Island History & Information
A barrier island located just off the coast of Pine Island, FL, only accessible by boat or private plane is your next vacation destination! Surrounded by Pine Island Sound and the Gulf of Mexico, this island offers pristine white sand beaches and warm turquoise waters.
Once connected to Captiva Island, a hurricane in 1921 created Red Fish Pass separating the two islands. North Captiva’s population is centered on the North end of the island with a 350 acre state wildlife preserve separating the North End and the South End. The South End is home to a handful of completely off the grid homes and more pristine untouched beaches.
North Captiva is home to amazing sea, reptile and mammal life, you will be captivated!
Dolphins swim daily just off shore at the “Dolphin Beach”. Dolphin beach is located on the North End of the island on the East side of Salty Approach (the grass runway). Beware of camping out in a beach chair in the middle of Salty Approach! It is an active runway and you may find yourself nearly touching private planes as they land and take off!
In the canals adjacent to the airstrip and behind Mangos you will find many manatees and even baby manatees basking in the sun! Sometimes when the water is extra cold they will migrate to warmer areas. If you’re wanting to see manatees in the winter months (the VERY few cold weeks we have) take a trip to the mainland and head to the Manatee Park in Fort Myers. The manatees flock here up the Caloosahatchee River to the power plant where water discharges create the perfect temperature for manatees to congregate. Gopher tortoises, indigo snakes, geckos, skinks and many other reptiles roam the island. No worries though, nothing dangerous!
Bobcats are common on the island but are rare to spot. Even homeowners feel lucky when they are able to see one of these elusive animals.
