60 species of mangroves on Earth. They all share three characteristics: mangroves like warm weather and can’t tolerate prolonged cold temperatures; mangroves can tolerate salt, which enables them to outcompete other plants in a salty environment; and mangroves reproduce viviparously. This means that instead of dropping seeds, which need to germinate, mangroves drop off embryonic plants called propagules. Mangrove estuaries are extremely important in that approximately 85% of all of the seafood that we eat spends some of its life in the estuary. Unfortunately, mangroves around the world are rapidly being destroyed. By some estimates, more than 50% of the world’s mangroves have been destroyed. Fortunately for us, our mangroves are protected. BEACH AND GULF At the end of each boardwalk is the beach. Our beautiful, wide stretch of white-sand beach is one of our greatest natural assets here in Pelican Bay. Our beach is actually a Collier County beach, but fortunately for us, we have private access to it. At the beach, you may see many plants and animals that are not found along the berm or in the mangrove preserve. Looking out into the Gulf of Mexico, it is common to see bottlenose dolphins swimming close to shore. Less common, but by no means rare, are Florida manatees. These endangered mammals can be seen swimming (three to five miles per hour) near shore. You may see predatory fish such as crevalle jacks churning up the water as they feed on large schools of baitfish. It is also possible at times to see dark cloud-like clusters of small baitfish moving in the water near the shore. These large schools of baitfish may have millions of individual fish. The near-shore waters of the Gulf abound with a wide variety of organisms, including sharks, rays, crabs, jellyfish, seahorses and many others. On the beach and in the Gulf are many different kinds of birds. The birds range in size from the small sanderlings dashing in and out of the surf to the large brown pelicans, which can be seen diving for fish. One of the most interesting birds, which can be seen on the beach, is the black skimmer. Skimmers are usually seen in flocks (sometimes with other species of birds) on the beach. The lower part of their bodies is white and the top of their wings and head are black. When in flight, the flock will “flash” from black to white as the whole flock changes the direction of flight. They feed in large flocks, flying low over the water’s surface using the lower mandible to skim the water for small fish or crustaceans. In addition to the black skimmers, numerous other birds can be seen at our beach, including several different species of gulls, cormorants, ducks, egrets, frigate birds, herons, ibis, osprey, eagles, and many more. On one occasion, a pink flamingo was spotted on the beach. It was most likely blown onto the beach by the winds of a tropical storm. Our beach also provides a nesting site for the threatened loggerhead sea turtle. It is also possible to see a gopher tortoise on the dune, just behind the beach, where they make their nests. Our beach is a great place to collect seashells. Just make sure that there aren’t any little organisms living in the shells that you are collecting. Pelican Bay truly is a paradise for any nature lover. WILDLIFE IN THE BAY Pelican Bay Member Guide 2023 94 PelicanBay.org
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