Catching up with nature is easy from a kayak. — Photos by Kate Pocock

Turtles must have the wisest faces on the planet. They look at you and blink, and look at you again, and you just wish they could tell you stories. They are not wise enough, however, to know that floating fishing line is not food. And many of the turtles in the Florida Keys -- the sport fishing capital of the world -- end up with plastic filament and fishhooks in their disgestive system.

Hence, the world's first turtle hospital to the rescue! And now kids who are turtle-crazy can actually stay on site for close encounters with the patients brought in for care.

The swimming pool at this motel/hospital facility is now a saltwater tank filled with tarpon and turtles. The motel lobby is a turtle museum. But onsite guests get free tours of the operating room and the tanks where turtles such as Val, who swallowed three fish hooks, are recuperating.

In fact, it seems as if the Florida Keys are abuzz with programs to nurture the natural environment that brought families here in the first place.

On a recent visit, we saw bumper stickers for Reef Relief, a group trying to save the third-longest coral reef in the world. We met a woman who has turned her home into a wild bird sanctuary. Near Key Largo, we made a Zodiac trip through the watery back door of Everglades National Park, home to thousands of wild birds. There, a naturalist trolled the shallow waters to show pygmy seahorses and crabs to the excited kids on board.

Yes, it's a must to celebrate with Mickey (and Disney's new airport-to-door "Magical Express" luggage service is a winner). But it's a shame to leave Florida without taking the kids to see the natural magic of one of the most varied eco-systems in the world.

In one 90-km stretch of Keys highway, you'll you'll find turtles, tarpons and pelicans galore. And in the waters, you'll meet enough sea creatures to rival any seaquarium.

Here are a few of the highlights as you travel the mile markers from Key Largo south of Miami to Big Pine Key:

BIRDS UNLIMITED: Caribbean Watersports Enviro-Tours (MM 97 bayside, enviro-tours.com or 305-852-4707) zips families out to circle the islands of Everglades National Park. We saw egrets, royal terns and the rare peregrine falcon as well as poisonous sponges, colourful coral, jellyfish and tiny seahorses (way cooler for the kids). At the rustic Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (Mile Marker 93.6 bayside, www.fkwbc.org or 305-852-4486), birdlover Laura Quinn looks after hundreds of birds injured mostly by boats, hooks and fishing line, everything from hawks to tiny two-week-old baby screech owls. Daily feedings at water's edge at 3:30 p.m. Free admission. At Robbie's Pier (MM 77.5 bayside, 305-664-9814), grab a bucket of herring for $2 to feed the tarpon and the dozens of pelicans who hang out here. Kids shorter than the counter don't pay the $1 fee.

TURTLES AND MORE: Identify shells, handle a starfish or walk ancient forest paths (bring repellent) at the kid-friendly Nature Center at Crane Point (MM 50.5, bayside, Cranepoint.org or 305-743-3900).

At the Turtle Hospital just south, over 750 turtles have been returned to the wild after brushes with fish hooks, sharks or viruses. Take the tour at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Or stay as a guest (Hiddenharbormotel.com or 800-362-3495) for a free 4 p.m. visit that also offers a chance to help feed patients such as Michael, a rare Kemps Ridley turtle.

WATERWORLDS: Nature photographer Bill Keogh leads kayak tours for families, everything from how to get into a kayak to where to enter a secret mangrove cave and find tree crab. Contact Big Pine Kayak Adventures (keyskayaktours.com or 877-595-2925).

LODGING: Coconut Cay Resort and Marina, MM 50.2 bayside (coconutcay.com or 877-354-7356) offers heated pool, kitchenettes, kayaks for rent and is within minutes of lovely Sombrero Beach; rooms start at $89.

The Sheraton Beach Resort Key Largo (sheraton.com/keylargo or 800-325-3535) features family "Water Sports" with snorkelling trips to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It's home base for Enviro-Tours's trips. For a splurge (President Bush lands his helicopter on the golf course when he stays), Cheeca Lodge (cheeca.rockresorts.com or 305-664-4651) offers kids' programs and spa pampering.

Pelicans are plentiful in the Florida Keys.

INFO: Contact 888-735-2872 or VISITFLORIDA.com. For the Keys, www.fla-keys.com or 800-352-5397.

Kate Pocock is a Toronto-based freelancer.
Visit www.familytravelink.com for more information.