Sanibel Sea School has wet week of camp during Elsa
The first week of July for Sanibel Sea School campers proved to be a wet one.
Tropical Storm Elsa passed by the Sanibel coast line on July 6 and the morning of July 7, creating windy and rainy conditions for the summer camp. With winds forecasted to be near 40 mph, Sanibel Sea School staffers decided to close camp for the day on July 6.
“We’ve never had to cancel camp as a result of a tropical storm or hurricane before,” Director Nicole Finnicum said. “Usually the larger storms come later in the season after camp is over.”
Despite the one-day cancellation, campers were able to be out and about around Sanibel the rest of the week. The rain passed by on July 7 and the campers were back out on the bay surfing in no time.
While out on the beach exploring post-Elsa, the campers enjoyed finding many shell treasures and beach debris. They even found a pygmy octopus that washed ashore. After a quick look at the octopus’ eight legs and allowing it to crawl atop the campers’ hands, it was safely released back into the sea.
“Since I’ve been on Sanibel, I’ve only ever seen one other octopus wash ashore and it was also after a tropical storm,” Education Programs Manager Shannon Stainken said. “They are not uncommon around Sanibel, they are just very elusive.”
On July 8, Plankton Week campers embarked on a night snorkel in search of bioluminescent plankton. As the sun set over the horizon, the campers donned their snorkels and began combing through the dark water and seagrass. Some highlights included a batfish, comb jellies and even a few seahorses.
Part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation family, the Sanibel Sea School’s mission is to improve the ocean’s future, one person at a time.