Unlike brown pelicans, white pelicans spend only part of the year in Florida.
Seashells provide homes to mollusks, which are alive when they are in the water.
Our final stop is Gasparilla Sound. A sound is a wide channel linking two large bodies of water or separating an island from the mainland. Gasparilla Island’s first inhabitants were the Calusa Indians. Like the Native Americans before them, the early settlers came to the area for fishing, and by the late 1870s, several fish ranches existed in the area. Gasparilla Sound receives freshwater runoff through a variety of sources such as Buck Creek, Coral Creek, Catfish Creek Bayou, Boggess Hole and Whidden Creek. Salt marshes, mangrove swamps and salt flats spread along the shores of Gasparilla Sound and Charlotte Harbor.
Gasparilla Island is a wildlife sanctuary. Here you may observe many sea and shore birds, including the white pelican. People often come to the area to catch fish. Sportfishing is a popular activity among residents and tourists. The area has a reputation for providing the finest shallow-water, or inshore, fishing. Many efforts have been made to protect and preserve this fishing area for future generations. Shelling is also a popular activity and local laws have been passed regarding the taking of shells. By following the rules, there will still be plenty of seashells on the beach for everyone to collect and enjoy.
This is the last stop on our trip. We hope you enjoyed the excursion and learning about watersheds! We welcome your feedback so please take a few moments to provide your input.