Sanibel

Shell Island

Sanibel is famous for shells. "It's because the island runs east to west," is the common refrain as this gives the island miles of south-facing beach that gradually slopes downward.

As you can see in this photo from the U.S. Geological Survey, the continental shelf here extends dramatically farther than on Florida's east coast. This is why meteorologists feared a massive storm surge during Hurricane Irma. The same phenomenon brings in the seashells.

I must confess, however, that on my first trips to Sanibel, I wasn't that impressed. I was expecting larger shells--the kind you can put to your ear and hear the ocean. Sanibel's offerings seemed so small and white, all the same. So boring.

I was mistaken.

There's beauty and color and diversity in those mounds of seashells. Some of my favorites are tinged with pink: the rose-petal tellins, the coral-colored coquinas, and scallops, to name a few.

And they're not all small.The Horse Conch, Florida's native shell, can grow up to two feet.

The Florida Fighting Conch is a good-sized shell. But make sure that the snail who lives inside no longer resides there before you decide to add one to your collection. It's against the law to remove live shells on Sanibel, and, trust me, you don't want to deal with a dying mollusk.

My favorite shell this week is the Jingle, more formally known as the Anomia Simplex, a bivalve like an oyster or a clam, that's got a shiny, translucent, papery look. It's disheartening to learn that the captivating shell you found on the beach is just a common thing, easily found, nothing very special.

But I picked this one during a sunset walk after the storm that didn't bring the dreaded surge but, instead, reshaped our beach with shells. A rare find.

For insight into all the shells on Sanibel Island, check out Pam Rambo's lovely blog.

Notes from the Cone of Uncertainty

Boarding up the windows on Sanibel Island

They're boarding up the resort down the beach.

Some of the women I play tennis with have already left the island. "Heading as far west as possible," said one.

"I'm staying," declared another. "We were here for Charley. Lost power for nine days. No water for three. We had to use our neighbors' swimming pools. . .."

"For drinking water?"

"No. For washing."

Photo from Hurricane Charley from The Captiva Fishing Report

Hurricane Charley was the Category 4 storm that landed on the northern part of Captiva and the lower end of North Captiva. The winds from Charley ripped apart homes and businesses and downed hundreds of trees, particularly the invasive, non-native Australian Pines like the one featured in this photo from The Captiva Fishing Report. "I rode through Charley," said the man behind the fish counter at Jerry's. "All you need's water and propane and a cooler of meat."

Almost everyone here has a Charley story. There wasn't much advance warning for that hurricane, and many people found themselves trapped when the Sanibel Causeway shut down.

The three-mile long Causeway includes little islands that make a beautiful spot for fishing or watching the sunset in the summer months but don't hold up too well during a storm surge.

The Sanibel Causeway

Traffic jam at the island Speedway

Jerry's Grocery Store

Meanwhile, gas lines are growing longer while prices are going up, and the 24-packs of bottled water were sold out at Jerry's grocery store.

Lining up the boats at the marina

They're pulling the boats out of the Sanibel Marina, including our Bella. (Taking delivery of a new boat just before a hurricane isn't the best timing.) But, as a man at the marina shop noted, if the wall of the eye of a Category 5 hurricane passes over, it doesn't matter where you've got your boat parked.

We met some tourists on the beach this morning. This couple from Pittsburgh were supposed to be staying in the Keys for another week, but they're driving up the Panhandle instead. "Did you drive down?" I asked, surprised. "No, but all the flights home are booked," they said. They're renting a car that they'll probably take all the way back to Pennsylvania.

From the Weather Channel this morning

On the other hand, a woman from South Bend, Indiana is settled in and has no intention of cutting her vacation short. She's got another week to go and plans to spend it right here.

As for us, we're probably going to shutter up the house, pack up the dogs, and head up I-75 to Gainesville.
The latest projections from the "Euro Model Ensembles" (which make me think of a glamorous singing group) cover most of the state of Florida so it may be we're in the path either way. Makes me think of that Clash song. "Should we stay or should we go? If we go there will be trouble. An if we stay it will be double."

Wish Irma would let us know soon.

Sanibel Safari: The Big Five and Where to Find Them

The "Big Five" typically refers to the most elusive beasts to track in Africa: lions, leopards, elephants, black rhinos, and buffalo -- the must-see animals on an African safari.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands boast acres of nature preserves, protected mangroves, and creatures -- many, many creatures. In my opinion, the Big Five here are manatees, dolphins, alligators, loggerhead sea turtles, and sharks. You may prefer not to see alligators or sharks, but here's where you might catch a glimpse on your next visit over the Causeway.

Jensen's Marina on Captiva Island

Manatees
The best place to see these gentle seacows is paddling through the coves of the Pine Island Sound or from the shore at Jensen's Marina on Captiva where manatees graze along the docks. Jensen's is a charming place where you can rent bungalows to stay and boats to explore the islands.

Manatees look like darkish blobs in the water, but if you watch carefully, you may be rewarded with a glimpse of a snout or the rounded clip of a tail.

What most photos of manatees look like

You may also spot manatees on a boat tour in Tarpon Bay (Tarpon Bay Explorers) or swimming near Cayo Costa -- rent a pontoon or go with Captiva Cruises. If you're very lucky, you might come face to face with one. Bring your goggles!

Alligators
Alligators thrive on the island. Don't be lulled by their sluggish lounging-around: these creatures are fast and deadly. As my mother says, expect an alligator in any body of water in Florida. Heed Sanibel's warnings about alligators.

If you're planning to play golf, you won't have to look hard for 'gators since they hang out near the ponds and canals, adding extra meaning to the term "water hazards". If a ball lands too close to one . . . take the penalty.

Other places to see alligators include the Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve and along the bike path in the section that runs behind Rabbit Road or that winds near the old cemetery between Algiers and Middle Gulf Drive. If you're near Casa Ybel resort around dusk, take a look at the little island in the middle of the pond that borders the road and you may be rewarded with a glimpse the alligator that rules over the turtles, fish, and other creatures in the area.

Resist the urge to climb over the barrier for a photo op.

Loggerhead sea turtles

The Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation in action.

If you're on Sanibel between the months of May and October, you may catch the wondrous
sight of a loggerhead sea turtle laying her eggs along the beaches on the Gulfside of the island or the hatchlings making their crawl to the sea. If you do, keep a good distance and avoid shining your cell phone or any flashlights, and please abide by these guidelines from the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation.

During the nesting season, you'll see yellow tent-like structures on the beach marking where SCCF has found nests, each of which contains 100 or more eggs. Somewhere between 45 to 60 days later, the eggs hatch and the little turtles make their way to the sea. Or they try: some become prey, others wander in the wrong direction, and a few get left behind in the nest. In the morning, the SCCF patrol the beach with their golf cart to check out the tracks in the sand for evidence of hatchlings. If you walk along the shore between 7-9 am, you may see the SCCF turtle patrol in action and, if they have time, they'll let you see any baby turtles left over in the nest.

Sharks
They're out there. They're not all as big as this thirteen-foot hammerhead. But they're definitely a lot of sharks swimming in the warm waters surrounding Sanibel and Captiva. The good news is that most sharks are not as interested in us as we are in them. You probably won't have to worry about sharks if you stick to the commonsense guidelines: don't swim at night, dusk or dawn as this is hunting and feeding time; avoid swimming near fisherman in shallow water; etc. We saw this one prowling along the shore in October around sunset. Like I said, they're out there.

Dolphins
The Pine Island Sound is a year-round home to approximately 350 bottlenose dolphins, and, contrary to sharks, these crowd-pleasing animals seem as fascinated by us as we are by them.

You can see dolphins swimming in the Gulf or in the Sound. Just about every sea captain in the area can entice these beautiful animals to dive and play in the wake of a boat. The best at this is the Sanibel Thriller that operates out of the Sanibel Marina.

You can also find dolphins in Tarpon Bay during a kayak or pontoon outing. Or, for those who prefer not to venture onto the water, keep your eyes offshore during morning walks along the Gulf beaches.

Enjoy beautiful Sanibel Island!

(Manatee snout and turtle hatchling photo credits to K. Dunbar.)

From the South of France to the Southwest of Florida

Sanibel Island is a little wildlife sanctuary just off the Gulf Coast of Florida. It's not the Riviera -- no glam movie stars traipsing down the red carpet or European royalty sunning on yachts in the bay. But we've got manatees and dolphins and pelicans, and a laid-back vibe that greets you, along with the ospreys, as you cross the Causeway.

This long-dormant blog is traveling from the South of France to the Southwest of Florida. . .most likely with a few stops in between. Thanks for stopping by.

Habsburgs and hotdogs

The first time that Jeff and I went to Vienna we traveled there by bus from the town in Moravia where we were working at a university earning $100 a month, the average wage in what was then Czechoslovakia. It was 1991, not long after the Velvet Revolution, and our eyes had adjusted to the monotone colors of the post-Communist world. (Olomouc's main square on the right.)

In Vienna, the shops full of fur coats, Rolex watches, and elaborate cakes dazzled us; the prices shocked us. By sheer chance, we had a care package from Nancy with us because we hadn't had time to bring it back to our dorm room before catching the bus. We cursed the bulkiness of the box as we tromped through Vienna looking for a hotel we could afford.

But we were so grateful for Nancy's care package on our last day there when we had hours to go before the bus home and not even a schilling left for the ladies' room. We had a poor man's picnic of peanut butter direct from America and the rolls we'd stuffed in our pockets from the breakfast buffet that morning.

We went back to Vienna several times after that and, as our income grew, we could appreciate the deliciousness of Demel's, the English language bookshops, and the joy of spending a cold day inside a cozy weinstube. With so many memories of Vienna wrapped up in our Czech experience, we had to stop there with Luke on our way to Prague.

Vienna still dazzles with opulence, clinging to the glory days of the Hapsburg Empire. But the city's musty imperialism is offset, at least to a small extent, by more pedestrian traditions.

On our way back from dinner and a leisurely stroll through the streets crowded with late night revelers, we stumbled upon modernVienna's more egalitarian sense of grandeur.

The State Opera house was putting on Anna Bolena, and to our delight, and that of a hundred others who didn't have tickets, there was a live simulcast of the performance for the passersby. We stood for a while and enjoyed the music and spectacle that didn't cost us a cent. Too bad they didn't do this back in '91.