Manager's Message

Jeffrey Pettis, Park Manager

It doesn’t take long for anyone to see why Waccasassa Bay State Preserve is incredibly special. If you’re looking for peace and serenity in nature, take a paddle across the vast expanses of the bay. It never ceases to amaze me just how big the bay is. Also, since the park is only accessible by boat, you will almost always have a slice of bay all to yourself. Whether you’re looking to catch a trout, snook, redfish, or maybe take a mess of mullet home for supper Waccasassa Bay is a fisherman’s paradise. 

If fishing isn’t your thing, wildlife viewing is another favorite pastime. You are almost guaranteed to spot an osprey, bald eagle, or a flock of Roseate spoonbills wading along an oyster bar looking for their next meal. The shallow bay is also home to manatees, dolphin, and sea turtles leisurely cruising the seagrass beds. The preserve is home to numerous rare, threatened, or endangered plant and animal species and commercially important marine species.  Paddling the beautiful waterway gives you the opportunity to enjoy the details as they develop around you, watching ospreys riding the breeze above, the herons wading along in the shallows, and the manatees grazing on the sea grasses as you float by.

Personally, hailing from Florida’s panhandle has granted me a deeply rooted passion for the Gulf Coast and it is no wonder this vista has been preserved by the state. Keeping Waccasassa Bay healthy and beautiful plays a huge part in preserving the water quality and quantity in the adjacent estuaries. Water is life, and here in Waccasassa Bay that means from the smallest Salt Marsh Vole to black bears, and the Florida Panther, just to name a few!

Whether you enjoy a quiet early morning kayak paddle or bring your boat to fish the incoming or outgoing tides, late spring and early summer are wonderful times of the year at Waccasassa Bay State Preserve!