A large octopus found washed up on the beach in front of the Sanibel Lighthouse. He was about 14 inches of so and oozed a thick, black ink when we picked him up.
He must not have been dead very long because he still had some pigment in his skin, unlike the small specimens that we came across.
Octopus
Small octopi
A trio of dead octopi washed ashore on the beaches of Sanibel Island. A man was carrying them in a large Pen Shell.
Hermit Crab
Giant dead Hermit Crab without a shell washed up on Sanibel Island. He was about the size of a Grapefruit. There were about a dozen or so of them on the beach without shells, all smaller than this one, but much bigger than any we've seen alive.
Box Fish
Specimen of Box Fish washed ashore on Sanibel. There were probably 40 - 50 of these dead on the beach along with an equal amount of dead Gulf Toadfish.
Stone Crab claw
Giant Stone Crab claw in the pile of creatures that were washed ashore on Sanibel Island.
Urchins
A pile of dead Sea Urchins and Sea Potatoes (the bleached, egg like specimens) found washed ashore on Sanibel Island.
The "Sea Potatoes" are a species of littoral sea urchin. They have spines similar to the Sea Urchin pictured but the spines are longer and appear more hairlike.
There were dozens of these washed up on the beach the week before Christmas 2010.
Stargazer
Some type of Stargazer. It was too badly decayed to make a good identification.
Found washed up on the beach in Sanibel about a half mile from the lighthouse.
Mantis Shrimp head
Business end of a dead Mantis Shrimp washed up on Sanibel Island after the December cold front we had.
They have spear-like arms like a Praying Mantis and eat fish and shrimp.
Mantis Shrimp
A pair of dead Mantis Shrimp washed up on Sanibel Island near the lighthouse. The larger one is about 10 inches long.
Remora
A Remora caught in the bay on the north end of Fort Myers Beach. The head has a suction cup type device that the fish uses to attach itself to other fish, usually sharks. They then eat bits of food that the fish leaves behind when feeding.
This guy stuck right to the side of the boat!
This guy stuck right to the side of the boat!
Raccoon
Spotted this dead, hallow Palm Tree in Bowditch Point on Fort Myers Beach. Knocked on the tree trunk once and up popped the head of this Raccoon.
Knocked on it again and he dove out and scurried up the path in a hurry.
Knocked on it again and he dove out and scurried up the path in a hurry.
cotton like plant
An interesting (and unknown) plant with cottony flowers growing in Bowditch Point on Fort Myers Beach.
Sea Pork
A random assortment of sizes and colors of Sea Pork washed ashore on the north end of Fort Myers Beach.
Sea Pork
Two small blobs of Sea Pork washed ashore near Pink Shell Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach.
Iguana
A juvenile Green Iguana, an invasive species, spotted in a Palm Tree just off the boardwalk in Bowditch Point in Fort Myers Beach.
Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe Crab at sunset on the north end of Fort Myers Beach. There were several small to medium sized dead horseshoe crabs around on the beach.
Large Hermit Crab
large hermit crab in whelk shell - FMB, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
With big red claws, found inside a Lightning Whelk shell on the north end of Fort Myers Beach
egg case on oyster shell
Egg cases attached to an oyster shell. Found at Bunche Beach in Fort Myers.
Female Grackle
female Grackle - San Carlos Island, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
A female Grackle spies our lunch. San Carlos Island
Pelican Rookery
pelican island 3, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Large group of pelicans on a Rookery island on Fort Myers Beach.
Also spotted on the island: Florida Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Anhinga, and Black Vultures.
There were schools of mullet and catfish circling the island.
Pelican
pelican island 5, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Immature Brown Pelican on a Rookery Island. Fort Myers Beach
Pelicans
pelican island 4, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Adult Brown Pelicans in a tree on a Rookery island. Bay side of Fort Myers Beach.
Hermit Crab
hermit crab - FMB, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Hermit Crab in what looks like a Banded Tulip Shell. Found at low tide behind the Pink Shell Beach Resort, Fort Myers Beach.
Bait fish
bait fish from cast net - bowditch, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Caught in a cast net on the north end of Fort Myers Beach.
underside of horseshoe crab & red sponge
underside of horseshoe crab & red sponge, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Small Horseshoe Crab and fuzzy red sponge found washed up on Sanibel Island.
underside of Horseshoe Crab
underside of horseshoe crab, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Underside of a Horseshoe Crab found washed up on the beach in Sanibel Island. All of the Horseshoe Crabs that I have seen in Florida are much lighter in color than those that I have seen in the Northeast.
Snails on dead stump
Snails on dead stump - Lover's Key State Park, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Some type of Marine Snails clustered on a dead tree in the water at Lover's Key State Park.
Green Heron
Found fishing off a small boat near on San Carlos Island. These birds are very common in areas that have a lot of small bait fish and boats with ropes hanging low near the water.
Pair of Walking Sticks
Pair of walking sticks, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Two Striped Walking Stick
Anisomorpha buprestoides
Found this pair of walking sticks outside my front door in South Fort Myers. The female is the larger of the two. If you look closely you can see the male blending in on her back.
After researching the insects I discovered that these Walking Sticks can shoot a toxic substance at predators (and people with cameras). The secretion has been said to be very painful and cause swelling and irritation in the eye for several days.
"The pain in his left eye was immediately excruciating; being reported to be as severe as if it had been caused by molten lead." [ http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/walkingstick.htm ]
Lavender Sea Pork
Amaroucium stellatum
Found washed up on Sanibel Island. I've never found Sea Pork this color!
Found washed up on Sanibel Island. I've never found Sea Pork this color!
Orange Sea Pork
Sea Pork is a type of tunicate. It has the appearance and texture of rubber and can be found in many colors. It is sometimes mistaken for ambergris produced by sperm whales. Found on Sanibel Island.
Roseate Spoonbill - FL aquarium
Roseate Spoonbill - FL aquarium, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Photographed this Roseate Spoonbill in the Tampa Aquarium. We have seen them in the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island but they are far away and hard to photograph.
Muscovy ducks
Found this Muscovy Duck family in the Steak & Shake parking lot on Rt. 41 in Fort Myers. Muscovy Ducks are considered an invasive species in the United States and are found all over Lee County. It is common to find them near fast food restaurants and in roadside ponds and lakes.
Dead Sea Urchin
Dead sea urchin, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Sea Urchin washed up on the beaches of Sanibel Island. During certain times of the year the beaches are littered with these in all sizes. We sometimes find them in the tide pools alive.
Red bugs - Everglades City
Red bugs - Everglades City, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Unidentified red bugs found under a tree in Everglades City.
White Pelicans in lake
White pelicans in lake, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
American White Pelican
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
Photographed in a lake in South Fort Myers. We normally see these only at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island but this past winter (2010) 4 or 5 White Pelicans flew into our community lake to feed. A group of diving birds arrived around 9 a.m. every day for several days and with them came White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Herons, Egrets and other water birds. The pelicans were only here for about a week and haven't returned since.
Brown pelicans, Islamorada
Brown pelicans, Islamorada, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Photographed at Robbie's Marina in Islamorada. There is a Tarpon feeding station set up on the docks and the birds hang around waiting for the charter fishing boats to come in and start filleting fish.
The pelicans with the brown heads are juveniles.
Pair of roadside Alligators
pair of roadside gators - clyde butcher's gallery, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
American Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Photographed on the side of the road across from Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery on Hwy 41 in Ochopee. There were alligators all along the road in the canal that runs parallel to Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail).
Sea life
unknown, originally uploaded by Junior Naturalist.
Some sort of sea life growing on what looks like a piece of seaweed. Pulled up on hook and line on San Carlos Island.
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