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Bird watching and looking for the manatees on Sanibel Island was Anatomy Teacher Laurie Andry’s life for five days. Sanibel Island is located off southwest Florida and it’s known for nature preserves and tourism. Andry’s trip consisted of kayaking, bird watching, searching for items on beaches, nature walks and interesting finds.
Most days consisted of kayaking in different bodies of water. Andry and her husband set out to look for manatees in the water as well as birds that happened to fly around. With tons of looking, Andry found herself up close with the one thing the she went there to see: a manatee.
“We were amazed! They were everywhere! Mommies with babies and singles were hard to miss and several came right up to our yak. They are huge but gentle creatures,” said Andry.
Andry also found herself discovering different species of birds throughout the trip. On the first day, she and her husband ventured out through Ding Darling Nature Preserve. That day is where most of the finds happened for Andry.
“Shortly after entering the preserve we spotted a Roseate Spoonbill, a type of wading bird that is pink like a flamingo. We had seen them on our previous trips, but they are so gorgeous that it always excites me to see them,” said Andry.
The rest of the time was just enjoying the atmosphere. Andry did that by taking walks and looking for items on the beach.
“We usually found sand dollars and conch shells and lighting welts and others that I can’t name,” said Andry.
Overall the trip was a memorable for Andry, and it was definitely worth it. Andry’s favorite part of the trip was kayaking with the manatees. However, she gave an honorable mention to all of the birds she witnessed.
“Sanibel Island is a very special place. More than half of the island is a nature preserve and my nature-loving hippy self loved that,” said Andry.
Story by Sara Kesterson