PONCE INLET, Fla. — Sitting in the shadow of the iconic Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the Marine Science Center, where birds native to Florida find a home to share their stories with visitors.
The expanded aviary allows guests to see seabirds up close, including pelicans, gulls, and other coastal birds recovering from injury or illness, or those that can no longer go into the wild.
Nearly every day, education manager Shell Rossi introduces wildlife to guests, turning each visit into a hands-on learning experience.
“Look what he’s doing with his head,” Rossi said during a presentation. “What’s he doing? Oh, look at that.”
She encourages engagement, explaining animal behavior in real time.
“He’s going to grab his food with his claws, and he’s going to squeeze it,” she said. “Everybody, give me your best squeeze.”
Rossi said the Marine Science Center’s number of rescues speaks for itself.
“Because we’ve helped 19,000 birds since opening, and 28,000 reptiles,” she said.
While rehabilitation and release is always the goal, Rossi said some animals can’t return to the wild and instead become ambassadors for education.
One of them is Bubba the owl.
Pelicans are among the most common patients at the center’s animal hospital.
“We get a lot of pelicans that come in — 90% have fishing line injuries,” Rossi said, highlighting the impact humans can have on wildlife.
The Marine Science Center is more than just a bird sanctuary.
Inside the new education center, visitors can meet snakes and gopher tortoises, study animals under a microscope, and attend a variety of presentations throughout the day.
“Try and do animal presentations during the day,” Rossi said. “So, people could spend half an hour or three hours here.”
Among her favorite moments is feeding the seahorses, and Rossi hopes visitors leave with a deeper connection to wildlife.
“I hope that people would walk away with a newfound love of an animal that they have never seen before, and never been able to touch before, and then want to continue learning about it and wanting to help it,” she said.
The Marine Science Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is $8 for anyone older than 13, $5 for kids aged 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under.
Randy Rauch
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