The pair of barrier islands is famed as the
finest shelling location along the Gulf Coast. Located
north of Naples, and immediately west of the city of Cape
Coral, the islands were occupied by the Calusa from about
a.d. 600.
The native villages were very much in sight when the
first Spanish explorers sailed up the coast during the
early 1500s. While enjoying some early victories against
the first waves of Europeans to come to the area, the
Colusa were finally driven deep into the Everglades.
Sanibel & Captiva
Sanibel, the larger island, is joined to
Captiva by the Turner Bridge, over Blind Pass. In 1963, a
three-mile causeway was constructed from the mainland to
the eastern end of Sanibel, and serious resort
development began. But all was not lost on these
glistening white islands. From soon after the bridge was
completed, Sanibel incorporated, and the municipal
government passed strong zoning laws, with much of the
island set aside for protection. As a result, half of the
land on Sanibel is designated as natural areas, with two
preserves protecting the island ecology and wildlife.
Captiva, the north island, has a small townsite
located just across the bridge from Sanibel, and a yacht
club on Roosevelt Channel, while the northern third is
South Seas Plantation, a large and beautifully laid-out
resort. Almost the entire inner coastline of Sanibel
Island is within the J.N. "Ding" Darling National
Wildlife Refuge. On the other side of Sanibel-Captiva
Road -- the main thoroughfare through the two islands --
is the Nature Center owned and operated by the
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.
The preserves and the rest of the islands offer a
remarkable natural experience, accompanied by a
civilized, clean community, with pleasing architecture
and many opportunities for recreation, including shelling
on the expansive beaches, riding bicycles through the
wildlife refuge or through the towns to the beaches, or
walking on nature trails and along the beaches. Thirty
miles of bike paths (also great for walking and skating)
wind across Sanibel Island, leading to beaches and other
natural scenes. On Captiva, bicycles share the island
road with cars.
Winter daytime temperatures on the islands average in
the mid to upper 70s, while winter nights are usually in
the mid 50s. Averaging 95 degrees in summer months but
with breezes from the Gulf of Mexico, and frequent
afternoon and evening rains to cut the heat, the climate
is quite comfortable. Summer nighttime temperatures
seldom fall below 75 degrees. For information on island
accommodations, and other local attractions, contact the
Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, Box 166, Sanibel FL
33957, or call (941) 472-1080.
Shelling
Considered among the finest shelling beaches in the
world, the islands offer more than 250 kinds of shells,
brought to the beach by high tides and storms. Winter is
the best time for shelling in this region of shallow gulf
waters, where the shells accumulate before being swept
on-shore. Once you get onto the gulf-side beaches, you'll
develop the local posture known as the "Sanibel Stoop."
Inveterate stoopers will be out in the pre-dawn hours,
looking for shells by flashlight, particularly after a
storm at low tide. Among the shells they look for is the
elusive jumonia, and if you find one of these gems,
you'll have your picture in the local newspaper. Among
the shells in better supply are lightening and pear
whelks, conchs, cockles, coquinas, olives, cones, tulips,
sand dollars, and scallops. You'll also find buttercups
and lion's paws, among many others.
Live shells are protected on Sanibel Island, and
Florida Law dictates that no one collect live shells,
including sand dollars, starfish, and sea urchins. All
shelling is prohibited in the Darling Wildlife Preserve.
In 1995, the opening of the Bailey-Matthews Shell
Museum made shell identification much easier. It's the
only museum of its kind in the United States, and offers
a range of exhibits devoted to shells in art and history,
shell habitat, fossil shells, and rare specimens, as well
as more common Sanibel&endash;Captiva shells. Some 3,000
types of shells are found here. This fine addition to
Sanibel Island is open daily at 3074 Sanibel-Captiva
Road, one mile west of the Tarpon Bay -- Palm Ridge Road
junction. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. For information on current exhibits, call
(941) 395-2233.
J.N. "Ding" Darling
National Wildlife Preserve
The winner of two Pulitzer prizes for editorial
cartooning, Jay Norwood Darling (or "Ding" as he signed
his cartoons) was the respected Des Moines Register
newspaper cartoonist and satirist, and a champion of
wildlife protection. In the 1920s and 30s his cartoons
extolling the virtues of Nature, and campaigning against
unbridled hunting and other "unnatural" callings, set the
scene for the small but growing environmental movement in
Florida. Darling, who lived for many winters on Captiva
Island, and himself a hunter, felt that the environment
needed a break from the intrusions of the human race. In
1945, a large area of Sanibel was set aside as the
Sanibel Wildlife Refuge. It was named for "Ding" Darling
in 1978. He help to establish more than 300 wildlife
sanctuaries across the nation, and initiated the Duck
Stamp program which secured money from hunters through
licensing fees, when he served as head of the U.S.
Biological Survey, the forerunner of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
With more than 5,000 acres, the refuge offers an
unspoiled view of what Florida was like 150 years ago.
There are nesting sites for more than 200 species of
birds, many of them endangered or threatened. Also
residing in the refuge are hundreds of species of
mammals, amphibians, and sea creatures. Among the
endangered species living in the refuge are the American
crocodile, American alligator, Atlantic loggerhead
turtle, gopher turtle, Arctic peregrine falcon, and the
Atlantic Ridley turtle. Endangered water birds include
the American oystercatcher, the reddish egret, and the
tricolored heron.
The refuge offers a five-mile scenic drive, winding
along the sheltered western portion, past wading birds,
beside mangrove islands, past osprey nests, and beside an
old shell mound. Along the route are several viewpoint
locations where one may stop to gaze eastward at several
small islands and mangrove thickets. You'll probably see
alligators from the cross dike, just off the main route.
The drive is open from sunrise to sunset, Saturday
through Thursday, and is closed on Friday.
Most of the wildlife is best seen during low tide
periods, or in early mornings and early evenings, near
sunset, when great flocks of roseate spoonbills fly over
Wildlife Drive, near the observation tower. During the
summer season, you'll see yellow-crowned night herons and
blue herons; immature as well as adults. In fall,
migrating birds include buntings, orioles, and warblers.
Winter months (December through February) bring
waterbirds on their way to more northern nesting grounds:
white pelicans, red-breasted mergansers, and blue-winged
teal, among many other sea and shore birds. In the
geographical center of the reserve, hemmed-in by Wildlife
Drive, is a fresh water pond. Here, you'll see many birds
during high tides, including cormorants, anhingas,
pelicans, and several types of shorebirds. The osprey is
a year-round resident, as are 32 species of mammals and
50 types of amphibians and reptiles.
The entrance fee to Wildlife Drive is $4 per vehicle,
and $1 for hikers and cyclists. The federal Golden Age
and Golden Eagle passports are also honored for
admission. Guided tram tours of Wildlife Drive are
offered through the nearby Tarpon Bay Recreation Area,
located at the end of Tarpon Bay Road. Canoe tours are
also available, or you can rent a canoe or electric boat
to explore the mangrove swamps. For information on the
tram service, call (941) 472-8900. For general
information on the refuge, call (941) 472-1100.
The visitor center is open daily, except Friday, from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. November through April, and from May
through October from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except on Fridays.
Picnicking and camping are not permitted in the refuge.
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation
Foundation Nature Center
This nonprofit corporation has, since 1967, acquired
more than 1,000 acres on and around the two islands, in
order to preserve their unique natural character. This
organization also began with the outspoken national
campaign of J.N. Darling, who knew the islands well.
Following the creation of what is now the "Ding" Darling
Refuge, the Foundation -- aided by The Nature Conservancy
-- was founded to acquire additional land, with a focus
on freshwater ecology. The first land purchased (207
acres) lay along the Sanibel River. More land was
acquired, resulting in nearly 1,000 acres held by the
Foundation, on both Sanibel and Captiva, and all of
Albright Island which lies between the two larger
islands.
You'll find the foundation's Nature Center on
Sanibel-Captiva Road, on Sanibel Island. This series of
ecosystems along the Sanibel River offers 4.5 miles of
nature trails, a Nature education center and exhibit
area, and the Nature Shop. The foundation's Native Plant
Nursery breeds and grows plants native to the islands,
encouraging water-wise plantings. The nursery offers
retail sales.
One of the more recent activities of the foundation
was the purchase of an additional 22 acres of land along
the Sanibel River, almost finishing the acquisition of
the complete river corridor between its source and Tarpon
Bay Road.
For information on the foundation's facilities and
programs, write the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation
Foundation at 3333 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel FL
33957, or call (941) 472-2329.
Sanibel & Captiva Hotels
Here are some suggestions as to where you could stay
on the two islands:
Best Western Sanibel Island Beach Resort
3287 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel Island
The resort offers 46 comfortable rooms and family suites.
All accommodations are beautifully appointed with
tropical decor. The huge pool and tennis court on five
lush, tropical acres overlook the beach and the Gulf of
Mexico.
Holiday Inn Sanibel
1231 Middle Gulf Drive, Sanibel Island
With a beachfront location, and a white sand beach to
explore, the hotel offers all of the traditional Holiday
Inn services. Staff will help you plan your Sanibel
activities. Amenities include tennis, swimming pool,
poolside lounge, and access to miles of bicycle paths.
Song of the Sea
863 E. Gulf Drive, Sanibel Island
Nnear the eastern tip of Sanibel Island, Florida is the
European-style Song of the Sea resort. Song of the Sea is
the ultimate luxury amid a tropical paradise, and the
magic begins the moment you arrive. Eat breakfast
on the garden terrace, relax in the whirlpool, or take a
bike ride.
South Seas Resort
5400 Plantation Road, Captiva Island
Set on 330-acres, this is a tropical paradise. There are
more than 600 units, ranging from deluxe hotel rooms and
villa suites to three-bedroom beach homes and cottages.
Comfortable, quiet and luxurious, these accommodations
feature glorious beach, bay, marina, tennis center or
golf course views. These enclaves were all built in
harmony with nature and provide an intimate, secluded
setting.
