Located in Indian River County, Florida, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 3.0 km (1.9 mi) ESE of Sebastian. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and part of the Everglades Headwaters NWR complex, located just off the western coast of Orchid Island, Florida in the Indian River Lagoon east of Sebastian, Florida. The refuge consists of a 3-acre (12,000 m2) island that includes an additional 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of surrounding water and is located off the east coast of Florida of the Indian River Lagoon. Established by an executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt on March 14, 1903, Pelican Island was the first National wildlife refuge in the United States. It was created to protect egrets and other birds from extinction through plume hunting.From the Wikipedia article “Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:27 AM | 63° ENE | 8:21 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 116° ESE | 5:32 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 23m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 34m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 54m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 44m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 24m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:39 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:28 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 5:02 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 4:53 AM | 7.0 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:51 PM – 3:21 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:25 PM – 1:25 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 11:17 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 9:22 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.16 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (57%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 85 | 89 | 94 | 96 | 100 | 98 | 97 | 97 | 93 | 91 | 87 | 87 |
| Low °F | 30 | 32 | 37 | 47 | 54 | 69 | 72 | 71 | 64 | 44 | 42 | 30 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 6.8 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this national wildlife refuge
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
State Park
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
State Park
State ParkBeachFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.