It's not all birds out here — keep an eye on the banks and the still water for the refuge's reptiles and mammals, and let me give you the etiquette that keeps everybody safe. The animal you're most likely to meet is the American alligator, and you'll very possibly spot one basking on a bank or floating like a spiky log — give it a wide, respectful berth and never, ever feed it; a fed gator loses its fear of people and has to be destroyed. There's a rare cousin out here too, the American crocodile — Sanibel is about as far north as they get in this country — but they're few and shy, so consider it a lucky day if you glimpse one. In the cooler months manatees drift into these warm backwaters, and if you're very fortunate, a bobcat or an otter might slip across the road at dawn or dusk.
Now the rules, because this is their home and we're guests. Stay in or right by your car — this is a driving refuge, not a hiking free-for-all, and much of it you enjoy from your seat. Use the pull-offs so you don't block the one-way road; there's always somebody behind you. Fifteen miles an hour, truly — a gator or a bird could be just around the bend. Don't feed anything, don't chase anything for a photo, and take your trash out with you. And remember the drive's closed on Fridays. Follow all that and you'll have a wonderful, easy day, and leave this place exactly as wild as you found it. Roll on.
Photo: Alex Abair · CC BY 4.0
