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Learn more about the Indian River Lagoon (IRL)

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Indian river lagoon or intracoastal waterway - IRL and ICW
Early morning sunlight reflected in the waterway of a salt marsh, distant treeline and brilliant emerald green grass, horizontal aspect

Welcome to CRUISE COCOA, where we would like to introduce you to the rich history, culture, environment, and the wildlife that inhabits our beautiful state of FLORIDA

Indian River Lagoon is where CRUISE COCOA is proud to call home. This picturesque body of water spans 156 miles north to south starting up at Ponce Inlet and reaching all the way down to Jupiter Inlet. It is the most diverse estuary in the northern hemisphere. 

Differences in Waterways

An estuary is a tidal mouth where the stream opens to a tidal flow.

A Lagoon is defined as a shallow body of water that is separated off from a main body of water by barrier islands and, or a barrier reef.

The Indian River Lagoon claims both definitions.

It is made up of 3 main lagoons, Mosquito Lagoon to the north, Banana River to the east and the Indian River along the west and continuing all the way south. There are 5 inlets and one lock at Cape Canaveral that connect it to the Atlantic Ocean. At its narrowest it a ½ mile across, and at its widest its 5 miles across with an average depth of 4 feet.

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What is a River?

Here in Brevard County people often refer to the Banana River and the Indian River but neither of them are actually rivers. Rivers, think the Mississippi, flow in one direction continuously, but here in the lagoon the direction of our water flow is based more on the direction of the wind. For example, if the wind is blowing from the south our water flows north, if it is blowing from the north our water goes south. 

The Indian River Lagoon is home 5 national parks, 4 wildlife refugees and the national seashore to 4300 different species of plants and animals. 

At CRUISE COCOA we often get to see the Dolphins, manatees, fish, sharks, rays and a bioluminescence algae bloom that occurs in the summer when we are out on the water.

bioluminescence algae bloom

Come join us at CRUISE COCOA and let our captains share our local knowledge.

Grab your Sunglasses and see what adventures await you!!!

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