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Wildlife Sanctuary

One of our critical functions is environmental monitoring and protection.  The Sebastian Inlet District routinely works with marine scientists to conduct biological monitoring of the critically important habitats surrounding the inlet that support a broad range of different species. This page is dedicated to the marine life and wildlife that inlet supports.

Birds of Sebastian Inlet

Sebastian Inlet is a Great Florida Birding Trail site, so keep a camera or a pair of binoculars handy. Birders have listed more than 190 bird species, according to our partners at Sebastian Inlet State Park. A bird list and map is available at the ranger station. All photos taken at Sebastian Inlet by District staff.

Black skimmer (Rynchops niger)
Black skimmer (Rynchops niger)
May contain: bird, animal, beak, flock, and penguin
Black skimmer  (Rynchops niger)
May contain: bird, animal, and pelican
Brown pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis)
May contain: bird, animal, blackbird, and agelaius
Common grackle  (Quiscalus quiscula)
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, heron, ardeidae, and stork
Great egret (Ardea alba)
May contain: bird, animal, and beak
Ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, heron, ardeidae, and stork
Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea)
May contain: bird, animal, eagle, buzzard, and hawk
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
May contain: bird, animal, seagull, water, sea, nature, ocean, outdoors, and land
Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)
May contain: bird, animal, beak, and seagull
Royal Tern in winter plumage (Thalasseus maximus)
May contain: bird, animal, outdoors, nature, sea, water, and beak
Sanderling (Calidris Alba)
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, egret, heron, and ardeidae
Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
May contain: bird, animal, beak, stork, and waterfowl
White ibis (juvenile) (Eudocimus albus)
May contain: bird, animal, beak, and waterfowl
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) 
May contain: bird, animal, albatross, seagull, and beak
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) in flight
May contain: bird, animal, stork, and waterfowl
Wood stork  (Mycteria americana)
Black skimmer (Rynchops niger)
May contain: bird, animal, beak, flock, and penguin
May contain: bird, animal, and pelican
May contain: bird, animal, blackbird, and agelaius
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, heron, ardeidae, and stork
May contain: bird, animal, and beak
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, heron, ardeidae, and stork
May contain: bird, animal, eagle, buzzard, and hawk
May contain: bird, animal, seagull, water, sea, nature, ocean, outdoors, and land
May contain: bird, animal, beak, and seagull
May contain: bird, animal, outdoors, nature, sea, water, and beak
May contain: bird, animal, waterfowl, egret, heron, and ardeidae
May contain: bird, animal, beak, stork, and waterfowl
May contain: bird, animal, beak, and waterfowl
May contain: bird, animal, albatross, seagull, and beak
May contain: bird, animal, stork, and waterfowl

Our Living World 

Our newest addition, a burgeoning photo carousel of the plants, animals and marine life that call Sebastian Inlet home.

May contain: finger, person, hand, body part, back, sea life, and animal
Luidia senegalensis, the nine-armed sea star, is commonly found on the flood shoal side of Sebastian Inlet
May contain: outdoors, water, nature, land, sea, ocean, shoreline, and rock
Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
May contain: person, human, fish, and animal
A whelk that has seen better days.
May contain: bird and animal
Pelicans gathered on an oyster reef on the flood shoal side of Sebastian Inlet.
May contain: sand, nature, and outdoors
Portuguese Man-O-Wars on the beach south of the inlet.
May contain: tortoise, animal, turtle, sea life, and reptile
Green sea turtle swims east through Sebastian Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean
May contain: water, sea, ocean, nature, outdoors, reef, sea life, animal, and coral reef
A mix of shoal grass ( Halodule wrightii) and Johnson's seagrass (Halophila johnsonii)
May contain: person, human, clothing, apparel, sea life, and animal
Johnson's seagrass (Halophila johnsonii)
May contain: plant and pollen
Mangrove skipper on sea grape
May contain: lizard, reptile, animal, sea life, starfish, and invertebrate
Orange-ridged sea star (Echinaster spinulosus)
May contain: sea life, animal, turtle, and reptile
May contain: sea life, animal, urchin, and invertebrate
Rock-boring urchin  (Echinometra lucunter)
May contain: jellyfish, sea life, invertebrate, and animal
Cannonball jellyfish (Stomolophus meleagris)
May contain: plant, flower, blossom, potted plant, pottery, vase, jar, planter, asteraceae, and herbs
Beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis)
May contain: fish and animal
stargazer (Astroscopus guttatus) is venomous and emits an electric shock
May contain: shorts, clothing, summer, swimwear, beach, sea, water, outdoors, nature, shoreline, coast, swimming, person, water sports, sport, leisure activities, rock, handbag, bag, accessories, chair, furniture, shoe, footwear, helmet, back, and body part
bottle-nose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
May contain: animal, sea life, and fish
May contain: finger, person, hand, body part, back, sea life, and animal
May contain: outdoors, water, nature, land, sea, ocean, shoreline, and rock
May contain: person, human, fish, and animal
May contain: bird and animal
May contain: sand, nature, and outdoors
May contain: tortoise, animal, turtle, sea life, and reptile
May contain: water, sea, ocean, nature, outdoors, reef, sea life, animal, and coral reef
May contain: person, human, clothing, apparel, sea life, and animal
May contain: plant and pollen
May contain: lizard, reptile, animal, sea life, starfish, and invertebrate
May contain: sea life, animal, turtle, and reptile
May contain: sea life, animal, urchin, and invertebrate
May contain: jellyfish, sea life, invertebrate, and animal
May contain: plant, flower, blossom, potted plant, pottery, vase, jar, planter, asteraceae, and herbs
May contain: fish and animal
May contain: shorts, clothing, summer, swimwear, beach, sea, water, outdoors, nature, shoreline, coast, swimming, person, water sports, sport, leisure activities, rock, handbag, bag, accessories, chair, furniture, shoe, footwear, helmet, back, and body part
May contain: animal, sea life, and fish

Tropical fish explore the North shoreline at Sebastian Inlet

Seagrass beds in Sebastian Inlet's flood shoals in summer 2022

Monitoring hardbottom reefs: Watch the video