TOURISM
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Fort Pierce’s abundant natural resources
create thriving ecotourism industry
Fort Pierce has long been a treasure for lovers of art
and Florida history. Now, the natural blue and green
gems of land and water have become a magnet for
the nature-minded tourist.
Visitors to Fort Pierce have a wide variety of ways to see
Real Florida, thanks to the area’s rapidly growing ecotourism
industry. Not only can visitors indulge in their love of
deep sea fishing, diving or kayaking, but they can also do
everything from riding horses on the beach to taking a tour
to see dolphins and manatees in the Indian River Lagoon, the
nation’s most diverse estuary.
Fort Pierce native Geoff Horowitz, owner of Inshore Sightseeing
and Fishing Charters, has been in the marine industry
for 30 years, 20 of them working for boat builders and 10 as
owner of Fine Line Yacht Refinishing. He added a captain’s
certification to his resume and offered offshore fishing charters
before deciding to renovate his 22-foot deck boat to accommodate
sightseers of all ages. “I like to take out younger
kids who’ve never been on the water, never seen a dolphin in
the wild,” Horowitz says.
For those who like their nature up close and personal, Motorized
Kayak Adventures of the Treasure Coast incorporates
ecology lessons while cruising local waterways. The tours
cover “some history, some science and lots of conservation,”
owner Billy Gibson says. While kayakers learn about what
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MOTORIZED KAYAK ADVENTURES
Manatees gather where the water is warm in winter months and are frequently
seen up close by paddlers.
CITY OF FORT PIERCE
Horseback riding on a warm beach is a vacation dream for many visitors to the Fort Pierce area.