The beach also is popular with much smaller visitors: Endangered loggerhead turtles wade out of the ocean at night to lay their eggs during sea turtle nesting season May-Oct. Take care not to disturb the turtles; do not touch them, light campfires or use flashlights, cell phones or cameras with flash. It's illegal to do so and could cause the female to abandon her nest.
Break away from the sand and ocean and attempt a hole-in-one at the 18-hole Jacksonville Beach Golf Course, 605 Penman Rd. S.; phone (904) 247-6184. Or head for South Beach Park and Sunshine Playground, 2514 S. Beach Pkwy., and shoot some hoops, swing a tennis racquet, work out on the fitness trail, and let the kids go wild on the large playground; it features sections for different age groups and includes a lighthouse, a splash pad and a wooden ship complete with swinging bridge and covered slides.
Spring and summer months bring music and movies to the beach. At the SeaWalk Pavilion, 75 N. 1st St., you can attend blues, jazz, pops and classical music concerts or catch a classic flick. Phone the events hotline at (904) 247-6157, for information. Indoor productions including dramas, comedies and musicals at Players-By-The-Sea Theatre, 106 6th St. N., will capture the attention of theater devotees; phone (904) 249-0289 for reservations.