provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The Santiva Islanders, formerly the Island Seniors, Inc., announces its seasonal kayak programs starting in February. Small guided kayak trips will be offered every Tuesday morning in February, March and April. Additional trips may be offered during off-peak months, depending on demand.
Guests will meet at 8:15 a.m. at the Sanibel Community Park, 2231 Periwinkle Way, next to the Community House. Children 10 years old and older are permitted to kayak if accompanied by an adult. The cost is $25 per person, and payment is required at the time of registration to reserve your space(s). Register and pay online here.
You can also register for a trip by contacting Kate at 239-209-0620 or email her here. She will process your payment. Once a trip is full, registration will close.
All kayak leaders are CPR certified, and each provides a safe and fun trip where you will discover the Sanibel Island mangrove tunnels, sandy beaches, canals, coastal birds and aquatic life. Guides will take you to many beautiful locations (see below), and all trips are rated for level of difficulty.
The Santiva Islanders (Island Seniors, Inc.) is a (501c3) non-profit organization providing social, recreational, wellness, and educational activities for Sanibel residents and visitors. We are all volunteers who enjoy sharing the joys of our island with others. We are passionate about kayaking, and we try to offer an affordable experience to everyone. Our kayaking program is in cooperation with The City of Sanibel.
Santiva Islanders Kayak Trips
• Bowman’s Beach to Silver Key Launch from Bowman’s Beach and travel up the mangrove trail to Silver Key (near Old Blind Pass). The trip is a good beginner paddle. The trail is wide and is very sheltered from the wind no matter from which direction it comes. There are many bird watching opportunities on the way, and there is (usually) a large sandbar near the end of the trail that provides enough space for large flocks of varied birds. We get out of the kayaks at the end and can walk on the beach and spend a few minutes shelling on a beach seldom inhabited by tourists (it’s a mile walk to get there from either direction so few people do it),
• Bowman’s Beach to Clam Bayou Launch from Bowman’s Beach and follow mangrove trail to Clam Bayou. This trip is a moderate level paddle. It passes the large sandbar near Silver Key (bird watching opportunity) and continues into Clam Bayou, where natural and man-made oyster beds reside. The culvert that supplies the water to the bayous is there and if conditions are right manatees follow the water into the bayous and can be seen there. We can follow Clam Bayou up the island and get out of the boats in sight of Blind Pass. The trip is not difficult but is considered moderate level simply because it covers more distance than a beginner trip.
• Ding Darling (Launch site 1) The launch is very close to the entrance of Wildlife Drive in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. It is a beginner trip. We paddle out into the open water and mangroves and generally look at flora and look for birds. On a day with good weather (low wind) we can make it out of McIntyre Creek into San Carlos Bay (the water you cross when you’re going over the causeway). For most of the trip it is just us and the environment.
• Ding Darling (Launch site 2) Caloosa Shores This launch is at mile marker 2.8 of Wildlife Drive in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. From the launch we take a left and follow a mangrove tunnel out into a large lake in the refuge. From there we go into San Carlos Bay and follow the mangroves around into Kesson Bayou and eventually into a small lake at the end of it that often has manatees resting there. On a map this would show up as Caloosa Shores and is the last water you would see if you were driving through the refuge before leaving the park. The open waters along the way often have osprey and sometimes bald eagles. The Bay could have dolphins. The trip is beginner to moderate and will be adjusted to deal with the abilities of people on the trip and weather conditions.
• Ding Darling (Launch site 2) Observation Tower Lake This launch is at mile marker 2.8 of Wildlife Drive in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. From the launch we take a right and head through a number of wide tunnels toward the lake near the Observation Tower. On the far side of the lake is an area where new mangrove islands are being (naturally) generated. It is a nursery for mangrove islands and there are all sizes of islands there from a foot in diameter to 30 feet. Along the way we’re in the refuge with the usual birds and environment. The trip is beginner to moderate. If weather is good it’s a beginner trip and if there is any wind it can get harder simply because we’re in unprotected water (no wind breaks) some of the time.
• Bailey Road to the Canals We launch from the end of Bailey Road near the causeway into the San Carlos Bay. We go under the causeway and into the canals that pass Gramma Dot’s restaurant and the Sanibel Marina where we’ll paddle by boats considerably larger than the one’s we’re in. The canals sometimes have dolphins at the mouth and sandbars that provide space for birds to sit and fish. We paddle through canals surrounded by very nice houses with man-made seawalls and eventually get to natural mangrove lined canals that existed before people did on Sanibel. In warmer weather manatees have been spotted. The trip is a usually a beginner trip and can evolve into a moderate trip if the wind kicks up. We will watch closely and try to maintain the trip at the beginner level.
• Causeway Beach Park to the Canals We launch from the Causeway Beach Park near the causeway into the San Carlos Bay. We go into the canals that pass Gramma Dot’s restaurant and the Sanibel Marina where we’ll paddle by boats considerably larger than the one’s we’re in. The canals sometimes have dolphins at the mouth and sandbars that provide space for birds to sit and fish. We paddle through canals surrounded by very nice houses with man-made seawalls and eventually get to natural mangrove lined canals that existed before people did on Sanibel. In warmer weather manatees have been spotted. The trip is a beginner trip. This trip is shorter than the similar trip that launches from Bailey Road which gives us more time cruising the canals.
• Buttonwood Lane to Lighthouse Beach The kayaks will be launched from the end of Buttonwood Lane into the San Carlos Bay and we’ll paddle around in the Bay. Out in the bay there can be power boat traffic so we might have to contend wirt boaters and wakes, so this trip should be considered of moderate level. There are often schools of dolphins out in the channel to the Gulf and the views in the Bay are great. On a good day we’ll paddle out into the Gulf and up the outside of the island before turning around and retracing our steps (paddles)
• Dixie Beach to the Bird Island The kayaks will be launched from the end of Dixie Beach Blvd into the San Carlos Bay. From the launch we’ll turn left and follow the shoreline into Tarpon Bay, the entrance of which often has dolphins milling around looking for good fishing. We’ll travel up into the middle of Tarpon Bay where there is a large rookery island (Bird Island). We won’t get too close so that we don’t disturb the birds nesting there, but we’ll be close enough to see many different species that share the nesting space. From there we’ll either head back the same way which qualifies as a beginner trip or possibly go through Shallow Cut out of Tarpon Bay into the San Carlos Bay and follow the shoreline back to the launch site. This trip would qualify as a moderate level trip because of the length of it and would only be done if the weather is perfect and the group is especially fast, strong paddlers.
• Dixie Beach to Ladyfinger Lake The kayaks will be launched from the end of Dixie Beach Blvd into the San Carlos Bay. From the launch we’ll turn left and follow the shoreline into Tarpon Bay, the entrance of which often has dolphins milling around looking for good fishing. Immediately upon entering Tarpon Bay we’ll turn left into Ladyfinger Lakes. It is very quiet and shallow in this area and often has many birds. Depending on tide levels the trip through Ladyfinger Lakes can take a few different paths but seldom will we see other kayakers. There are two entrances and, again, depending on winds and tides the return to the launch may take either the same, or a different path. It’s a beginner trip.
• Henderson Road to Buck Key (very special trip not run often Also there is no parking at the end of Henderson Road so this trip requires a city van to transport us to the site. This will have an additional charge ) The kayaks are launched from the end of Henderson Road into Dinken Bayou. We turn right and follow the bayou to Blind Pass. We cross the pass there and get into Roosevelt Channel, a waterway that follows Captiva on its left (west) and Buck Key on its right (east). After a mile we’ll enter a lake on Buck Key and follow it into a mangrove tunnel that cuts through Buck Key and after a mile of tunnel dumps out into the San Carlos Bay. The tunnel can be narrow (just wide enough for a kayak) and shallow (can’t be negotiated at low tide), but is worth the trip if the conditions allow it. After emerging into San Carlos Bay we’ll turn left and follow Roosevelt Channel back to Blind Pass and back to the launch site. This trip is for an advanced group and isn’t run often.
• Henderson Road to Dinkin Bayou (very special trip not run often Also there is no parking at the end of Henderson Road so this trip requires a city van to transport us to the site. This will have an additional charge ) The kayaks are launched from the end of Henderson Road into Dinken Bayou. We’ll turn left and follow Dinken Bayou. We’ll pass houses along the way and see the culvert that provides the water flow for Clam Bayou, which flows past Bowman’s Beach. The bayous can be shallow and birds can be easily seen.
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