Today was a very hot day, but the youngest two Grand kids went on the Sanibel Thriller. I sent them off with a small cooler and bottles of water. They were all smiles as they boarded the boat. They were also all smiles when they got back. They both loved it and couldn't believe how many dolphins they saw. I couldn't believe how many great photos they took.
Boarding....
Going out.....
Coming back.....
After playing taxi, delivering two kids to the marina, Daughter #3 and my oldest Grandson to the beach, then went back to check on the kids waiting to leave on The Thriller and watched them as they left on the boat. Then as I was driving back, I noticed some beautiful fluffy white clouds, so I drove to the end of Bailey Rd to take some pictures.
A couple of hours later, I went back to the Sanibel Marina to wait for the return of The Thriller. I had just parked, when they pulled in. Yes, this taxi driver had perfect timing. :-)
After taking those two home to cool off, I went over to the beach to pick up Daughter #3. Daughter #2 had taken the other 3 Grand kids to Captiva and Yolo to ride the banana. They had a great time, even though they said that they took several dunkings, salt water in their eyes and mouths.
After everyone had showers and rested a while, we all met at The Timbers for dinner. Daughter #3 and oldest Grandson have to leave tomorrow evening. :-(
After dinner, two of the Grandsons went with me to see what was left of the sunset and had fun taking pictures.
Later, we all played pool for a while and a little Rock Band. There will be some quiet nights around here after they have all gone home.
We had a leisurely day with no plans, other than making sure the visitors got to do whatever they pleased.
So Daughter and Grand Daughter wanted to go bike riding with me, and we made several stops along Periwinkle for a little shopping. The two of them were stimulating the economy. :-) We were out for 3 hours. They wore me out.
They all went to the beach off West Gulf Drive until evening. We got together after that, for dinner at McT's. We had a variety of foods and were well pleased.
Tomorrow is the day they have to go home. :-(
Finally got the video of the dolphins jumping in the wake of the Sanibel Thriller, uploaded on YouTube. I love it!
Watch in HD on YouTube by clicking on the screen.
Rooster tail spray behind the boat.
Just before we left for our cruise, the Sanibel Thriller was returning to the dock at the Sanibel Marina after a trip to Boca Grande. All the passengers had big smiles and were talking about what a great ride they had. They also offer a trip to Boca Grande, once a week for shopping, exploring, or lunch.
Today was Grand Daughter's 15th birthday. She and the rest of her family went shelling around resident access 7 this morning. They had lots of fun digging through shell piles and carried away some treasures.
This afternoon around 3:00, we all went out on The Sanibel Thriller. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. We saw a lot of dolphin and had a great time. It was amazing to see how many people were on the Sanibel beaches today. On the way back to the marina, it was a little chilly, but we had a couple of beach towels to wrap around us. We got back around 5:00.
Tonight we went to Grand Daughters choice of restaurants, The Timbers, for her birthday dinner. We had about a 45 minute wait before getting seated. We all enjoyed our meals and the birthday girl had chocolate cake, which she loves.
I've been waiting to post this because we're having trouble getting the video of the dolphin on YouTube for some reason. So.....video to be added soon.....hopefully.
Wow....I went with friends today at 1:00 PM, out on the Sanibel Thriller! We had a great time. It was a perfect warm, sunny day. The water was just a little choppy, although the boat gave us a pretty smooth ride; it was a little difficult to get good photos. We had high hopes of seeing dolphins, and believe me, we were NOT disappointed!
There was nearly a full load of people on board and we were all looking forward to a fun trip as we pulled out of the Sanibel Marina. Our Captain today was Captain JR Ireland and the narration was done by Captain Elizabeth Ireland.
We were quickly underway and flying around the tip of the island, with the Light House in full view. You will be able to tell from some of the videos that you have to be prepared for wind. :-) And, I should also mention the possibility of some water spray toward the back of the boat, depending on the wind direction etc. We had some good laughs over that.
It was interesting seeing the island by boat from the gulf side, which I had never done before. I had only been on the bay side by boat. The narration was very well done and included lots of interesting, historical information. It was also easily heard with speakers located on the side by each of the seats.
We were skimming along, looking at the resorts, condos and scenery, when Captain JR spotted a pod of dolphin. He circled back to try enticing them to follow in our wake. Soon we had four or five separate pods of dolphin following and jumping in the boats wake. They put on quite a show for a while. When we lost them, the Captain circled back and each time more would follow. I think they finally got tired. :-) They told us that it is uncommon to see that many pods at one time. That was great fun! They were so close and at times jumped very high.
We soon reached the area of Bowman's Beach, which looked very crowded today. Next we went past Blind Pass. You could see the black pipes very well, stretched out across the white sandy beach, that are coming from the dredging area. There is a markable difference in the width of the beach where the re-nourishment is being done.
From there we went along Captiva, viewing the beautiful homes along the beach and on past South Seas. We went a little way up on the gulf side of North Captiva to the area where the eye of Hurricane Charlie cut a narrow pass. That pass has since filled with sand again, but that part of the island is very narrow and still treeless. We could actually see over to the bay side where other boats were passing by.
We went back to cut through Redfish Pass (A great fishing area) over to the bay side and past South Seas' Land's End, the new swimming pools and then headed out further away from shore. The rest of the way seemed to fly by, as we looked at the scenery and laughed over friends getting sprayed with water. We went under the power lines that go to Sanibel from Pine Island. Then we spotted the Sanibel Causeway, which we passed under.
It had been nearly 2 hours since we left the marina, but all too soon, here we were again. Captain JR deserved a large tip because he had to have used up every bit of patience he has, circling around, time and time again to get the dolphins to follow us. Captain Elizabeth should also be a recipient for her knowledgeable narration. They certainly make a great team.
I know I had a wonderful time, and will be happy to recommend this trip around the islands to my family and friends. I've been on a couple of Dolphin Cruises and none compare to this. I plan to go again myself. :-) WHAT FUN!!!
People were already waiting when we arrived. Everyone getting situated in the very comfortable seats. On the way out of the Sanibel Marina. After the first dolphin, I could tell that I wasn't fast enough to do very well with my cellphone camera. Looking for more dolphin. :-) The crowd of people at Bowman's Beach. Wake behind the boat while going faster. View of Blind Pass. Looking back at Redfish Pass and the Northern tip of Captiva Island on the left and the Southern tip of North Captiva on the right. South Seas Land's End. South Seas' new pool area. The folks in the back corner were getting a lot of spray on the way back. Power line from Pine Island to Sanibel. Nearing the Sanibel Causeway. Going back into the Sanibel Marina.
We took a lot of video, but because of not wanting to block the view for others, we didn't get the actual view we had of dolphins jumping on both sides at once. That was totally awesome! I hope these will give you an idea of the fun we and the dolphins had. :-) At the beginning of one of the videos you will see a young dolphin with a bigger one. If you look just in front of the wake, you can see several dolphin swimming just under the water.
You may prefer to click on one of the videos to take you to YouTube where you can watch them all in full screen HD. Next best thing to being there.
Some of you asked about prices for the Sanibel Thriller Tour. Below, is an email from Elizabeth Ireland:
Tootie,
The blog about the Sanibel Thriller is great!! Thanks so much.
Our current tour is a 1-1/2 hour narrated tour that circumnavigates both the islands of Sanibel & Captiva & Dolphin Watch. We provide a historical narration of the islands and the surrounding area, while the Captains looks for pods of dolphin. Once we find them, we slow the boat down and let the dolphin entertain us.
It is $38/adult (plus tax) and $25/child (3-12) (plus tax). If you would like to join us, please call for reservations.
I've been reading and hearing so much lately about 'The Sanibel Thriller', and I just happened to see it speeding past the beach area where I was on Thursday, so I drove over to the Sanibel Marina yesterday to check it out.
The Sanibel Marina is located near the lighthouse at 634 N Yachtsman Drive, Sanibel, FL, just a half mile from the causeway, on the southern tip of Sanibel Island, FL. Since 1985,the marina has been owned and operated by Myton Ireland who is a Licensed Merchant Marine Officer. The marina has 90 slips for boats up to 120'. It is also home to Gramma Dot’s Seaside Saloon and Ireland Yacht Sales.
Gramma Dot's offers a lunch and dinner menu seven days a week, from 11:30 to 8, where you can dine dockside. The seaside saloon offers a full line of fresh seafood, salads, sandwiches and more.
Among the marinas offerings are sight seeing, charters, professional guides and more. Their latest addition is a thrilling cruise aboard the aptly named, Sanibel Thriller. Cruise the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Pine Island Sound, circumnavigating the shores of both Sanibel and Captiva Islands. During the narrated tour you will see wildlife such as dolphins and exotic birds. The Sanibel Thriller offers other trips to Boca Grande, Cayo Costa State Park, and Naples for shelling, shopping, exploring, or lunch. Reservations are required (239) 472-2328O, open daily: 7 am until 5 pm.
The Sanibel Thriller is a beautiful, new, fast, safe, diesel powered 55' motor yacht, that might be a new adventure you will want to experience on your next visit to Sanibel. The current tour is a 1-1/2 hour narrated tour that circumnavigates both the islands of Sanibel & Captiva & Dolphin Watch. It provides a historical narration of the islands and the surrounding area, while the Captains look for pods of dolphin. Once they are found, they slow the boat down and let the dolphin do the entertaining. It is $38/adult (plus tax) and $25/child (3-12) (plus tax).
I found this video on UTube. It shows dolphins in the wake of the Thriller, off Sanibel Island.
I am a retired, grandmother who is living a dream in this tropical paradise, called Sanibel Island.
My blog was created to share some of the beauty I see around me each day. This tranquil place is a haven for wildlife and the natural beaches are spectacular. I will post pictures now and then, that I snap quickly with my cellphone.
Since I am on 'Island Time' and consider myself to be a 'Slacker', my posts may not be on a regular basis. But,I hope you enjoy my adventures and come back to visit often.
Going out.....
Coming back.....
