Things in their proper place: A Sanibel perspective

Sanibel is home to many creatures great and small, as well as terra firma for various flora.

But not all of them belong here.

And when something that is not indigenous invades, it is big trouble for the native inhabitants and a lot of work for the humans who reside here as well.

One blatant example of the misplaced was that of the Brazilian pepper. Brazilian pepper was introduced from its native range in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub that grows upwards of 40’ tall and due to its invasive nature in Florida, it is responsible for destroying thousands of acres of wildlife habitat on Sanibel.

To combat the damage and danger, The City’s Brazilian Pepper Eradication Program was adopted by City Council in 1996. The goal of this ambitious program is to rid the entire island of this invasive exotic plant. The program called for six zones of plant removal with various levels of mandates. It has been and continues to be a major project for the Island.

And then there has been the introduction of "exotic" pets such as the Burmese Python and monitor lizard that now call the Island home, encroaching on the survival statistics of indigenous species in the eat or be eaten world.

In these former two cases, the cross over was purely deliberate even if the outcome was not imagined.

But much benign, though equally potentially harmful "guests", have come to Sanibel in ways that were not imagined either. The Cuban Tree Frog is a current and good example. The Cuban treefrog spreads not only via ornamental plants, but also by motorized vehicles, trailered boats, and many other unusual methods.

This spread is devastating to the indigenous frogs because the Cuban treefrog grows to twice the size of both the green and squirrel treefrogs and is capable of eating them. Furthermore, the Cuban treefrog tadpole is a superior competitor to native tadpoles, causing even more pressure on the indigenous species. It also appears to be negatively impacting certain smaller fish in the locales it has moved into.

The Cuban treefrog readily gets into homes and condominiums, swims in toilets, can be found under sinks, has been known to short out electrical boxes, and generally wreaks havoc on the environment. Studies are now under way to explore the use of biological or chemical deterrents to halt or at least slow the continued spread of this invasive species.

Sanibel is indeed a paradise, but even a paradise has to be on guard!

Lunar effects on People and Dolphin Down Sanibel Way

Years before we purchased our vacation rental condo or house on Sanibel Island, I was smitten with a movie called El Boto. A "boto" is a kind of dolphin most often found in Brazil. And since I loved wild life, loved fantasy and loved Brazil, the movie was right up my alley.




El Boto is a strange, obscure Brazilian film that takes place in a picturesque fishing village, where the men spend their days at sea while their women wait for them on shore. A "Boto," visits the lonely women, and takes them as lovers before disappearing into the sea. One woman in particular becomes known as the "Boto's woman" and he returns after some years to reunite with her. "El Boto" is special in that it is a truly erotic film, without being at all explicit. The tale is based on Brazilian folklore and is certainly unique, and enchanting besides. One drawback of this fine film is that many scenes are filmed at night, by moonlight, and they are so dimly lit that it isn't always easy to see what is going on, but one does begin connecting the dolphin's appearance with the coming of the moon.



Like most people, I had grown up (half) believing the moon myths....of werewolves and insanity brought on by moon glow, though never had I seen evidence of such. But Isaac Asimov, author and professor of biochemistry, wrote an essay about the moon saying that the business of attributing strange powers to moon "shine" has validity. "Every once in a while, for instance, I hear of reports concerning statistical studies that seem to show that drugs have pronouncedly different effects on the human body according to the phases of the Moon, that crimes of violence, homicide, and suicide are particularly numerous when the Moon is full, and so on and so on. This makes it seem that there may be something to old folk-beliefs concerning the importance of the Moon, such as the one that different plants ought to be sowed at particular phases of the Moon."




Certainly no one can deny that the presence of the moon has an effect on the tides.



But I would further suggest that the moon not only invites playfulness on the beach among humans, but has dolphins dancing in the dark.



Don't believe me? Then come to Sanibel during a full moon, plant yourself on the beach and watch the dolphins jump over the moon.

Sanibel Pops with Never Ending Photo Opps!

I am humbled by the many great photographs I have seen taken on Sanibel Island over the years. No, really I mean it. It takes patience to get that perfect shot, as well as luck in both subject matter and weather. We have been coming to the Island for over 14 years, and though we have some wonderful pix, we are generally so busy while there attending to our vacation rental properties that running about finding great photo opportunities is pretty low down on our list of things to do.




But thankfully, our guests----and particularly those that stay in our home, Toucan House----find no such obstacles in their way.



So when I heard from the Wyoming family who rented Toucan House for the month of May that they loved the home and had a wonderful time on the Island, I was gratified. But the appreciation doubled when I saw the pictures one of the group had taken. The photo here, titled by the photographer "Sanibel Line Dance" is one of several that truly tickled my sense of humor.



The photographs are compellingly composed and crystal clear. And I just loved Terry's whimsy in coming up with the descriptions.



Like many who come to the Island, he and his family love collecting shells. But there are times when the shell collecting is less bountiful than others. The weather, movement of the Gulf and tides do make a difference in the number and variety of shells to be found, but whether shells are in abundance or not, wild life always seems to be.


In Terry's words: "....I happened to buy a Nikon camera while I was staying at your house, which has transformed my whole beach experience. It used to be disappointing when there weren't many shells on the beach, but now I simply switch into photographic mode, and there seems like there is always something of interest to photograph, especially when one gets out early.....Bowman's Beach is surely the best place ....for photographing nature and wildlife. "



Well, looking at Terry's pix, I would have to agree. Take a look for yourself and enjoy what you see: http://terribleter.deviantart.com/

Sanibel and Sunshine: Things to Know Before You Go

We are full throttle into summer, the days are hot and sunny and though off set by other factors, visitors should not be mislead. Neither the cooling waters of the Gulf nor the balmy breeze through the trees will protect you from the sun's rays. If you want to be outdoors, the only real defense against sun burn is staying in the shade.


But, hey, who is going to come all the way to the beautiful and tropical Island of Sanibel and stay in the shade all day? You know you will want to jump into the sea, take a dip in the pool, bike the Island or in some way immerse yourself in the inviting embrace of el sol.


But before you slather up, there are some things to keep in mind about the efficacy and impact of using sun screen. According to recent research, some sun tan lotions are more harmful than beneficial.

A form of vitamin A is added to some sunscreens to minimize the aging effects of the sun. What’s not to love about that? Potentially plenty: Researchers with the National Toxicology Program say retinyl palmitate–a vitamin-A compound used in at least 40 percent of American sunscreens–may speed up the development of skin cancer–related tumors and lesions when used on skin hit with sunlight.

And Vitamin A isn’t the only controversial ingredient slipped into some SPFs. Oxybenzone and octinoxate, common block chemicals, are linked to allergic contact dermatitis and photocontact dermatitis (irritation caused when certain chemicals are on skin that’s exposed to sunlight), as well as hormone disruption, in lab animals. But your sun screen can not only damage you, it can damage the environment as well.

Twenty thousand tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers, divers, and surfers into the oceans every year, eventually affecting marine life, according to a 2008 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. And coral reefs are getting especially creamed. Researchers say sunscreens with octinoxate, oxybenzone, parabens, or camphor derivatives are killing hard corals (which could negatively impact biodiversity and reef ecosystems). None of this is a problem if you’re hiking, biking, or sunbathing on dry land. But if you plan to swim in the sea, slather on a biodegradable sunscreen that doesn’t contain ingredients that are mean to marine life.


Before using any sunscreen, make sure it has not expired, has been stored properly, and that any medication you are on will not make you more prone to burning.


Sanibel sunshine awaits your arrival, but do play it safe!