Island living is expensive. Even when there is a heavily tolled bridge placing you just a few minutes from the mainland, there is still hurricane insurance to pay, and there’s a limited amount of real estate. While the actual tourist attractions (of which the shell museum and wildlife refuge are both recommended) on Sanibel were quite affordable, we paid steep premiums for lodging and food. The island is distinctive, with its bike trails and unique shops, but was oddly dead in this its off season. Despite avoiding chintzy tourist trap-ville, this stark dependence on seasonal visitors left the town without charm.

Nature is the largest selling point on the island however. And our cottage was a few steps from the beach. We watched the storm off the coast, and then later walked along the beach in the moonlight.

Hurricane Charley, a category four hurricane with 143 mph winds, hit Sanibel in 2004. “While much of the native vegetation survived, the non-native Australian pines suffered serious damage, blocking nearly every road.” (wiki, USGS before and after pictures.)

Of course much has regrown since then. There is a lushness to the vegetation which, although is made of many of the same species as around Tampa Bay 2 1/2 hours to the north, is a bit denser, with thicker vines, everything clamoring over each other.

Over half the island is wildlife refuges. This is the Calusa Shell Mound Trail, in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Native Americans have accumulated shell middens in this area for thousands of years. The Calusa Indians developed a sophisticated fishery culture that lasted until the 1700’s. “Mollusk shells and wood were used to make hammering and pounding tools. Mollusks shells and shark teeth were used for grating, cutting, carving and engraving.” Fishing nets made from with palm-fiber cord were weighted with mollusk shells and had floats made from cultivated gourds. (wiki)

Not a native, looks to be dragonfruit, a climbing, night-blooming cactus

Most of the J.N. “Ding” Darling refuge is mangrove forests and tidal flats. A 5 mile, one-way road winds through it. We went through the refuge twice. The first time was midday, low tide, and there were many more wading birds, several roseate spoonbills, osprey, a pied-billed grebe, and our first sighting of a reddish egret. It was also a weekend, and a persistent trickle of cars rolled past us.

Mangrove skipper (thanks Mom)

Blue morning glory

Cormorant

The next morning at sunrise we went back to the refuge, and were the only ones there. The tide was in, the fish were jumping, and the kingfishers and cardinals were flittering around.