Wildlife thrives on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel - The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

Wildlife thrives on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

CONTACTS:
Jackie MacKay, (407) 814-0014 or (407) 496-1770
Lee Rose, (239) 338-3500

LEE COUNTY, FL -- Bird watching and wildlife viewing are two of the most popular American pastimes, and for travel agents with clients seeking the ultimate bird watching and wildlife sanctuary, nowhere can it be enjoyed more fully than in The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel.

Southwest Florida boasts more than one million acres of nature sanctuaries, most of which have paths or boardwalks that allow visitors to easily explore and enjoy. These refuges boast unspoiled wetlands where everyone can experience the beauty of the state in its virgin condition and an abundance of wildlife thriving in its native setting.

The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, named for 1920's Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and pioneer environmentalist Jay Norwood Darling, is a 6,400-acre tract on the northeast side of Sanibel Island. The refuge features delightful footpaths, winding canoe/kayak trails and a four-mile scenic drive, all of which are lush with seagrape, wax and salt myrtles, red mangrove, cabbage or sabal palms and other native plant varieties. A booklet, available from the refuge's interpretative center, highlights points of interest and observation towers, where naturalists will get their best view of a variety of fauna and flora.

Meandering through a lush mangrove forest is the Commodore Creek Canoe Trail, a 1.5 mile waterway named after an early homesteader, and the three-mile Buck Key Kayak Trail. For the active visitor, Canoe Adventures, Tarpon Bay Explorers and Captiva Kayak & Wildside Adventures rent canoes and kayaks. A guided tour with a naturalist is essential for maximum appreciation of the refuge. During a stimulating walk, canoe trip or drive, visitors may see one of many endangered or threatened species, some of which are relatively common here. Shy white pelicans, roseate spoonbills (often mistaken for flamingos), manatees, wood storks, bald eagles, American peregrine falcons, ospreys, herons, American alligators and Atlantic loggerhead turtles have been sited frequently. The refuge is open from 7:30 a.m. to sundown, Saturday through Thursday, and closed on Fridays. There is a $5 charge to drive through and a $1 fee to bike or walk. Further information can be obtained from the refuge manager at (239) 472-1100.

Located near the Darling refuge is the Sanibel-Captiva Nature Conservation Foundation, which features a nature center, native plant nursery, gift shop and 4.5 miles of nature trails. More information can be obtained by calling the foundation at (239) 472-2329.

The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, located on Ortiz Boulevard southeast of Fort Myers, maintains bird and butterfly aviaries, a short boardwalk through a natural swamp and several exhibits in a central building. The planetarium offers day and evening presentations, laser light shows, lectures and special programs. Field trips and guided tours also are available. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children. For a list of programs and exhibits, call (239) 275-3435.

One of the area's most charming and distinctive parks is Lovers Key State Park on Black Island, just south of Fort Myers Beach. A delightful tram transports visitors along a rustic boardwalk, crossing picturesque Oyster Bay and a scenario of mangrove isles, to one of the most private public beaches anywhere. Lovers Key is fraught with romantic possibilities and claims a section of unspoiled beach where one can cast at surf line, picnic with raccoons, bird watch and search the shoreline for seashells. Admission, including the tram ride, is $3 for a single occupied vehicle, $5 for up to eight people in one vehicle, and $1 per person for walk-ins and bicyclists.

Originally founded and funded by Lee County naturalists and now maintained under a stewardship agreement, Matanzas Pass Wilderness Preserve on Estero Island (Fort Myers Beach) overlooks Estero Bay. The preserve has 56 acres of unspoiled live oak hammock and 4,000 feet of mangrove shoreline, all of which can be explored from an elevated boardwalk. The preserve is free to the public and open from sunup to sundown.

Equally beautiful is Mound Key, which is largely constructed from shells deposited there by Calusa Indians several centuries ago. A favorite with professional archaeologists, history buffs and picnickers, Mound Key is accessible only by boat from the southern tip of Estero Island.

Also accessible only by boat, and well worth the trip, is Cayo Costa State Island Preserve, north of Captiva Island in Pine Island Sound. One of the older barrier islands along the coast, Cayo Costa is a veritable paradise of deserted white-sand beaches, sabal palms, Australian pines, dense cabbage palm forests and gumbo limbo hammocks. The only full-time human residents on the island are the assistant park manager and two park rangers, who share this natural environment with sea birds and a few wild pigs. Because the island is fairly remote, its shores are noted for their excellent shelling potential. There are no paved roads, and primitive cabins provide the only rental shelter. For information on the island or cabin rentals, call the park manager at (941) 964-0375.

The true excitement of a real Florida adventure can be obtained through Babcock Wilderness Adventures east of North Fort Myers. Here, agents' clients can travel in a comfortable swamp buggy on a voyage through the beautiful woods and wildlife-populated waters of the Telegraph Cypress Swamp. Panthers, alligators, deer, wild turkey and boars abound in their natural settings. Tours run daily November through April from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and May through October in the mornings only. For reservations and information, call (800) 500-5583 or (941) 637-0551.

The mile-long boardwalk through the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, a natural "drainage-way" that collects rainfall runoff from a 57-square-mile watershed area, cleans the water as it flows southwest and delivers fresh water to the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve. Agents' clients interact with a variety of fauna and flora, mammals and reptiles in their natural habitat throughout the 2,000-acre wetland ecosystem. Located on Penzance Crossing and Six Mile Cypress Parkway, the preserve has a 75 cents-per-hour parking fee with a maximum of $3 for the day. Daily hours for October through March are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through September, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information and times of free walking tours, call (239) 432-2004.

Another option for clients to tour southwest Florida's subtropical and unspoiled waters is the Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass with Gulf Coast Kayak. They'll explore plant and animal habitats as they paddle through "Florida's rainforest" mangrove system. Nature tours leave daily from 9 a.m. to noon year-round for $40 per person. Trips to Matlacha, North Captiva Island, and Cayo Costa Island State Park with overnight and weekend options also are available. Moonlight on Matlacha, sunset birding and manatee watches offer something for everyone. For reservations and information, call (239) 283-1125.

Another informative exploration is available by visiting a marine research and educational facility. The Ostego Bay Foundation offers a touch-tank and aquarium exhibits. The Marine Science Center is open September through May, Wednesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays with varying hours. Field trips and group tours are available on weekdays by appointment. Ostego Bay is located under the Mantanzas Pass Sky Bridge just north of Fort Myers Beach. For information and summer Saturday hours, call (239) 765-8101.

Internationally recognized Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary southeast of Bonita Springs is a watershed and cypress forest owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. Visitors get to see varieties of wading and migratory birds and other wildlife on two miles of nature trails through the largest virgin bald cypress forest in the United States. Daily hours are 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 1 through April 10 and 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 11 through Sept. 30. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for full-time college students, $4 for school children ages 6 through 18, free for children younger than 6, and $5 for National Audubon Society members. For more information, call (239) 348-9151.

And finally, adventurer clients will thoroughly enjoy the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress Swamp, home of the National Audubon Society, both of which are a convenient day-trip from anywhere in the vicinity.

Travel agents interested in more information about wildlife adventures in The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel can visit www.FortMyersSanibel.com, where they'll find comprehensive destination information and a special "Tour and Travel" section designed specifically for their needs, including a Travel Agent Help Desk for customized assistance.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel include: Sanibel & Captiva islands, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs & Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres. Images are available upon request.