This 70,504-acre refuge is made up of the Blackjack Peninsula and three satellite units. Grasslands, live oaks, and red bay thickets cover deep, sandy soils. Ringed by tidal marshes and broken by long, narrow ponds, Aransas is home for cranes, alligators, deer, and many other species of wildlife. Strong winds push the bay waters over low-lying shores, forming brackish tidal marshes among the short, salt-tolerant vegetation. These food-rich waters and abundant food attract over 392 species of birds to Aransas, including pelicans, herons, egrets, spoonbills, shorebirds, ducks, geese, and myriad warblers on spring migration.

One of the rarest creatures in North America, the whooping crane, is making a comeback from a low of 15 birds in 1941. Whooping cranes nest in Canada during the summer and winter at Aransas. The cranes can usually be seen from the Observation Tower from late October to mid-April.

Moving inland, the water changes from salty flats to freshwater ponds. These ponds teem with life. Created by rain and ranging in size from puddles to lakes, they are a haven for alligators, turtles, frogs, snakes, and birds.

• Visit the 40-foot observation tower where your chances at seeing wildlife are greatly enhanced.
• Take a chartered boat tour of this gulf coast sanctuary for the best opportunities to see the beautiful and rare whooping crane.