Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

On Monday I visited the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center for the first time. This is a remarkable gem in the middle of so much development. They have a nice size property with the mangroves on the west side and the ocean to the east. My time spent here was most enjoyable and of course, I will be back to bring my family and friends.

Gumbo Limbo gets its name from the Gumbo Limbo tree. This South Florida specialty is also known as the "tourist tree" due to its red bark that is often seen peeling, like many pale skinned visitors who get too much Florida sun. I love these trees and their unusual color.

Gumbo Limbo is probably mostly known for their sea turtles and their beach night walks. During nesting season, they offer guided walks on the beach to find nesting females. They book way in advance is by far their most popular program. On display they also have 3 sea turtles, each one a little different. In addition they also have a touch tank and fish tank area. Inside the nature center itself are various snake displays and a gift shop.

The most interesting turtle on exhibit was Walt, formerly housed at Disney World. Walt is a Loggerhead and Hawksbill sea turtle hybrid. You can obviously see that he has a Loggerhead body but a Hawksbill shell (below). There are extensive hybridizations of these two species especially off the coast of Brazil and other places where breeding seasons overlap. Morphologically they are usually called Hawksbills but DNA shows Loggerhead.

Not to be the only turtle on the block, there is also a Gopher Tortoise exhibit near the sea turtles. They have quite a few tortoises that inhabit a small fenced in area. Many of them have attempted to dig burrows but most were unsuccessful. This young tortoise below found itself a nice piece of shade in the lip of a completed burrow.


After exploring the tanks and enclosures there are many opportunities to walk around and see the grounds. A butterfly garden on the north side of the nature center was full of flowers and insects. The Zebra Longwings and Monarchs were zipping about. It was one of the better butterfly gardens I've seen at a nature center in Florida.

If you follow the butterfly garden path it will wind through to the mangroves. There are Red, White, and Black Mangroves on the property as well as a variety of native hammock plants such as Spanish Stopper and Ironwood. On the boardwalk loop there is a 50 foot tower that gives you an excellent view of the canopy and the beach. The only trees emerging from this level are the non-native Australian Pines.

These were just the highlights of Gumbo Limbo. If you're in the Boca Raton area of Florida with some spare time I would definitely encourage you to explore the park for yourself. The price is right, free, and the location is perfect for a walk through many different habitats. I didn't go out to the beach but it doesn't have high rise developments and that alone will set it apart from much of South Florida.