Top 5 Things To Do Around the Water

It’s easy to see why the waters around Pine Island, Sanibel and Captiva pervade the life of Randy Wayne White, one of Lee County's celebrated authors. "I just adore the water here – it’s alive, and I find it fascinating." A world traveler, White can think of no other place he’d rather call home.

It was in Sanibel that White plied his trade as a fishing guide until 1987. He later wrote a novel, “Sanibel Flats,” named one of the 100 best mystery novels of the 20th century. Beginner’s luck? Hardly. White’s 13th novel in the Doc Ford series, “Dark Light,” was released in 2006.

A natural storyteller and a biology buff, White has found his own version of paradise here. Here’s his top five.

1. Scope out Sanibel’s Wildlife

"Touring, boat tours, taking a look at the manatees, saltwater ’crocs – even though it’s a small place, it has a number of things to see in terms of natural history," says the writer. If you drift slowly among mangroves, you might see mullet feeding, crabs, barnacles, immature fish, oysters, snapper and sheepshead. "You may also surprise very large fish, such as mature snook or grouper, a too-seldom-experienced pleasure," White says. Paddle the Great Calusa Blueway. "You’ll not only see plenty of wildlife, but you’ll also see the (shell) mounds of people who were contemporaries of the Maya and the Aztec. You’ll be traveling that waterway much the same way that people were traveling it 5,000 years ago."

2. Check Out the Fish

Go fishing. "Charter a fishing guide, and you’ll learn more in a day than you will (on your own) in a year," the writer says. Or head out to Boca Grande Pass in a boat and watch the professional and amateur fishermen jockey for position during tarpon season (but be sure to stay out of the way of the frenzy). You’ll see "different boats vying for the same fish – the theater and human comedy of it all."

3. Coast Up to Restaurants

Go restaurant hopping by boat – getting there really is half the fun. Try the Cabbage Key Inn on Cabbage Key, Pineland’s Tarpon Lodge/Restaurant and Bonita Bill’s in Fort Myers Beach. "Each small island has its own society, so it’s a little bit like traveling from state to state," says White.

4. Take in the Sunset

Watch the sun set into the water at Pineland. "It’s a quiet and intimate place" to see day turn into night, says White.

5. Go Star Gazing

Watch stars fall from the sky. In August, go out on a boat, anchor and watch the annual Perseids meteorite shower. You can also get a good view from the beach. White says, "The sky is so clear and clean that you can get a great look."