sanibel island miami florida Fort lauderdale florida photos and images

Sanibel Island and Captiva Island are located off the shore of Ft. Myers Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. You can get there by bridge. Sanibel is known for its white sand beaches and wonderful collection of shells. These photo's were taken at Bowman's Beach near Ding Darling Wildlife area and at the entrance to Captiva Island.

The city of Sanibel incorporates the entire island, with most of the town proper at the east end of the island. The community of Santiva is at the northwestern end of the island. After the causeway was built to replace the ferry in 1963 the residents fought back against overdevelopment by incorporating the island as a city in 1974. Sanibel and Captiva formed as one island about 6000 years ago. Southwest Florida rarely takes a direct strike by hurricanes, but every 20 or so years it takes a significant hit, and about every 40 years a major one. Most of these have had an impact on Sanibel.

Sanibel and Captiva formed as one island about 6000 years ago. The first humans in the area were the ancestors to the Calusa, who arrived about 2500 years ago. The Calusa were a powerful Indian nation who came to dominate most of southwest Florida through trade and their elaborate system of canals and waterways. Sanibel remained an important Calusa settlement until the collapse of their empire, soon after the arrival of the Europeans.

In 1765 the first known appearance of a harbor on Sanibel is labeled on a map, listed as Puerto de S. Nivel. An official Spanish map from 1768 identifies the island as Puerto de S. Nibel (the "v" and "b" being interchangeable); thus, the name may have evolved from "San Nibel". Alternately, the name may derive, as many believe, from "(Santa) Ybel", which survives in the old placename "Point Ybel", where the Sanibel Island Light is located. How it would have gotten this name, however is a matter of conjecture. One story says it was named by Juan Ponce de León for Queen Ysabel Isabella) of Castile; the island may indeed be named for this queen or the saint whose name she shares, either by Ponce de León or someone later. Another tale says it was named by Roderigo Lopez, the first mate of José Gaspar (Gasparilla), after his beautiful lover Sanibel whom he had left behind in Spain. Like most of the lore surrounding Gasparilla, however, this story is apocryphal, as the above references to recognizable variants of the name predate the buccaneer's supposed reign.

Sanibel is not the only island in the area to figure prominently in the legends of Gaspar, Captiva, Useppa, and Gasparilla are also connected. Sanibel also appears in another tale, this one involving Gaspar's ally-turned-rival Black Caesar, said to have been a former Haitian slave who escaped during the Haitian Revolution to become a pirate. According to folklore, Black Caesar came to the Gulf of Mexico during the War of 1812 to avoid interference from the British. In the Gulf he became friends with Gasparilla, who allowed him to set up on Sanibel Island. Eventually the old Spaniard discovered Caesar had been stealing from him and chased him off, but not before his loot had been buried.

All photo's provided were taken by the website owner. They are copyright free and for non-commercial use only.
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