Hey Steemit!

I thought I would share one of my favorite places in the world with you.
First a little back story, I've lived on the East Coast of Florida for pretty much my entire life and when you live on the coast for that long you become a pretty good fisherman (if you ask my wife she'll tell you that I have a mild addiction but I digress). Being out fishing gives you a great opportunity to snag some wonderful shots when the fish aren't biting so here are some of the favorite pictures my wife and I have taken while out exploring.

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The Indian River

It is the most biodiverse location in the world with over 10,000 species calling it home.
It spans nearly the entire eastern coast of Florida from New Smyrna Beach to Jupiter.
(That's 156 miles!)
It's actually made up of 9 different bodies of water, including the Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River.

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The Fauna

I wouldn't be much of a fisherman if I didn't post some pictures of fish right?

Redfish

These guys are primarily crustacean eaters. IGFA record is 90+ pounds so you know they get big!
They're well known for their tails "lighting up" and turning blue during the fight (as seen below).

Snook

These guys can grow up to 50 pounds! They are some of the hardest fighters in the entire lagoon system.
You gotta keep the drag tight to get these guys out from underneath the docks!

Black Drum

These guys are close relatives of the Redfish from above.
They'll gather at night and drum so loud you can hear them up to half a mile away.

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Other Critters

Other animals you can see while out on the lagoon include: Manatees, Alligators, Sharks, Bald Eagles, Otters, Pigs, Etc.

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In Conclusion

So why share all of this?
Well the Indian river lagoon is in dire straits...

Pollution and algal blooms are becoming a serious threat to this wonderful ecosystem. During the rainy season, large amounts of water must be released into the lagoon to avoid risk to the Lake Okeechoobee dike bursting. This water frequently carries large amount of phosphates from runoff from the local farms. This in turn causes algal blooms in the ecosystem, frequently wiping out large amounts of flora and fauna. You can read more about this here Audubon Society

I hope you enjoyed some of these photographs and maybe learned something
My wife and I are always taking pictures so we'll have more to share later on.