In a Flip-Flop State of Mind.

It will soon be the one-year anniversary of when Hurricane Ian made landfall, changing the landscape of Sanibel Island as we knew it.

One year of incredible hardship, exhausting clean up work and frustrating red tape.  But it has also been one year of exceptional kindness, empathy and compassion, especially from the Ocean’s Reach guests we miss so dearly.

As we have communicated,  » Read more

Businesses all over Southwest Florida continue to regroup and reinvent for the future!

This week it was announced that the owners of Island Cow and Mad Hatter are teaming up to open Wickie’s Lighthouse Restaurant and The Magic Bus Ice Cream & Caffeine.

Sanibel visitors may recall the charming, award-winning Mad Hatter, which sat off of Blind Pass,  » Read more

Our thoughts are with our fellow Floridians as they begin the grueling recovery process in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.

We are grateful that Sanibel Island fared relatively well.  Idalia left her mark with some minor flooding, a little debris, and … flamingos?

Yes, flamingos!

A flamboyance — the technical word for a group of flamingos — of American flamingos was seen hanging out on the Sanibel Causeway the day after the storm,  » Read more

Today marks the 11-month anniversary of when Hurricane Ian changed the lives of those on Sanibel Island forever.  The size and scope of the storm were unprecedented.  With 155 mph winds and up to a 12-foot storm surge, the island was left unrecognizable.

It has been a long road back — filled with an extensive list of hurdles from insurance companies,  » Read more

Count our friends at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation among some of our favorite heroes!  Since their conception more than 50 years ago, they’ve been at the forefront of every important environmental initiative for our islands, helping to protect wildlife, restore native habitats, monitor water quality and advocate for our ecosystems.

One part of the SCCF family, Coastal Watch, promotes healthier, greener ways of interacting with our coastal environment through volunteer grassroots efforts —  » Read more

Photo by Ocean’s Reach guest Nicky Vincent

Our hearts go out to all those affected by the recent devastating wildfires on Maui.  It can be difficult to comprehend both how much was lost, as well as the grief and anguish left behind from such an unprecedented disaster. 

As the Sanibel Island community and our own Ocean’s Reach “ohana”  » Read more

Wallace and Gromit; photo by CROW

At the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, there’s a bunch of wonderful folks who truly give a hoot about our wildlife.

In fact, CROW welcomed two new Animal Ambassadors this week:  Eastern screech owls Wallace and Gromit.

Both animals have been deemed non-releasable due to the injuries they sustained,  » Read more

The “Playful Discoveries with Acrylics” Workshop with Sissi Janku

is just one of many wonderful 2023-2024 BIG ARTS Workshop classes recently announced!

BIG ARTS has been the heart of our island for more than four decades.

The Barrier Island Group for the Arts was created in 1979 by a small group of dedicated artists who wanted to capture the joy,  » Read more

Our new carports are coming together

Installing sliders on the ground floor

Our first shipment of windows are being installed, as well

More and more building materials are arriving each day

The Manor clan from Georgia came to visit to say “hello” to Andy!  » Read more

Photo of “Cappuccino” from Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation

We’re having a banner sea turtle year on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, already surpassing our previous loggerhead nest count records with months of nesting season still to go!

As of the latest tally from SCCF sea turtle patrol volunteers:

• 1,078 sea turtle nests have been laid across the islands.
• 1,056 nests were laid by loggerheads (Caretta caretta),

 » Read more