Day 110 - January 19, 2013: Anchorage at Ding Darling National Refuge

Constructed high on an Indian shell mound, Cabbage Key, at 38 ft above sea level, is one of the highest points in this area of Florida. Before departing this morning, we took a nature walk through the Mangroves around Cabbage Key.  The air was quite cool, and the winds were high. Mangroves are various kinds of trees and shrubs that grow densely in the wet saline soils of the tropics. Along the walk the marina had posted helpful descriptions of the plants.

  Sign posts on the trail

The Spanish Moss hangs gracefully from the trees, filtering the sunlight from the ground and the dense undergrowth tangles together making most areas impassible.

Spanish Moss

A good place for animals to hide

Some areas were dry and some quite wet with pools flowing in from the bay.

Low lying areas with pooling

Then, we cruised on down to Sanibel Island and the Ding Darling National Refuge, where we found a quiet spot in a bay off the protected mangroves to anchor. We took a dinghy ride along the shore, but you are not allowed to land on the refuge itself. As evening approached, towards the northeast, the lights of civilization began to emerge along Pine Island, while to the south, the refuge was wrapped around us in darkness, emanating only the sounds of nature. I reflected on the Caloosa Indian history of the area and how different their lifestyle was from anything we know today.