Keewaydin

  • Located between Marco Island and Isles of Capri
  • 80% on the island is undeveloped
  • Rookery Bay monitors wildlife on this island- such as deer, hogs, birds, turtles
  • This island has an endless amount of shells

Coconut Island

  • Hurricane Donna formed this island in 1960, separating is from Marco Island near Tiger Tail beach
  • In 1990 the island started to shrink and eventually disappeared in 2005
  • The island remerged in 2011 and is now a sanctuary for nesting birds
  • Coconut Island is known for award winning shelling – especially Junonia shells
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Sea Turtles

  • There are only 7 types of Sea Turtles: Green Sea Turtle, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, Olive Ridley, Flatback
  • Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green Sea Turtles live in our area of Southwest Florida
  • Loggerhead is the most popular turtle in Florida and is named Loggerhead because of its blocklike head
  • Leatherback Sea Turtles are the larges of all of the sea turtles, the biggest Leatherback Turtle recorded was 10 feet long and weighed over 2,000 pounds
  • Green Sea Turtles are also popular in our area, hundreds of Green Sea Turtles nest on the Florida beaches during June through September

Manatees

  • Manatees, also known as Sea Cows, are the ocean’s largest herbivores
  • They can hold their breath underwater for 15 to 20 minutes
  • The average adult manatee is about 10 feet long and weighs between 800 – 1,000 pounds
  • Manatees are gentle and slow moving animals, spending most of their time easting, resting and traveling
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Dolphins

  • The kind of dolphin you will see in our area are the Bottlenose Dolphins
  • Dolphins are extremely intelligent animals and scientists believe that Dolphins are the second most intelligent animal, following humans
  • Dolphins love to play with members of their pod, other animals in the sea and love it give us a show here in Southwest Florida

Birds

  • The local birds of Southwest Florida include: Herons, Egrets (Eagles), Gulls, Terns, and other common birds like Osprey
  • Nesting Birds include: Least Tern, Black Skimmer, Snowy Plover, American Oystercatcher, Wilson’s Plover and Willet
  • November to May is known for the best bird watching in this area and nesting time takes place from February to October
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Mangroves

  • Mangroves are the only species of tree that can tolerate saltwater
  • Mangroves are extremely important because they help stabilize Florida’s coastline ecosystem and prevent erosion
  • They provide habitats for many different animals such as racoons, birds, crabs, shrimp, fish

Shelling

  • The rarest shell in Florida is the Scaphella Junonia, worth up to $100
  • The top two beaches in Florida for shelling are Tigertail Beach and South Beach on Marco Island
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