Springtime = Great Dolphin Shows

March in Southwest Florida simply can’t be better – Anywhere!   The dolphins are frisky and happy and they show it!  Come see for yourselves :)

http://www.sunsetride.com

Dear Captain Mark, thank you so very much for sending all of the pictures to us! We had such a wonderful time with Captain Steve and First Mate Terresa!!! The boat was so spacious and comfortable, and Steve and Terresa were extremely gracious, professional, and informative throughout our trip. Our entire family was mesmerized by the birds, manatees, and dolphins, and speaking of dolphins, we were rendered absolutely speechless when they played in the boat’s wake mere feet from our seats! Our charter with Steve and Terresa was a highlight of our Sanibel trip and WORTH EVERY PENNY! Our heartfelt thanks to all of you for giving us such an amazing once-in-a-lifetime memory!! Valerie C., 7/19/11

And yes, you may put any of the pictures on your website. You also are welcome to include my above e-mail message to you as part of your testimonials.

Best regards,

Valerie

Fort Myers Beach Dolphins

SunSetRide Dolphin Tours (Crows Nest)

Fort Myers Beach Dolphin Jumping

Link to Fort Myers Beach Dolphin Tours

See More Pictures on FaceBook

Hi Mark and Terresa,
Please feel free to use the following on your website:

“My wife and I and our 3 boys took a trip with Terresa and Steve on 6/25/11 and it was definitely the highlight of our vacation! I was skeptical at first when I booked because of the cost, but please rest assured that it is worth EVERY PENNY and then some! Steve and Terresa were ultimately professional and knowledgeable and they made sure that our every need was met. Our 3 boys kept the questions coming and Steve and Terresa kept the answers coming right back! If we make it back this way, we will most definitely book this trip again! Do yourself a favor and book it now! You and your family will never forget it!”

To Terresa and Steve: Thanks so much for making our vacation even more memorable than it would have already been! Our family made memories that will last a lifetime!

Terresa – I’m the schmuck that forgot our camera memory card. If you could email a few of the pics you took, I would be grateful. I’m attaching a couple of still images from the videos I took. Please feel free to share them as you see fit.

Thanks again!
Jeff

Fort Myers Beach Typical Summer Forecast

Welcome to Southwest Florida!  So if you are vacationing on Fort Myers Beach or Sanibel Island this summer you may be seeing a five day forecast similar to the one above.  Please don’t let this discourage you or your vacation plans because this is usually only happening inland and not on the beach.  The sea-breezes coming off  the Gulf of Mexico are just strong enough to keep the thunderstorms about 5 miles inland (over Fort Myers).  Here on the beach, we can see the storms and even hear them, but they usually never make it to the beach.  If you are coming to the beach you are probably going to be okay.

AND, if it does rain, it happens late afternoon and usually only lasts for an hour or less.

*** In the event of long lasting rainy weather, we try our best to reschedule for another day. If we cannot reschedule there is never going to be a charge to you. If we are out on the water and bad weather threatens, we will quickly and safely return to the dock and you will only be charged for the time you were out with us.

After constantly having to look up sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset data for Fort Myers Beach, I decided to create a page with the next 12 months…

Click Here to see the next 12 Months

Thanks!

Captain Mark Hatfield

Hello and thanks for checking out the Captain’s Blog!   As of today, our waters are warm, clear and simply gorgeous.  We are finding tons of shells, numerous happy dolphins, so many different birds (too many to describe here) and the manatees, we are seeing manatees everytime we go out!  Please check out the pics below and thanks again for coming along vicariously with us on the water.  Hope to see you soon.  Captain Mark

Thanks for checking Sunset Ride Private Charter’s Captain’s Blog!

For more pictures and videos please visit:  http://www.sunsetride.com

At this time, there has been no impact to Florida’s 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline, 1,197 miles of coastline and 663 miles of beaches.  According to local officials, Wednesday, May 12th  is likely to be an important day. The reports due out should give a higher probability of what to expect from this disaster. The likelihood(s) of what areas will become affected will be better known on Wednesday (of course the caveat of “no guarantees” was given). – Captain Mark

We took a day trip to the Everglades yesterday and let me tell you I highly recommend you take a day out of your vacation to see what many consider the 8th wonder of the world.

One of our favorite stops was the Wildlife Exhibit at the Trail Lakes Campground.  For a couple dollars donation, the tour guide, Rick will walk you through and allow you to hold and or touch snakes, lizards, aligators, birds, iguanas, turtles, and a host of other creatures.

The address to this amazing place is 40904 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee, FL 34134.

Telephone number is 239-695-2275 (be sure to call ahead and make sure Rick is working)

Also known as Sea Hares or Sea Slugs have been washing up on our beaches for the last week.  The purple dye is a defense mechanism.

Sea Slug, Spanish Dancer or Sea Hare by any other name...

Terresa got a couple of great photos of this Bald Eagle.  After it flew off the marker pole, it flew over to a fish hawk which was carrying a freshly caught fish and slammed into it, knocking the fish out of its grip and the fish fell all the way to the water less than fifty feet from the boat.  The eagle then flew back to it’s perch on the marker pole showing no interest in the fish.  Terresa said it was as if the eagle must have done it to show its power over the osprey.

Below is an excerpt from a letter Ben Franklin wrote his daughter about the Bald Eagle:

“For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.”

Perched atop marker 5

Ben Franklin went on to tell his daughter that the Wild Turkey would have been a better choice as our National symbol:

“I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on.”

After the fish hawk!

Hope you love history as much as we do and as always thanks for checking out the Captain’s Blog!