Evening on a Sanibel Beach

The high temperature today was 91, we got around 1/4" of rain this evening and it got cooler.  It's 77 tonight.  Every little bit helps.  I know a couple of you are hoping for cooler days by the time you get here.  I really think it will cool off by then. :)  It's always cooler on the beach near the water anyway.

This evening, around 5, we went to resident access 2 on West Gulf Drive.  It was cloudy and there was a cool wind.  It was very nice.

Small shells again today.  There were plenty to look through, but none that I thought I needed.  I know, that's kind of unusual.  Well....truthfully, I did take home 5 or 6 that I didn't need. :)  It's hard to pass them all up, especially when one is calling out to you.

We saw a couple more turtle egg shells today.  They're the things that look like a mashed and broken, dirty ping pong ball.

We had the beach all to ourselves.

Well.....except for this bird, who didn't seem to mind sharing.  But, we walked around him and gave him his space.

It sprinkled rain on us, off and on, but not enough to run us away.

As soon as we left and started down the street, this is what happened....

I was happy we got away, just in time!

Since it was pouring down rain, we thought we would just stop somewhere for a bite to eat.  Jerry's and the building that is home to both Timbers and the Sanibel Grill, have parking underneath their buildings.  We chose the Sanibel Grill.  We had a queso dia with black beans and rice and a lobster tail with rice.  Both were very good. :)  By the time we were ready to leave, the rain had stopped.

Below is a Whale Shark.  The world’s largest fish-like vertebrate.

This morning I was reading an interesting article about a lost satellite tag, that prematurely detached from a female whale shark named 'Sara' earlier this summer.  The tag was attached to Sara on May 28 and transmitted information about her movements via satellite link.  She was tagged just off the coast of Sarasota, then traveled south near Sanibel Island, then was going north again, to near Crystal River.  Around the beginning of July the information transmitted by the tag was different, alerting the scientists that the tag, was most likely, floating free.   The tag continued to transmit it's location, but the readings were 12 hours behind the actual location, which wasn't helping to locate it.  The tags cost around $1900, and could possibly be used again. They would also like to learn why it detached. The satellite link was shut off to save additional costs, which can run into hundreds of dollars.  They are now hoping that the public will spot it either floating in the Gulf or washed up on the beach and will get the tag back to Mote Marine Laboratory.  Who knows, maybe one of you will be out in a boat or on a beach and find it.  The tag is black, torpedo-shaped, about 6 inches long, has a black antenna and likely has a wire tether still attached.  Mote will pay the shipping cost for the return of the tag and will provide the returner with a special Mote Center for Shark Research shark tagger’s cap. Please call 941-388-1827 or 800-691-MOTE (6683) ext. 323 if the tag is spotted. Go to www.mote.org/sharkbolo to learn more about the tag and see the information it recorded about the shark’s movements before detaching.

Everything you ever wanted to know about a Whale Shark and more.