Things to do / Travel Guide
The Jersey Shore is a veritable wildlife wonderland. Go ahead and sit on the shore and spot bottlenose dolphins diving amidst waves. Chuckle along with one of the world's largest colonies of laughing gulls. Watch white-tailed deer dart through woodlands and step aside as beautiful box turtles lumber across nature trails you share.
Throughout the year you can expect to see diving waterfowl, beach-nesting birds, wading, and shore birds. While boating and kayaking you will likely happen upon dolphins, turtles, seals, and even whales. In wooded areas you can look for deer and southern flying squirrels, but look out for northern pine snakes and timber rattlesnakes. Boasting more than 1 million acres of preserved coastal marshes and dunes, woodlands, and grassy meadows, the Jersey Shore's nature centers, bird sanctuaries, forests, and wildlife preserves are the perfect places to observe nature.
Bird Watching on the Jersey Shore
If you are a birder, bring binoculars - the Jersey Shore is right on the Atlantic Flyway and many migratory bird species, ranging from endangered to rare to common, stop off for a rest on their yearly north-south sojourn. According to the New Jersey Audobon Society, more than 20 locations in the Jersey Shore have been identified as important New Jersey Bird Areas.
While bird watching on the Jersey Shore does not require formalities, the Sandy Hook Bird Observatory is dedicated to our feathered friends. Perched on a peninsula that juts into Raritan Bay in Fort Hancock, the observatory features mudflats, holly forest, deciduous forest, freshwater ponds, and salt marshes. Located on a major migration path, during fall and spring Sandy Hook attracts nearly 350 different bird species, including songbirds, waterfowl, and raptors. Winter birds that visit include loons, grebes, and sea ducks and occasionally snowy owls and Lapland longspurs.
Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge
With more than 43,000 acres of Jersey Shore coastal habitats, including freshwater marshes, coastal marshes, and 5,000 acres of pitch pine, oak, and white cedar woodlands, Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a nature lover's paradise located just a few miles north of Atlantic City. Open year-round for wildlife observation, in the winter visitors will likely see great blue herons, eagles, nesting osprey, and hear the loud guffaws of laughing gulls. Spring brings beach-nesting piping plovers as well as glossy ibis and other shore birds to the refuge. Horseshoe crabs lay eggs in the sand of Turtle Cove and wildflowers bloom amidst marsh grasses. Early summer brings out the turtles and fiddler crabs, and you'll likely spot the beautiful blue flowers of the pine barrens gentian. Fall at Edwin B. Forsythe is a great time to spot hundreds of migratory birds and enjoy changing fall foliage.
Pine Barrens and Wharton State Forest
Covering approximately 1.4 million acres (nearly 25% of New Jersey's land area), stretching inland from the Jersey Shore in the south-central part of the state, the New Jersey Pine Barrens is a marvelous place to commune with pristine nature. Wharton State Forest, spanning over 110,000 acres, is located within Pine Barrens and is a focal point for outdoor activity and exploration. While pine trees predictably abound, the area is far from barren. Pine Barrens boasts more than 800 plant species, including insectivorous plants, curly grass ferns, and the rare dragon's mouth and yellow-fringed orchids. Pine Barrens is also home to several hundred bird species including the red-headed woodpecker, the white-tailed deer, southern flying squirrel, spring peeper frogs, and the timber rattlesnake.
Wetlands Institute
The Wetlands Institute, in Stone Harbor, has received national attention from ABC News and the National Geographic Society for its diamondback terrapin turtle protection project. For more than a century, diamondback terrapins have been at the mercy of human activity. The over-hunting of these turtles, once considered a gourmet delicacy about 100 years ago, nearly caused their extinction. Many diamondback turtles have been forced out of their natural habitats by industrialization of the Jersey Shore beachfront areas. As a result, they often seek alternative nesting areas along highway embankments, thereby creating a high number of road-kill deaths each season. Thus the Wetlands' Terrapin Conservation Project has developed a program to raise public awareness about terrapin road crossings (how to help the turtles cross the road safely) and to recover and incubate eggs taken from road-killed terrapins. The institute also includes nearly 6,000 acres of land with trails for viewing migratory birds, fiddler crabs, and a 125-foot pier over a tidal creek with one of the world's largest colonies of laughing gulls.
Other Wildlife Observation Areas in the Jersey Shore
American holly, eastern red cedar, and wild black cherry are the three main types of trees at Sandy Hook Maritime Forest in Sandy Hook. Huber Woods, in Middletown, offers bird-watching, an Environmental Center with a weather room, exhibits on flora and fauna, as well as a Reptile House with living examples of local reptiles. Cheesquake State Park, off of exit 120 on the Garden State Parkway, offers nature walks through saltwater marshes as well as exhibits on pine forest, swamps, and rare wildflowers. And for a glimpse of New Jersey's most magnificent maritime wilderness, head to Island Beach State Park's untouched barrier beaches and 10 miles of coastal dunes. You'll see New Jersey's largest osprey population, as well as peregrine falcons.
Marine Mammals on the Jersey Shore
In June, visitors can stand at the shore of Cape May State Park and witness bottlenose dolphins calving. To watch these fascinating creatures up-close and out at sea, take a whale- or dolphin-watching cruise off of the Atlantic City harbor or from Wildwood or Cape May. Cruises depart from April-October and usually last between two to three hours; most companies guarantee sightings.
Nature Spots in Atlantic City, Wildwood, Cape May, New Jersey Shore
Nature-Wildlife
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