Seashells are an exciting find during a trip to Sanibel Island. However, they didn’t just come into being on their own, they had a little help from the creatures that once called them home. Learn about some of the animals that help to make the shells and specimen we all love to hunt and search for! Mollusks Mollusks make up [...]
Here at Sundial, we know that vacation time is precious. We have a few ideas on how you can spend yours while visiting our resort and Sanibel Island. All you’ll need to do is clear your schedule and pack your bags! Here at Sundial Resort Explore Nature with Sanibel Sea School Summer Camp Learn about local wildlife at the Sanibel [...]
Although pirates Jose Gaspar and Black Caesar once roamed the blue-green waters of Southwest Florida pillaging and hiding their booty, not all of Sanibel Island’s treasure is buried. Here’s a list of “island treasures” ready and waiting for you to discover on your Sundial Beach Resort & Spa vacation. Mermaids are Real! European sailors told tales of the mythical half [...]
Sanibel Island is home to a huge variety of birds. While most people do their bird watching during the day, after the sun sets, many of these creatures are just waking up! Instead of stargazing, take a look around at the many Sanibel nocturnal birds. Here are some of the common ones you can spot at night while exploring or [...]
April 14 is National Dolphin Day, a day to celebrate these majestic marine creatures. Just last week, we at Sundial enjoyed an entertaining show put on by a few wild dolphins just off our shore. Being on an island, we are lucky to get to observe so many dolphins in their natural habitat. In celebration of Dolphin Day, here are [...]
In honor of Manatee Appreciation Day, celebrated on the last Wednesday of March, we thought we’d share some of our favorite manatee facts and how you can see manatees for yourself right around Sanibel Island. Fun Manatee Facts: They spend half their day eating! Even though manatees primarily eat leafy greens, they can weigh up to 1,200 pounds. Just like [...]
Shelling is one of those activities that has almost no age limit and can be enjoyed by everyone in the family. We’ve had some particularly good shelling this winter and wanted to share our favorite finds. If you’re looking to learn more about shelling and what you can find on our beaches, sign up for a Discover Shelling class with [...]
Sundial is proud to be the location of Sanibel Sea School’s satellite campus. In fact, we have live tanks on site that are used to house found specimens and a classroom to help teach our guests more about the local ecology. We asked Kalli Unthank of Sanibel Sea School to show us around the tanks and the classroom and share [...]
Next month, Sanibel Island will play host to the 82nd Annual Sanibel Island Shell Festival. The Shell Festival is a three day educational, entertaining and fundraising event where all proceeds go to support marine education and conservation organizations in the area as well as scholarship funds to the University of South Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University Departments of Marine [...]
Winter is one of the best times of year to shell on Sanibel Island. According to our resident experts at Sanibel Sea School: The winter months often bring strong weather fronts and, with them, great opportunities for shelling. When fronts arrive, there are usually strong winds that stir things up and create rough seas. The resulting waves wash many gastropods and [...]