Sanibel Island - Where and Advice
Feb 16, 2021 09:39:53 #
Be sure to get a dry bag for the boat trip. They pack small and are get for carrying and protecting gear!
Feb 16, 2021 09:44:06 #
Feb 16, 2021 09:45:05 #
A national park pass will get you onto the wildlife loop without admission fee.
Handy if you go numerous times.
Handy if you go numerous times.
Feb 16, 2021 09:53:22 #
BassmanBruce wrote:
A national park pass will get you onto the wildlife loop without admission fee.
Handy if you go numerous times.
Handy if you go numerous times.
Definitely! I'd forgotten to mention that in my response. Sorry.
Feb 16, 2021 10:18:01 #
BassmanBruce wrote:
Ding Darling wildlife loop is closed on Fridays.
To get into corkscrew you must pre register this year (covid regulations)
Best of luck, and have fun!
Edit: sorry, couldn’t get link to corkscrew to stick. Just google it, you can register there.
To get into corkscrew you must pre register this year (covid regulations)
Best of luck, and have fun!
Edit: sorry, couldn’t get link to corkscrew to stick. Just google it, you can register there.
Thanks for the info, I wasn't aware of that!
Feb 16, 2021 10:43:57 #
MaxxtheDog wrote:
Good point. After all, it is all insured anyway.
Indeed. If you are going to do the loop in a car Id surely take all of them! We usually do the bike thing which kind of dictates one camera and lens unless I wear a backpack. In my case that is a Canon 7D MK II, 100-400L 1.4x converter and I throw a 50mm in my pocket. Low tide is best but there are plenty of birds in the bushes close to the road too at higher tides. Like this Tri Color Heron at high tide.
Feb 16, 2021 11:02:41 #
nimbushopper wrote:
Ding Darling is right on the island, so it's a must! I've never had a problem with sand or salt water as long as it's not very windy. You are also fairly close to Corkscrew Sanctuary, which has a great boardwalk giving you good access to wildlife very comfortably. I would go with two bodies, one with a 24-70, and the other 200-500. That way you can do landscapes and tight wildlife shots without changing lenses in the field.
I agree about both sites. Also, we walked through the Bailey Tract on Sanibel and saw not only numerous birds but a gigantic alligator.
Feb 16, 2021 11:38:49 #
Sidwalkastronomy wrote:
No matter how careful you are sand and salt air (becomes just salt) are enemies of cameras and lens. I live at the NJ shore and see what salt air does.
Water, sand and salt air are also the enemy of the effectiveness of the masks you should be wearing. Take a lot of extra masks. The area has been a hot spot frequently. It has been trending down recently, but we are a long way from herd immunity. As soon as a mask gets damp, change it.
Feb 16, 2021 11:50:16 #
Stan Wieg
Loc: Fair Oaks, CA
Randy Wayne White has written a bunch of thrillers about a marine biologist that lives near Sanibel and moonlights as a secret agent. Doc Ford is the series; there is often a wildlife plot device. Good read before you go.
Feb 16, 2021 11:51:26 #
Stan Wieg wrote:
Randy Wayne White has written a bunch of thrillers about a marine biologist that lives near Sanibel and moonlights as a secret agent. Doc Ford is the series; there is often a wildlife plot device. Good read before you go.
Feb 16, 2021 12:07:57 #
MaxxtheDog wrote:
Hi Photo Brain, br I'm heading to Sanibel with th... (show quote)
Use the 500 and get the latest/greatest Nikkor 70-300 - much more user friendly for travel ! - Tho, you could use the 200-500 - just more work and less fun ....
.
Feb 16, 2021 12:08:13 #
Sanibel Island is great for three things:
1. The best shelling beach I have ever found.
2. The beach in early morning is awash with the small beach birds with the fast legs. Be prepared to get low to photo them properly.
3. Ding Darling is great, but the first order of business is to check the tides and wait for low tide. At high tide the water is too deep and few birds show up.
1. The best shelling beach I have ever found.
2. The beach in early morning is awash with the small beach birds with the fast legs. Be prepared to get low to photo them properly.
3. Ding Darling is great, but the first order of business is to check the tides and wait for low tide. At high tide the water is too deep and few birds show up.
Feb 16, 2021 13:03:30 #
Sidwalkastronomy wrote:
No matter how careful you are sand and salt air (becomes just salt) are enemies of cameras and lens. I live at the NJ shore and see what salt air does.
If you are going to be on Sanibel I would make this recommendation. After your wildlife shoot eat supper at the Mucky Duck resturant at the end of Captiva. Captiva is a smaller island than Sanibel but is attached at the far end of the island via a little bridge, no toll. The purpose for this is sunset. Take your longest lens/tripod combo and after supper (making sure you time it to be done by sunset) walk out to the beach (Next to the resturant) for one of the most wonderful places in the world for sunset pictures. You won't be alone but there is plenty of room. Parking is a premium on the islands but the Mucky Duck will let you continue to park there for free after your meal and the menu is reasonably priced and pretty tasty.
I have included an example of a sunset picture I took there last year. I used a long lens, 150-600 Tamron G2 but 300 will work very well. The Pelicans were very cooperative.
Don't leave your best lenses behind. This is what they are for, just be careful with them and keep them in a case when not on the camera.
Feb 16, 2021 13:56:45 #
ladysue
Loc: Rhinebeck, NY
We were told to drive to the Sanibel lighthouse on the eastern tip of the island (there is parking) just before sunrise. There will be people already on the beach collecting seashells. We happened upon Don and Lillian Stokes (famous authors) who were there as well. Two dolphins were swimming along the shore only 6 feet from the sand. As stated here, you don't have to worry about salt or sand. The air is dry and there is not much wind. On the boat, you may need some protection.
An absolute must is to visit the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary which is further south on the mainland. Best bet to see a variety of birds, owls, alligators, etc. if water level is high enough. Another day, go to the Venice Rookery north, on the mainland. And, of course, Ding Darling Refuge.
The Sanibel Fish House has great food and is reasonable, amongst most restaurants which are expensive.
An absolute must is to visit the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary which is further south on the mainland. Best bet to see a variety of birds, owls, alligators, etc. if water level is high enough. Another day, go to the Venice Rookery north, on the mainland. And, of course, Ding Darling Refuge.
The Sanibel Fish House has great food and is reasonable, amongst most restaurants which are expensive.
Feb 16, 2021 14:06:05 #
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.