Canaveral National Seashore is located midway along Florida's east coast where warm waters and a temperate climate meet to host species as diverse as bald eagles, alligators, bromeliads, mangroves and sea turtles. The National Seashore was designated in 1975 to preserve and protect this special area. Visitors to the Seashore will discover its rich and diverse history, from its fertile estuaries once supporting Timucuan Indian populations to the area's first orange groves in the 1830s. Today, Canaveral National Seashore offers an inviting place to relax along the shores of the Atlantic, fish in an open lagoon, enjoy a self-guided hike, watch for wildlife like the West Indian manatee or even participate in a guided Sea Turtle Tours. Guided Turtle Watch Tours are offered in June and July. Participants meet their guide at a Visitor Center and caravan by private vehicle to a parking lot near the beach. The group may walk up to 1/2 mile in soft sand to reach the location where the turtle will be observed laying her nest and returning to the ocean. The evening concludes by helping to protect her nest by putting a screen across the egg chamber and marking the nest for research purposes. The group will choose and name the turtle.