Although these photos were taken a week ago, the fact remains that it is a perfect season to be at Ocean’s Reach on the “best of the best” Sanibel beaches! The temp of the gulf is 77 degrees, just perfect for swimming Give us a call and come on down and enjoy our weather and the glorious Gulf!

Afterglow at Ocean’s Reach

View from the Lanai

Egret

Sunset

Thanks once again to Al Johnson for sharing his wonderful photographic memories. We will look forward to your return next winter!

King of the Roost

Spreading his wings

Larry-Curly-Moe

The following photos are from Al Johnson, a Sanibel guest who hoped we would post them on Ocean’s Reach blog, as he wanted to share them with the management and all of our blog followers.

So our “thanks” today goes out to Al, for so kindly sharing his beautiful photos. There will be a few more tomorrow also, but these three shown today, make me feel as if I can almost see the pelicans move! Great shots!!

The pelicans are widely seen in the Florida area, and it is hard to believe that these beautiful birds were almost in extinction in the ’60′s, thanks to the widespread use of DDT used to control the mosquito population in Florida. The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the seven species and the only one that dives to catch its prey. Stop and take a few minutes to watch the process and I think you will find it amazing!

As the pictures show, it can take a very short time (with a lot of hard work) to literally transform a condo from the
old to the new! All of the condos at Ocean’s Reach are continually upgraded to be at their finest for our guests to enjoy! To see more pictures of our beautifully decorated condos CLICK HERE.

Frank Mason, who has been spending winters at Ocean’s Reach for several years, has made cards from his paintings and photographs. There are several to choose from and they have proven to be very popular with our guests. A selection of his Ocean’s Reach Art, is available for sale in the office.

Frank is standing in front of the design he displayed at BIG Arts two years ago, titled “Knife, Fork Spoonbill”.

Thanks for sharing your special talent with all the Ocean’s Reach family!

Hi! I am Roxanne and a frequent guest at Ocean’s Reach, which I love! I thought I would share one of my recent blog posts with you, as I’ve mentioned the beauty of and care of Ocean’s Reach a few times in my blog ( which I just started a couple of months ago ). Anyway, I think the photos are pretty and I hope you enjoy!

“Always Dreaming……(the name of the blog as I am always dreaming of Sanibel!)

I will share more photos of my beloved Sanibel Island and Ocean’s Reach.

This one is the pathway to the beach again. I just think they have the prettiest walkways. You have the soft peach of the building, the greens of the bushes and tress and then the vibrant colors of the flowers blooming mixed with the white of the pool gate and the turquoise of the ocean on the horizon…sigh….can you tell where I want to be….LOL!

Heaven on earth…can you hear the gentle lapping of the waves and feel the soft ocean breezes?

That’s my umbrella you see in the distance. One of these days I will have a permanent umbrella perched on this island beach somewhere. Until then I have my vacations and my photos to tide me over…….hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Roxanne Reinhart”

Wow! Great blog post Roxanne! Thank from all of us at Ocean’s Reach sharing.

Ocean’s Reach is perfect for Kiteboarding. The condominiums, located on the SW side of Sanibel Island, offer year round kiting and some of the best conditions in the US. The gulf side allows the fun and challenges of the surf and the causeway between Fort Myers and the island produce near slick conditions from multiple directions.

If you are staying at Ocean’s Reach and get a nice S, SE or SW wind, you can kite from the beach directly out front. The beautiful 100 foot (?) beach allows for room to rig up, launch and land without the busy beaches. If you need to do a downwinder, there is easy access south at the lighthouse, (don’t miss it or you will have to land at Fort Myers) and to the north you can land at Tarpon Beach.

Ocean’s Reach also has a perfect grassy area for washing the sand and salt from your kite and letting it sit and dry for the inevitable ride home. If there is no wind – bikes, a tennis court and basketball court are on site for you to enjoy. Still want to get on the water? The gulf on a calm day is perfect for the SUP and you might even get to ride with a pod of dolphins that seem to pass each day. If you still need something to do, kick back by the inviting pool and read a book. Ocean’s Reach is one of my favorite spots to visit and I will be back again in October, with my kites.

There is always something fun to do while staying at Ocean’s Reach. Check it out.

Dale Chilcote

A big thanks to Dale Chilcote for this incredible close-up of one of the Ospreys feeding a chick! He says he took this particular photo on or around Feb. 20th.

For all of us that have been missing the webcam, this is a real treat to see! If anyone else has any current photos they would like to share, please feel free to send them our way. Thanks!!

President Roosevelt interacted with “Ding” Darling visitors and refuge staff last week during an impromptu visit. A crowd gathered around the flagpole Thursday morning to hear impersonator Joe Wiegand bring history to life of the National Wildlife System.

It was on March 14, 1903, that President Theodore Roosevelt established the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island, Fla., to help protect a colony of brown pelicans. Over the past 100 plus years, more than 540 National Wildlife Refuges have been established in the United States. The Refuge System is the world’s only network of lands dedicated primarily to protecting wildlife and their habitats. National Refuges comprise over 94 million acres of land in all 50 states, with a refuge within driving distance of most major cities.

“Ding” Darling was originally established in 1945 as the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge and was later renamed in 1967 to honor pioneer conservationist Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling.

Sometimes a day trip is just the thing you need for a new perspective on life — especially one from 68 feet high in the air! One of our Ocean’s Reach families just returned from an unforgettable zip-lining adventure at the Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area, where they enjoyed a most unique taste of Old Florida. They “zipped” their way over a network of seven sky-high platforms that offered incredible vistas of the pristine 4,700-acre nature preserve, home to nine distinct Florida ecosystems including alligators, black bears, white-tail deer and nearly two hundred species of birds.

“Our group had an incredible time,” said Dina Craig, who brought along her husband and two teenage daughters. “We had several grandparents just zipping along, having more fun than the kids!”

Forever Florida is located about four hours away from Sanibel Island, approximately one hour southeast of Orlando. If treetop thrills aren’t quite your style, you can sit back and enjoy their relaxing open-air coach safari, a pioneer-styled horseback adventure, or the new “Cypress Canopy Cycle” where you can pedal your way over densely forested wetlands.