Help endangered sea turtles nesting on our beaches

It’s sea turtle nesting season again! Each summer, threatened and endangered marine turtles nest along our beaches. Two months later, tiny turtle hatchlings emerge from their sandy nests and quickly race to the sea, using the seaward horizon as their guiding light. Sadly, artificial light visible from the beach lures the sea turtles inland, away from the water. Thousands of sea turtles die needlessly every year because of lights along beaches that were not turned off or properly shielded.

What can you do to help? While vacationing in Fort Myers Beach during May 1 through October 31, from 9:00 p.m. To 7:00 a.m.:

- shield all sources of light visible from the beach
- use 25 watt yellow bug lights or amber colored LED lights
- close blinds or curtains after dark, preventing light from spilling out toward the beach
- remove all beach furniture and equipment from the beach each night

Thank you for your help in ensuring the continued survival of our threatened and endangered sea turtles.

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by visitfortmyersbeach on May 26, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Beachcombing, Nature / Wildlife, History, sea turtles

Posted by visitfortmyersbeach on May 26, 2012

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Geocaching Beach Clean-up Event — Saturday, March 31, 2012, at Lovers Key State Park

Cache In Trash Out (CITO; pronounced “see-toe”) is an ongoing initiative practiced by geocachers worldwide. Geocaching is a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online. If you’ve never heard of Geocaching, here’s a 2 minute video that explains what it is — but I warn you, it’s addictive!

Cachers are dedicated to helping the environment by picking up trash in parks and other cache-friendly places to help preserve the natural beauty. CITO events are held year-round, and focus on litter clean-up, removal of invasive exotic plants, re-vegetation of native species, and building or maintaining trails.

The international CITO weekend is traditionally set around Earth Day, which is in late April this year. Rain or shine, let’s get together on Saturday, March 31st. You don’t have to be a cacher to participate – but if you’re not careful, you might just catch the bug! There will be a few extra caches placed just for this event. Those coordinates will be available at the park on Saturday.

Entry fees for participants will be waived by the park. Meet at the shelter in parking lot #3 (coordinates will be posted later) at 10:00 a.m. The park will provide trash bags and pickers. They’ll also have a limited supply of work gloves, but recommend you bring your own if you have them. Cachers will be divided into groups to tackle the shoreline and trails, and then meet back at the shelter at noon for lunch.

The park is providing the hot dogs. They ask that you help out by bringing one of the following items, based on your LAST NAME (not geo-name):

• A thru E – Drinks
• F thru J – Salad – potato, pasta, beans, etc.
• K thru O – Desserts, fruit tray, etc.
• P thru S – Veggies or snacks
• T thru Z – Paper & plastic products – plates, cups, eatin’ irons, etc.

As with any outdoor event, we strongly recommend you bring sunscreen, bug spray, and a supply of water.

This event will be posted to the Lovers Key CITO event page. Please post your “WILL ATTEND” and indicate how many will be in your party, as well as the item you’ll bring based on the list above. They’re requesting RSVPs by March 28th in order to have enough food for all.

For more information on this event, please check the Friends of Lovers Key website .

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by visitfortmyersbeach on March 26, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Activities / Things To Do, Events, FREE, Kid Friendly, Nature / Wildlife

Posted by visitfortmyersbeach on March 26, 2012

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Crowds line up for shrimp and … more shrimp!

Fort Myers Beach shrimp festival

Get your Pink Gulf Shrimp!

With its humble beginnings as the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet over 50 years ago, the Ft. Myers Beach Shrimp Festival has become a world famous beach-front celebration of shrimp.  Every year since 1959, the Fort Myers Beach Lions have been boiling and serving delicious Gulf Pink Shrimp to lucky festival attendees! The secrets of perfectly cooked ‘peel and eat’ shrimp have been passed from boil-master to boil-master through the years, as well as the secret recipe for Lions delicious cocktail sauce.

It all starts, of course, with the finest shrimp the Gulf can offer. Delivered straight from the Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Boat Fleet, the Gulf Pink Shrimp is unsurpassed in flavor and versatility. Beach Lions serve over one thousand pounds of the fresh local sweet pink crustaceans every year, making the Shrimp Boil one of the main attractions of this 52nd annual festival.

Lions toil and boil for two days, from 10 until six, to bring the goodness of the Gulf directly to the savvy folks in the “Shrimp Line”. Following the two-hour beach parade Saturday morning the line forms for the best and freshest food that southwest Florida has to offer. One half pound of steaming shrimp is served on every plate, accompanied by sauce and slaw.

While they are there, Festival goers also take the opportunity to browse and buy from the 100 beach crafters and vendors who have made this event one of the best beach festivals in the South and a mecca for tens of thousands of visitors each year. On the way through the festival there’s usually some music to enjoy, a collectable Official Festival tee shirt, hat or tank top, an opportunity to watch the crowning of the next Shrimp Festival Queen, and a huge selection of other eating and entertainment opportunities.

What better way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon than enjoying shrimp at the edge of the Gulf of Mexico and dipping your toes into the sparkling sea too?

Many people come both days just for the shrimp boil, which is testament to the goodness dished out by the Fort Myers Beach Lions. A better shrimp dinner cannot be found! While Bubba Gump may be able to cook shrimp in a variety of ways, the Fort Myers Beach Lions excel in the pureness of boiled shrimp. After all, this is the SHRIMP festival!

Fort Myers Beach Shrimp Festival

March 10-11, 2012

For daily schedule of events and more information click here.

Fort Myers Beach Lions serve up Shrimp Dinners

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by visitfortmyersbeach on January 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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It’s that time of year again!

Come on over and enjoy the Fort Myers Beach Farmers Fort Myers Beach Farmers MarketMarket.  Located under the Sky Bridge, the market operates November – April, rain or shine.

Come see the wide variety of goods available from our local vendors!

  • Fruits and Vegetables
  • Flowers
  • Seafood
  • Baked goods
  • Snack foods
  • Plants

Under the Sky Bridge between 2nd & 3rd Streets

Open Air / Seasonal / Free
Fridays, November – April
7:30 am – 11:30 am
Contact Ph: (239) 765-0202

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by visitfortmyersbeach on January 26, 2012  •  Permalink
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Escape the Chill … Spend Christmas on Fort Myers Beach

Christmas on the beach

Want to feel the sand beneath your toes on Christmas morning? Get out of town this holiday season and hit Fort Myers Beach, Florida, a place well-equipped to cancel out the winter doldrums. Fort Myers Beach doesn’t require a passport or a winter coat, and spending a holiday here can be whatever you want it to be.  Fort Myers Beach occupies all of the elongated Estero Island and attracts visitors seeking the sun, sea and sand.  Located on the Gulf of Mexico coast, the town has some of the best sunsets on the Florida west coast. Trade in the scarf and mittens for a bathing suit and flip flops this Christmas, and start a new holiday tradition. Christmas in Fort Myers Beach equals fine holiday fun. Need a place to stay? Check out Cocoplum Beach House, located mid-island on beautiful Fort Myers Beach.

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by visitfortmyersbeach on December 13, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Beachcombing, Uncategorized, Weather
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Want to jam like a native?

Visiting Fort Myers Beach and looking for a great opportunity to jam with local (and visiting) musicians? Don’t miss the Acoustic on the Beach jam sessions at the Beach Pub Wednesday nights. Beginning around 5 p.m. and ending around 9 p.m. every Wednesday, locals (and visitors, alike) are encouraged to bring their instruments and jam around a “portable” campfire on the beach, behind the pub. Local rocker Steve “the Lucky Dog” Lutke is the operator of the operation, and says it should be a fun time for all. There are no amps or electrical devices … just an acoustic session of chillin’ melodies in a natural setting. It’s a great way to catch the sunset, and let the mood lighten the air and create a little “escape” for just a few hours.

Venue: Beach Pub
Phone: 239 765 6102
Address: 1668 I Street, Fort Myers Beach, FL, 33931, United States
Ft. Myers Beach things to do

Campfire jam sessions on Fort Myers Beach

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by visitfortmyersbeach on December 10, 2011  •  Permalink
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Best Viewing Spots for the Fort Myers Beach 23rd Annual Christmas Boat Parade

Mark the date!
Saturday, December 3, 2011

Don’t miss this year’s parade, where creative boat captains decorate their boats for a two hour tour of Matanzas Pass, Siesta Isles and Ostego Bay.

Best places to view the Fort Myers Beach Lighted Boat Parade

Plan to visit your favorite viewing area for the Fort Myers Beach 23rd Annual Christmas Boat Parade. Sponsors invite your participation in judging this year’s Boat Parade. The parade commences at 6:10 p.m. at Salty Sam’s Marina, travels through Matanzas Pass, passing Bonita Bills to Hurricane Pass through Siesta Isles Channels. Next, on to Pink Shell Resort, Nervous Nellies, Matanzas Inn and then back Salty Sam’s Marina for the Winners Circle award presentations at Big Game. Click here for a map of the Ft. Myers Beach Boat Parade Map. Looking for a great place to stay? You’ll find it at Cocoplum Beach House in Fort Myers Beach.

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by visitfortmyersbeach on November 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Got Calusa Blueway app?

Lee County Parks and Recreation has announced the release of the free Calusa Blueway iPhone app. This first-of-its-kind app will allow canoeists, SUPaddlers and kayakers to more easily navigate Estero Bay, home to the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail. This app provides GPS coordinates, interactive trail maps and navigation, boating tips and regulations, as well as a key to Fort Myers Beach’s flora, fauna and wildlife. You can download the app at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blueway/id463562993?mt=8.

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by visitfortmyersbeach on November 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Restaurant Review – Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille in Fort Myers Beach, FL

seafood restaurant Fort Myers Beach

Seared Tuna Appetizer

This weekend we had lunch at the Fort Myers Beach location of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille. Inspired by author Randy Wayne White’s novels about a marine biologist named Doc Ford, the restaurant is located on the waterfront, just south of the bridge to Estero Island at Matanzas Pass.

The service was efficient, and the food was pretty good too. We ordered an Ahi Tuna appetizer ($10.95). The presentation was beautiful and the taste was great, but there definitely could have been more tuna on the plate. Four thin little slices of the fish left us wanting more.

For entrees,we ordered a Lime Panko Crusted Fish Sandwich ($9.95), which according to the menu, was voted Best Fish Sandwich. We can see (er, taste) why! Although the bun was soggy, making the sandwich difficult to eat, the fish itself was truly delicious. Also, we ordered our old standby, the Campeche Fish Tacos ($13.95) with yellow rice. As usual, the tacos did not disappoint. Finally, the Grouper Sandwich Grilled ($13.95) with a side of mashed potatoes also earned thumbs up. The fish was very fresh and cooked just right.

On your way out, don’t forget to check out the souvenirs at Doc Ford’s, including T-shirts, caps, and of course, White’s books. We recommend the bottles of Amazon hot sauce named for the books’ characters. There’s indoor and outdoor seating available, with views of the Gulf, and on some nights,  live music on the waterfront.

Fort Myers Beach restaurant

Doc Ford's 'house' hot sauces

Doc Ford’s Fort Myers Beach Rum Bar & Grille
708 Fishermans Wharf
Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931

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by visitfortmyersbeach on October 14, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by visitfortmyersbeach on October 14, 2011

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25th Annual American SandSculpting Championship & Beach Festival is coming to Fort Myers Beach

Sand SculptureOn November 2-6, 2011, join an expected crowd of over 50,000 spectators to watch as 16 of the World’s Top Master Sculptors compete in the 2011 American SandSculpting Championship. This premier family-friendly event is open to the public at no cost. However, if you want to take a closer look at the sculptures and sand sculpting masters at work, you can purchase a VIP pass Friday, Saturday or Sunday for a World Class View. The VIP pass allows you to take a step behind the velvet ropes and get up close and personal with the sculptures and the sand sculpting masters.

VIP Passes will be available during the event at the Fort Myers Beach Chamber tent for the following prices:

Individual $5
Children: $3
Family: (up to two parents with children 18 and under) $10

Need a place to stay? Be sure to check out Cocoplum Beach House, a Fort Myers Beach vacation rental home,  conveniently located within walking distance, just about a mile away from the Festival.

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by visitfortmyersbeach on October 4, 2011  •  Permalink
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