Rehabilitated Pelicans Released on Sanibel Island today!

Oiled pelicans from Louisiana were flown to Sanibel Island this morning for release into the pristine waters off Sanibel Island.  A special Coast Guard flight left New Orleans around 7 a.m. and landed at Page Field in Fort Myers about 11 a.m.  The pelicans were taken to Gulfside City Park on Sanibel Island for release.  All the birds were successfully rehabilitated after being rescued from the oil spill in the gulf.

We were fortunate to have one of our resort managers on hand to witness the release and photograph the birds' freedom flight out into the Gulf of Mexico.

A crowd gathered on the beach as wildlife officials brought the crates containing the rehabilitated pelicans to the edge of the beach. They opened the crates and the pelicans instantly took flight to the rush of applause from the onlookers.







Here on Sanibel Island, we feel very lucky that our waters and beaches have been spared from damage due to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. We hope more rehabilitated wildlife from the affected regions of the Gulf will be able to call the unspoiled beaches of Sanibel Island home as they begin their path to recovery.

Study shows that our beaches might be in an oil-free zone!

There's a bit of good news for the beaches of Southwest Florida in the wake of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico! A recent story from our local Fox affiliate highlighted a decade-old study showing that the loop currents in the Gulf of Mexico completely avoided the Southwest Florida coast over a 12-month period.

In the graphic below you can see colored lines illustrating where 194 probes floated during the 12-month research period in the Gulf. The large white area around the Southwest Florida coast was labeled the "Forbidden Zone" by area meteorologists since it seemed the probes were forbidden from entering this area. This means that the loop current does not have a history of impacting our beaches. And no loop current means no oil!


To read the full story and view the video for a great explanation of this study, click here.

So the prognosis looks great for the beaches of Sanibel Island and Captiva! It looks like our waters will remain clear and blue and our beaches stay white and covered in shells.

For more information:
Forbidden Zone? Could it keep some oil away from SW Florida? - FOX 4 WFTX - Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples News, Weather

Watch our June 2010 Beach Report

The beaches and waters at Beachview Cottages are waiting for you... take a look!

Celebrate Independence Day in Paradise!

Have you made your 4th of July plans yet? Why not head on down to Sanibel Island and celebrate our nation's birthday in paradise? Stay with us and enjoy a fun-filled weekend starting with the City of Sanibel's Independence Day parade on Saturday, July 3rd at 9 a.m. Then spend the afternoon on our beautiful white sand beaches, and finally head on down to the Sanibel Causeway at dusk to watch an amazing fireworks display over the Gulf of Mexico!

Beachview Cottages is centrally located to all the festivities! Call today for a reservation in paradise!

Oil Spill Update

We've all been following the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and we're keeping tabs on where the oil moves in relation to the State of Florida and specifically Southwest Florida beaches.

Currently, there are no impacts to Florida’s 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and 663 miles of beaches. Our shores are clear, beautiful and open for business.


In the event that the oil spill moves toward Southwest Florida and is likely to impact our beaches, we will immediately notify guests with reservations. We will give you the option of changing your reservation date or canceling your reservation, at which point your deposit will be fully refunded.

We are hoping the forecasts are correct and that our beaches will be spared from any damage from this spill, but our hearts go out to anyone that is affected by this tragedy. We'll keep you updated on our blog as we receive any new information.

Happy Easter!!

The staff and management of Beachview Cottages would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!


We photographed this little marsh rabbit on Sanibel Island this weekend and thought it was the perfect Easter snapshot! Did you know that marsh rabbits are great swimmers? Sounds great, but we don't think he'll want to carry his basket full of colored eggs into the Gulf of Mexico!!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

Celebrate Earth Day on Sanibel Island

Looking for another reason to visit Beachview Cottages in April? If the gorgeous beaches, breath-taking sunsets and the warm Gulf of Mexico aren't enough, we've got a great Earth Day celebration on Sanibel Island that you won't want to miss!


In partnership with Tarpon Bay Explorers and “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society (DDWS), J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge will host Earth Day 2010 on Saturday, April 24, from Noon to 4 p.m.

The first 200 participants to arrive for Earth Day will receive a free reusable Refuge grocery bag, compliments of DDWS.


Tarpon Bay Explorers, the refuge’s official concessions operator, will be providing free bike use on-site at the refuge throughout the event to encourage families to get out and get fit. Visitors can also bike Wildlife Drive and Indigo Trail on their own.

It's the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day so why not spend it on Sanibel Island at Beachview Cottages? You can even use one of our FREE rental bikes and cycle down to Ding Darling for the big day! Call today for a reservation.

Looking for something to do on Sanibel in March?

If you're visiting Sanibel Island on March 26th and 27th, 2010, you're in luck! In addition to all the regular fun things to do on Sanibel Island, you'll be here for the Lions Club 27th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair!


This year there will be over 130 artists and artisans in the park at the Sanibel Community Center, plus live Dixieland music from Harry & the Dixie Strollers,  a Fabulous Food Court and a  Fantastic Raffle. This fun event is the perfect place to get some handmade local crafts and souvenirs for friends and family back home. You'll find local Florida-themed crafts you won't find anywhere else!

The Craft Fair is held from 9 am to 4 pm on Friday and Saturday and is less than three miles from Beachview Cottages. The weather is gorgeous and it would be a great bicycle ride to the fair from our property on one of our free rental bikes for guests.

Visit the Sanibel Lions Club webpage for more information.

Back from the Big Apple

We just got back from New York City after a fun weekend at the New York Times Travel Show! We had a great time and met some wonderful people who seemed ready to leave the snow for a relaxing vacation on Sanibel Island.

We had a few spare hours on the last day to tour the Big Apple and had an amazing time! Here is a view from the Empire State Building that just took our breath away.


All of these massive skyscrapers and wall-to-wall buildings are a far cry from Sanibel Island, where buildings cannot exceed 35 feet tall! We also learned that there are about 12,000 intersections with traffic lights in NYC compared to ZERO on Sanibel Island. And we learned that Manhattan Island is about 13 miles long with about 1.6 million residents, while Sanibel Island is about 12 miles long with about 6,000 residents. What a world apart the two cities are!

Although we had a wonderful time, we're happy to be back on our little piece of paradise where traffic lights, skyscrapers and snow are replaced with palm trees, tiki huts and sand. Thanks for the hospitality New York!! We can't wait to visit again!

We're in a 'Snowicane' at the NY Times Travel Show!

We just got to New York City for the New York Times Travel Show and it's snowing nonstop! Now this is something us Sanibel Islanders are NOT used to! We're staying bundled up and enjoying the biggest and best travel show in New York! Come to the show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on West 34th Street and explore over 500 destinations from around the world, enjoy live performances, tastings, travel seminars and more. There are exclusive deals and getaways just for convention-goers!

What a difference between Sanibel Island and New York City!


For the best deals come to Booth #954 to see us and learn about 'Tween Waters Inn, The Castaways and Beachview Cottages. You can even register for a free stay at one of our properties! We'll be there from February 26th to 28th and we're looking forward to meeting you at the show where we'll be bringing a little bit of the tropics into the snow!

Welcome to the new blog for Beachview Cottages!

The management and staff of Beachview Cottages are excited to debut our brand new blog! This will be a fun way for us to pass on timely information about our resort and share news about beautiful Sanibel Island, Florida.


We're looking forward to sharing a slice of life on Sanibel Island with you so check back often for updates! Hope to see you soon in paradise!