Captain Bubby's IsLAND Tours

10/30/2026

We’ve talked before about how you can tell the changing seasons in SW Florida not from the leaves changing colors, but by things that bloom. One of the most common thing is Muhly Grass. As you can see from the picture below, most of the year it is a light color, but in the fall it turn a pinkish/purple (depending on how the sun hits it) that is absolutely beautiful. The tiny flowers open in loose-airy flowers that look like a pink mist.
Muhly grass is built for Florida weather. It is drought tolerant, wind resistant and mildly salt tolerant. It’s extensive root system helps hold soil and prevent erosion along coastal areas and it’s dense clumping growth helps provide shelter for small mammals, tortoises and butterflies. Songbirds love to pluck dead seeds and also use the dead stems for nesting material. What a great plant! Not only is it beautiful, but so important!

08/14/2026

🐢 TURTLE vs. TORTOISE — What’s the Difference? 🐢

They may look alike, but there’s a BIG difference between a turtle and a tortoise!

🌊 TURTLES
Turtles are generally adapted for life in or around water. They have streamlined shells and legs or flippers that help them swim. Many species spend most of their lives in ponds, rivers, lakes, or the ocean.

🌴 TORTOISES
Tortoises are land animals. Their shells are usually more rounded and heavy, and their sturdy, elephant-like feet are designed for walking on land—not swimming. They’re also known for being herbivores and can live for many decades!

🐢 The easiest way to remember it:
Turtles swim. Tortoises walk.

Of course, nature loves exceptions! Some turtles spend very little time in water, but a true tortoise is a land-dweller.

And here’s a fun fact: All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises! 🤯

So the next time you see one, take a closer look. Is it built for the water… or built for the land? 🌊➡️🌴

08/10/2026

07/27/2026

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! Never thought I’d make it this far. 😂😂 Thanks again. Love to all of you! ❤️

07/22/2026

Wishing Bub the happiest of birthdays!

07/20/2026

💜 A Happy Ending for a Purple Martin! 🐦

Sometimes, it only takes a tiny piece of plastic to put a wild bird’s life in danger.

A young Purple Martin, affectionately nicknamed “Prince,” was found struggling in a Cape Coral canal after a small piece of plastic became embedded deep in his chest. Thankfully, he was rescued and brought to CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) on Sanibel Island, where veterinarians performed surgery to remove the plastic and spent weeks providing wound care and rehabilitation.

Once Prince was healthy enough to fly again, the work wasn’t over.

Unlike many birds, Purple Martins thrive in established colonies, so CROW carefully returned him to his home colony in Cape Coral, where he was successfully reunited with the other martins living in the area’s iconic gourd houses.

🪶 Purple Martins are fascinating birds that rely almost entirely on man-made nesting gourds and birdhouses in the eastern United States. Their colonies are an important part of our local ecosystem, making every successful rescue even more meaningful.

This story is a wonderful reminder that even the smallest pieces of litter can have life-threatening consequences for wildlife. By properly disposing of trash and reducing plastic waste, we can all help protect the birds and animals that share Southwest Florida with us.

💜 Here’s to Prince—and to everyone at CROW who gave him a second chance at life!

07/14/2026

🌊 One small piece of trash can leave a lasting impact.

Did you know that a plastic bottle can remain in our oceans for 450 years? Even something as small as a cigarette butt can take up to 5 years to break down—and during that time, it can harm wildlife and pollute the beautiful waters we all love.

At Captain Bubby’s Island Tours, we’re passionate about protecting Sanibel, Captiva, and Fort Myers Beach for future generations. Every shell, every dolphin, every shorebird, and every sunset depends on us doing our part.

💙 Here’s how you can help:
• Pack out everything you bring to the beach.
• Pick up litter—even if it isn’t yours.
• Dispose of fishing line properly.
• Leave only footprints and take only memories.

Together, we can help keep our islands as beautiful as nature intended.

🌴 If you love our islands, help protect them.

07/13/2026

🌊Did you ever wonder if a manatee hears? And if they do, where are its ears? 👂🏼
If you look closely a hand-width behind a manatee’s eye, you won't see an ear flap—just a tiny, open pinhole! But their hearing system is actually a mind-blowing superpower (with a heartbreaking catch).Here are 4 wild facts about how manatees hear underwater:🦴 They hear with their cheekbones! Sound waves vibrate through their massive, fat-filled cheekbones. These bones act like acoustic satellite dishes, transferring vibrations directly into their inner ears.🌳 Their ear bones have "tree rings." Manatees have exceptionally large, heavy inner ear bones. Because these bones grow continuously, scientists can cross-section them and count the annual layers to tell exactly how old a manatee was!🔊 They have a high-frequency paradox. Even though they are slow and giant, they actually hear best at high pitches (like their own chirps and squeaks).🚤 Why boats are so dangerous: The deep rumble of a motorboat is a low-frequency sound. Because this falls at the absolute bottom edge of a manatee's hearing range, and because they struggle to tell what direction a sound is coming from, they often can't tell a boat is coming until it's right on top of them.Next time you are out on the water, remember to idle speed and keep a lookout in shallow areas. These gentle giants are listening—we just need to give them a chance to move!

💙

07/06/2026

On Friday afternoon, July 3, lightning struck four people who were in the water at Fort Myers Beach. One of them, 51-year-old Viktar Kiryk, did not survive. He was swimming with three family members, who were injured and taken to the hospital. Our hearts are with them.

We’re sharing this because we run land and boat tours here every day, and we see the same mistake every summer: visitors hear a little rumble and think they have time. In South Florida, you don’t.

A few things every guest should know:
• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck. Lightning travels more than 10 miles from a storm.
• There is NO safe place outside – not under a tiki, not on a boat canopy, not in the water.
• Get inside a building or hard-topped car immediately, and stay there for 30 minutes after the last thunder you hear.
Florida leads the nation in lightning deaths for a reason. We average about 1.4 million strikes a year, and Lee and Collier counties are consistently among the most active spots. That’s why at Captain Bubby’s Island Tours we watch radar constantly and we cancel or pause tours for lightning – no refunds needed, just rescheduling. No photo is worth the risk.
> If you’re visiting, please take our storms seriously. When thunder roars, go indoors. And please share this with someone who’s new to the beach.

– Capt. Bubby & Paula

Captain Bubby’s Island Tours | Land & Boat Tours | Safety First
>


07/02/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July from Captain Bubby’s Island Tours! 🎆

There’s no better place to celebrate America’s birthday than right here on our beautiful islands!
Whether you’re enjoying the beach, searching for shells, spotting dolphins, or watching fireworks over the Gulf, we hope your day is filled with family, fun, and unforgettable memories.
Have a safe and wonderful Independence Day—we hope to see you on the islands soon!
❤️🤍💙