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• An Overview
• Early Industry
• Tourism
• Environmental Information
• Marine Advisory for Volusia County
• Towing Services
• Places of Interest

An Overview

The Timucuan Indians are believed to be the earliest known inhabitants of Volusia County. Although this tribe was extinct by 1777, they left prominent reminders in the form of huge shell mounds. The largest and most important is Turtle Mound adjoining the Mosquito Lagoon. Turtle Mound is the highest point of land anywhere on Florida's east coast.

A French chronicler named D’Erlach in 1565 described the Timucuans’ religious beliefs: “They have no idols or temples, for their God is a Great Spirit, whose dwelling is the universe, who is always near them, though invisible.” However, another account tells of the Timucuans worshipping a fish painted on a board.

Early records show the Timucuans called Volusia County “Mayaca,” part of Mayatuaca, the “freshwater province” of the Timucuan Indian nation. How Volusia County gained its present name is not precisely known. Some historians feel it comes from the trading post known as Volusia or Volusia Landing located on the St. Johns River.

Another possible origin is “Euchee Land,” the Indian name for the area between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish corrupted the name to Voluchee Land in the 1500s. Later, Voluchee Land was anglicized to Volusia.

Like so many other counties presently bordering the IRL, Volusia was part of the huge land tract known as Mosquito County which was formed in 1828.

Early Industry

The area’s first great plantation was started in 1768 by Dr. Andrew Turnbull of Scotland. His 60,000-acre grant stretched from New Smyrna in Volusia County to Cape Canaveral in Brevard County. Turnbull recruited 1,500 indigent farmers from Turkey and Minorca in the Mediterranean. Turnbull didn’t treat these unfortunate immigrants very humanely and apparently worked many of them to death. Further, the Seminole Indians attacked and burned many of the farmers’ huts, which motivated many of them to flee to St. Augustine. The colony failed after 10 years.

Later plantation owners did quite well until the 1830s. The U.S. government had decided to transplant the Seminole Indians to Oklahoma. Some Indians resisted, which resulted in three different Seminole Indian Wars. It was during the Second Seminole Indian War of 1835 that the Indians decided to attack all the plantations built on land they claimed belonged to them. Every major plantation was burned and destroyed, and the sugar industry never returned. Life obviously was very precarious for early settlers.

Tourism

Volusia County would become famous due to the remarkable 23-mile strip of hard-packed sand which helped develop the sport of auto racing. Driving on Daytona Beach is almost as old as the history of the automobile itself.

America’s first major auto race took place here in 1902, when the top speed was 57 mph.

In 1935 a new land speed-record of 276 mph was set on the beach by a rocket car. Sanctioned racing on the sand ended in 1959 with the opening of the Daytona International Speedway and its 2.5-mile oval track.

The remarkable beach — at low tide as much as 500 feet wide in some places — also attracted many wealthy tourists, who wintered in the area at the turn of the 19th century. Among them was John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men in the world.

Today, Daytona Beach is a massive family playground. More than 5 million people splash in the waves here each year. It’s incredibly crowded every March and April when hundreds of thousands of college students from around the world invade Daytona for Spring Break. Volusia County was the first Florida county to purchase environmentally sensitive wetlands and wildlife habitats adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon. Many of the properties are currently used as boat launching and public access sites, as eco-tourism and recreational fishing play an important role in the county.

Environmental Information

The IRL encompasses three major bodies of water (Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River and the Banana River) and officially begins at Ponce de Leon Inlet, known locally as Ponce Inlet. Ponce Inlet is the first of several openings to the Atlantic along the IRL.

Ponce Inlet is marked by long rock jetties on both the north and south sides. The dune and scrub habitat bordering both sides of the inlet has been turned into parks. Ponce Inlet Park (on the north) and New Smyrna Dunes Park (to the south) have boardwalks that allow you to inspect close-up the thickly vegetated barrier dunes, whose golden sea oats are perhaps the best known and most striking of the plants.

Bird Life: You’ll see lots of hawks, terns, wrens and brown pelicans in the parks. Traveling south through Mosquito Lagoon, you may be fortunate enough to spot roseate spoonbills, egrets, wood storks, kingfishers and cormorants in the mangroves or marshes. As you inspect the mangroves that fringe the islets of Mosquito Lagoon, be wary of alligators which have easily adapted themselves to this very saline environment. Occasionally, you may see a gator sneak up beneath a quietly perched egret, which quickly becomes lunch!

Indian Mounds: The best place to get your own bird’s-eye view of the estuary is from atop Turtle Mound inside the Canaveral National Seashore. For decades Turtle Mound, which rises 50 feet high, has been a popular crabbing and fishing location. You can catch crabs simply by tying a chicken neck to a cord and casting it upon the waters. When you feel a tug, retrieve the cord slowly and gently. You’ll probably find a crab clinging tightly to the chicken neck. You will need a net to scoop the crab out of the water.

Mangroves: Mangroves, the prime habitat of mosquitoes, line the banks of both the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon. The elaborate system of twisted and gnarled mangrove roots also provides vital protection for many juvenile fish species, which helps to explain why Mosquito Lagoon traditionally has been one of the finest saltwater fishing areas in the entire nation. Seatrout, shrimp, redfish, snook, blue crabs and clams are incredibly abundant here.

Shoreline Habitat: This section of the IRL is also marked by salt marshes, mud flats, tidal creeks and oyster bars. The water is brackish, a mix of the several freshwater creeks that feed the ICW just above the great cut to the ocean at Ponce Inlet. Volusia County is close to the northern limit for tropical hammocks and ocean coral reefs.

Spoil Islands: South of the region known as Seminole Rest you’ll begin to encounter the spoil islands that were created from dredged materials for the ICW. Many of the islands are ideal for camping, picnics and wade fishing. Some are important nesting sites and should not be disturbed.

There are several locally well known spoil/mangrove islands. Probably the two best known picnic and angling islands in the county are Chicken Island and Firecracker Isle.

Chicken Island, located between the North and South bridges in New Smyrna, is owned by the city of New Smyrna. Note: Any overnight camping on the island requires permission from city officials.

Firecracker Isle, known locally as the favorite location for Fourth of July fireworks, is located across the channel from Kennedy Point Park at Red Marker “66.” The park was named after the chief of the Edgewater Fire Department, George Kennedy, who was killed in a firecracker explosion on Firecracker Isle. To the south of Firecracker Isle is a large spoil island known as Grassy Point. This sandy, shaded spot is a favorite among locals on Saturday afternoons.

Another popular spot is Disappearing Island, located to the west of the Ponce Inlet entrance at the mouth of Rockhouse Creek. Boaters congregate here at low tide to enjoy the beach and the clear water.

Marine Advisory for Volusia County

Inlet Currents: Stay alert anytime you’re near Ponce Inlet and in the vicinity of Disappearing Island, a long sand bar south of the inlet which reappears only at low tide and is frequented by many boaters. This area is plagued by strong tidal currents, two- to four-foot tides and shifting sands. If you are unfamiliar with the Ponce Inlet area, your best passage is to stick to the ICW, which bypasses the inlet. The inlet itself is another dangerous cut to the ocean and should be navigated with extreme care.

Channel Markers: As you move south through the Halifax River to Ponce Inlet, you will witness a change in navigational channel markers. At Ponce Inlet, the channel markers start with number 1. This is an important feature to note when you are requesting assistance from the FMP or the U.S. Coast Guard. If you explain that you are situated next to Green Marker “47,” these officials will likely ask if you are at Green Marker “47” to the north of Ponce Inlet or to the south of the inlet.

Bridges: Locally, the Coronado Beach Bridge is known as the North Bridge. It is north of the city of New Smyrna and Bouchelle Island. A high-span bridge is known locally as the South Bridge. This bridge can be easily accessed by anglers on foot and has a children’s playground and fishing pier at Manatee Park. It’s also accessible by boat.

Shoaling: A constant problem near the inlet. It’s worse north of the inlet. Still, you’ll need to keep careful watch between Red Day Beacons “18” and “22” since sand flats and oyster bars extend from shore in many places, even south of New Smyrna. Favor the green more than the red side. At New Smyrna, be careful of shoaling between Red Day Beacons “32” and “34.”

For shallow-draft boats, passage through Rockhouse Creek, north of Green Marker “3,” is possible. It is best to use with local knowledge.

Mosquito Lagoon: Located about 10 miles south of New Smyrna, water depth out of the channel can be quite shallow. If you want to explore, be sure you have a shallow-draft vessel, a good depth sounder and something to pole your boat off the flats. Always proceed slowly. To access the winding islets of Mosquito Lagoon, you can use Sheephead Cut, which runs due south behind Bouchelle Island and empties into Browns Bay. This creek is only accessible by shallow draft boats and requires some local knowledge. Otherwise, your best bet is to access the historic channel at Live Oak Bend at Green Marker “47.” This channel will wind into the Government Cut channel, characterized as a dredged, straight-line channel, which runs straight as an arrow through mangrove marshlands. This channel will allow you to access Turtle Mound and Canaveral National Seashore. Note: Local knowledge is very important in this area, as channel markers are not readily available and channel identification can be difficult.

Slow Speed/Minimum Wake Zone: Much of the area south of New Smyrna is a SLOW SPEED/MINIMUM WAKE zone because manatees are common there.

Boating Courtesy: In the more southerly regions of Mosquito Lagoon you’ll often see shallow-draft skiffs being poled close to shore as an angler stands at the bow, ready to sight-cast to a redfish or trout. Stay well away from these boats and NEVER cut in front of one to start fishing yourself. You’ll not only spook the fish but suffer the enmity of the boat you’ve cut off.

Boating/fishing courtesy in Mosquito Lagoon has become important as more and more skiffs pole the shallow flats. The angling opportunity here is an exciting one since this is as close to Florida Keys-style fishing as you’ll find anywhere else in the state.

Sport Shrimping: At night, pay particularly close attention to boat traffic in the Oak Hill region. This is a very popular spot for sport shrimping, where netters place lanterns and lights low over the water to attract the strawberry-eyed shrimp. Each boat is limited to five gallons of shrimp with the heads still on.

Anchoring: The city of New Smyrna Beach enforces a 15-day anchoring policy with the assistance of the Florida Marine Patrol (FMP). Three favorite anchoring locations include the north side of Port Orange Bridge, the west side of Rockhouse Creek and the south side of Chicken Island. FMP encourages boaters to use their anchor lights when setting a hook in these areas for the night, as they are frequented by many boats.

There is no anchoring allowed in the ICW channel. Anchoring is not advised in the Ponce Inlet channel due to the strong currents. Disappearing Island near Rockhouse Creek is a favorite day trip anchoring area.

Places of Interest

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse: Built in 1870, this 175-foot-tall brick tower still beams its warning light out to sea each night. The panoramic view from atop the lighthouse is magnificent. Several of the lighthouse keepers’ cottages have been turned into a gift shop and nautical museum. There is an admission fee to climb to the top.

Turnbull Ruins: Located across from the municipal marina at Red Marker “38.” This is the Turnbull Palace, heart of the 60,000-acre plantation begun in the late 1700s. The foundations are still in place. A plaque explains part of the Turnbull history.