Sanibel Island practically invented eco-tourism. Its tourist attractions stem from natural attributes -beaches, estuaries, refuges, shells, and wildlife. Smack dab in the path of an established flyway that birds follow on their annual winter migrations, the island is flocked by birds of many feather. Sanibel's predominance of refuge land ensures habitat for a zoo's worth of other creatures, right alongside its residents.

The true magic of this world springs from the happy co-existence of man and nature. Please cherish and respect our wildlife as we do by following the island's wildlife guidelines. But first, meet some of our most beloved island fauna and flora.

Anhinga:
This freshwater feeder's long, serpentine neck earns it its nickname: "snake bird." Anhingas are easy to spot out of the water. They're the ones usually perched on a branch or channel marker piling with their wings hung out to dry. Because they have no oil glands in their wings, anhingas lack the waterproofing nature has provided other waterfowl.

Alligators:
Once endangered, the alligator population has sprung back in recent years, thanks to organizations and laws that fought to protect the ancient reptiles. Sanibel Island paved the way by pioneering a no-feeding regulation that later became State law. (Hand-fed alligators lose their fear of man.) Innate homebodies, alligators rarely leave their home ponds except for spring and summer mating, when both males and females roam from pond to pond in search of midsummer night's romance. When it's cold, alligators stay submerged to keep warm. On sunny days throughout the year, you can spot them catching sun rays on banks of freshwater rivers and streams, especially in "Ding" Darling Refuge. Alligators typically pose no danger to humans who don't feed them and respect their space. (Forget that golf ball that plunked into a water trap!)

Bobcat:
Named for its crew-cut tail, the Florida bobcat hides deep in island refuges and forested tracts. It surfaces occasionally, usually when hunting to feed its kittens. Few people have the chance to sight the islands' only native wild cat, somewhat larger than a house cat.

Dolphins:
Ancient cultures deified the dolphin; some believed it was man returned to the sea. Modern times have not diminished the sea mammal's mystique. Like the god of grins or the patron saint of tourism, our bottle-nose dolphin never fails to transfigure a simple day at the beach into a cosmic experience. Away from shore, you'll see dolphins hitching a ride in the wake behind boats. If you're lucky, you'll be entertained by a pod of males doing marine-show acrobatics to woo their ladies.

Egrets:
Most island egrets are white, but, like Goldilock's bears, they come in three different sizes: the tiny Cattle Egret, the middle-sized Snowy Egret, and the tall, elegant Great Egret. Snowy is easily distinguishable from Great, any wildlife-savvy island child can tell you, by its "gold slippers," which it drags through the water much like a fly-fishing lure. Rarer, the Reddish Egret gets its name from the color of its head and throat (not its legs, which are cobalt blue). Egret populations were once diminished by plume-hunters, who received up to $32 an ounce for the feathers, back in a time when gold fetched only $18 an ounce.

Herons:
The heron family represents the large and small of island bird life, and dresses in a colorful wardrobe array. Look for the Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron, Black-Crowned Night Heron and Yellow-Crowned Night Heron.

Joewood:
Slow growing and resistant to transplanting, this enigmatic plant is no ordinary Joe. Sanibel Island's "official tree" is a fragile, sweet-smelling native plant rarely found elsewhere. Though called a tree, it doesn't often grow larger than shrub status.

Loggerhead turtles:
Many island residents rise at the crack of dawn, just to check on the babies. Baby loggerhead sea turtles, that is. Sanibel and Captiva Islands play wet nurse to thousands of loggerhead hatchlings each summer. On our natural, protected beaches, mother loggerheads feel safe depositing their caches of about 100 eggs in self-dug holes. Two months later, the babies emerge by night and scuttle to the sea, under the watchful eyes of their surrogate parent islanders, the volunteer turtle patrol. The mothers, who grow to be 350 pounds, return to the same beach each time they nest.

Manatees:
Legend says lovesick sailors once mistook these creatures for mermaids. They must have been a bit seasick as well, because the hefty mammals more closely resemble their relatives the elephant than a comely sea-maiden. They average 10 feet in length and weigh up to 3,500 pounds as adults. Voracious vegetarians, they eat up to 500 pounds of seagrass, hydrilla, water hyacinth and water lettuce a day. Their dwindling population of less than 2,500 check puts them into the endangered category. Boaters and red tide are their worst enemies.

Mangroves:
Though they may look like a vegetative ballet troupe dancing on tiptoes along the fringes of island waterways, mangroves are actually are more like a construction crew. They are partially responsible for building these islands by trapping sea sweepings and encrustation in their leggy prop roots. Mangroves live off saltwater via filtering systems in their roots and leaves. Early Florida settlers salted their food by cooking it with the leaves of the black mangrove, one of four different species. The trees buffet waves, and old-timers claim that a mangrove forest is the safest place to ride out a hurricane. Because of their cushioning effect, it is illegal to cut down mangroves.

Pileated woodpecker:
What's black and white and red on top? The pileated woodpecker, one of the most delightful sights in our woodlands and backyards. You more often hear than see them; they sound a distinctive whoosh with their broad wing span upon low approach and tap a primitive tattoo on trees as they hunt for ants and bugs. They usually travel in pairs and are a fairly common occurrence on the islands, though rare elsewhere.

Roseate spoonbill:
A bird that eats with a spoon? Not good manners, just clever design: the lovely and graceful roseate spoonbill is one of the island's most sought-after natural sights. Some mistake it for a flamingo because of its spindly long legs and fashionable pink plumage. No relation, actually, the roseate spoonbill is native to southern Florida, while the flamingo is not. Its spoon-like bill easily distinguishes it, and allows the bird to bail up minnows and small shellfish.

Sea Grape:
Early explorers once used the leathery, frisbee-round leaves of the sea grape as stationery. Its sap was used for healing by prehistoric natives. Old-time Floridians gathered sea grape berries to squeeze the juice and make a pinkish jelly or wine. The sea grape has a long history of uses because it's a survivor. Hurricane-resistant, it's not only practical but also attractive as a landscaping element. Islanders sometimes attribute to it other, more mystical powers: the island sea-grapevine is said to be more expedient than email.

Sea Oats:
Tall, feathery, and picturesque, sea oats serve a much greater purpose than aesthetics. Like long, slender hat pins, they hold our beaches in place. Their widespread and tangled roots anchor sands and encourage dunes growth.