many follow the fishing crowd for a tasty meal. 

Wood stork eating a fish in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
The wood stork got a good handout. 

On the sands of the Atlantic, we found these lazy fellas. 

Black skimmers resting on the sand in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
Interesting birds.

Black skimmers like to rest on the warm sand. They gather in flocks with the neck and bill extended. Looks like meditation. LOL. To forage, they fly close to the water with their beaks open. That's why they are called "skimmers". 

There were also some little beggars in the beach. 

Little bird begging for food in the beach - Photo: Still Gravity.
Asking for food? Go and get your stuff. 

We also saw a failed osprey attack. Photos of the dive were blurry because these birds reach up to 80 miles-per-hour. 

Osprey fishing in the Atlantic Ocean - Photo: Still Gravity.
Osprey trying to grab a fish. 

Ospreys are also called "fish hawks". Buddhists say that they are the "king of the birds". The one in our photo ended wet and empty-handed. It went back to the bridge over the inlet to wait for another chance. 

On the western point of the inlet - by the Indian River Lagoon -, we found a bunch of dead fish between the rocks. 

Dead fish in the Sebastian Inlet, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
One of the many dead fish. 

We guessed that these were flying fish that landed in the wrong place. We saw many flying in the inlet. They can glide through the air at 35 miles-per-hour and probably landed dry during the low tide. 

The Atlantic Ocean in Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida - Photo: Still Gravity.
The furious Atlantic Ocean. 

Sebastian Inlet State Park has two small museums. The McLarty Treasure Museum is about the doomed Spanish Plate Fleet of 1715 - some folks are still looking for the gold -. and the Sebastian Fishing Museum covers the fishing history of the inlet and Indian River Lagoon. 

We also stopped by the Wabasso Island Environmental Learning Center. This place may be interesting for children. They offer canoe tours in Indian River Lagoon. We hiked the short trails through the mangroves.

Nearby is Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. This was the first wildlife refuge of the United States created by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903.

One of those days, we had lunch in the city of Sebastian. Where? Mulligan's Beach House on the Indian River.

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