About Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Sanibel and Captiva Islands are located on the south west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. Formed around 5,000 years ago Sanibel and Captiva are a little over 24 miles long and 3 miles wide at their widest point. With beautiful white sand beaches teeming with seashells, voted top ten beaches in the United States, Sanibel and Captiva have been a favorite destination for tourists all over the world. Original visitors to the island had to arrive via boat or ferry until 1963 when the Sanibel Causeway was completed.

The City of Sanibel incorporated in 1976 with their main objective being to curb the massive development pressures that other areas of Florida have seen. As a result of their efforts almost two thirds of Sanibel Island is conservation lands set aside for the preservation of wildlife. In fact 7,400 acres of the total land area of 11,600 acres are set aside for this purpose. The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation www.sccf.org are the two major organizations on the island charged with the mission of preserving the natural beauty of our islands. The pristine natural setting and white sand beaches are what gives our islands such a unique appeal.

Sanibel Island is considered by many travel experts to be the best area in the U.S. to find shells. Due to its east-west placement, gulf currents and breezes deposit mountains of shells (more than 400 species) onto the beach. Low tide and after a storm are optimum times for finding treasures, but you can also take a romantic shelling charter to secret beaches and sandbars where shells have escaped damage from offshore reefs. Check out some of the guided tours to the best shelling spots along the barrier islands.

Sanibel also offers over 26 miles of bike trails and over 17 miles of beautiful beaches. Sanibel is home to a grade K-8 A rated school www.sanibelschool.com and several fun service clubs. Also adding to the charm and appeal of our beautiful islands are Big Arts (BIG ARTS, Barrier Island Group for the Arts, is a local program to further appreciation of the arts, offering classes in literature, pottery, dance, foreign language, and much more.), the Old School Theater, and many charming local restaurants ranging from fine world-class dining to fun family fair. An average temperature of 74 degrees doesn’t hurt either.

J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is located on Sanibel Island, a subtropical barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, hemmed by mangrove trees, shallow bays and white sandy beaches. Two thousand eight hundred and twenty five (2,825) acres of the 6,300-acre refuge have been designated as Wilderness Area.

Located approximately 15 miles southwest of Ft. Myers FL, on Sanibel Island, the refuge is connected to the mainland by the three mile long Sanibel Causeway.
Originally named the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge, the name was changed in 1967 to honor Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, an editorial cartoonist, pioneer conservationist and originator of the federal Duck Stamp Program. Darling, who was the first director of what is now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wintered on the neighboring island of Captiva.

The refuge is made up of several habitat types: estuarine habitat consisting of open water, sea grass beds, mud flats and mangrove islands, and interior freshwater habitats consisting of: open water ponds, spartina swales, and west Indian hardwood hammocks/ridges. Two brackish water impoundments totaling 800 acres are managed for mosquito control and are used extensively by waterfowl and wading birds.

The refuge has a large diversity of species. Approximately 238 bird species have been identified utilizing refuge habitats, as well as 51 species of reptiles and amphibians and 32 species of mammals. Several threatened and endangered species benefit from the habitats described: eastern indigo snakes, American alligators, American crocodiles, bald eagles, wood storks, peregrine falcons, west Indian manatees, and Atlantic loggerhead turtles. Other wildlife includes ospreys, raccoons, otters, brown pelicans and moorhens.

A five-mile drive provides access to the estuarine-mangrove habitat. Tram tours are offered at least twice daily except Fridays, when the Wildlife Drive is closed. The "Ding" Darling refuge also offers a visitor center, 5 hiking trails, fresh & salt water fishing, canoe & kayak rentals, guided interpretive programs, a wildlife observation tower and wildlife photography. For rentals of canoes, kayaks, family pontoon boats, fishing equipment and bicycles, please contact the Tarpon Bay Explorers at 900 Tarpon Bay Rd.

Guided Tours available: Kayak and Canoe through Commodore Creek, Sunset Paddle, Sea Life and Nature Cruise, Breakfast and Evening Cruise, Touch Tank Exploration, Fishing Charters. And don't miss the fabulous gift shop. For reservations and information, please call (239) 472-8900.

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is open every day except Friday. The entrance fee is $5 per automobile, or $1 per pedestrian/cyclist, and is payable via the honor system: You are asked to put your money in a box near the entrance to the loop road. The Wildlife Drive opens daily beginning 1/2 hour after sunrise and closes 1/2 before sunset Sun-Thursday. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9-4 during summer months, and from 9-5 during the months of Nov-Apr. For reservations and information, please call (239) 472-0101.

Other sites to check out:

www.dingdarlingsociety.org
www.dingdarling.org