Should I bring snorkel gear to Sanibel/Captiva?
 

Going to Captiva next week (South Seas Resort) and wondering whether we should bring snorkel gear ... how is the snorkeling in the area ... is the water clear enough for snorkeling? (If so, anything off the beach or do we have to take an excursion?) Thanks for any info!

I don't think snorkeling would be good there. At least, not off the beach.

Thanks bucky ... my initial thought was not to bother bringing as I didn't think that the area was good for snorkeling, however I didn't want to regret not having once we get there.

I've found the water to be a bit murky right off the beach. Not very good for snorkeling. You could take an excursion and do some snorkeling - that's an option.

I guess I'm in the minority here. I'd suggest bringing it. But you need to understand that you will not see much other than minnows and sandy bottom, maybe a seahorse, maybe some larger fish. There are no reefs here. But you would be able to snorkel along the bayside mangroves, which would be a different sort of snorkel experience. And snorkel gear doesn't take up that much room in your suitcase. Why not? I enjoy using my snorkel along the shore, if not just for some variety in the day to day beach routine.

A face mask might be useful for when you trudge out to the sandbars and start scooping up shells! But otherwise, snorkeling gear will be wasted on Sanibel/Captiva.

A good place to chat about Sanibel & Captiva is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/san-cap/ -- the archives are open to the public so you can look through old posts if you'd like as well.

I'd been thinking along the lines of birder, that your mask would be great for finding shells before they wash up onto the beach and get snatched up by the masses. Just make sure "no one is home" when you take the shell out of the water! ;) I did that with a fighting conch by error as I was shelling a sandbar near my parents' place. I'd been walking along with this shell in my hand, not realizing it was live, when it reached out and touched me...scared the living daylights out of me!

I'd skip the fins as they are bulky (or ours are as they were dive shop models and if we take them we take a duffle just for gear), but mask and snorkel take up practically no room at all.