Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY BARRIER ISLAND PARKS Editor’s Note: This is one of six weekly wildlife articles submitted by the Barrier Island Parks Society to raise awareness about the issues facing our island communities. This week, Charlotte Harbor sharks. Charlotte Harbor is the second-largest open-water estuary in Florida, covering over 270 square miles. It also has a watershed […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Capt. Frederic ‘Fred’ E. Scott has cast out his last line in Boca Grande waters. He passed away on June 10, 2026 at the age of 85, and joins many of the island’s legendary fishing guides in a place where the tarpon never throw a hook and the snapper are plentiful. He was born October […]
Written by Arlene Hall on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
BY ARLENE HALL, BOCA GRANDE SEA TURTLE ASSOC. As of July 31, Gasparilla Island was at the halfway point of the May-October sea turtle nesting season. As of Wednesday, August 5, the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) has documented 584 nests (574 loggerhead and 10 green), from the north end of the island down […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News, Real Estate, Sports & Outdoors.
BY HECTOR FLORES,COUNTY MANAGER The topic of fishing piers has been getting a lot of attention among residents, especially on social media. The County Commission has been very proactive this year in moving projects through the design and permitting process with the goal of getting damaged piers reopened as soon as possible. Numerous fishing piers […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News, Sports & Outdoors.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the group Open Shores of Southwest Florida Inc. met to have a public meeting since their official incorporation at the South Gulf Shores Community Center. Around 40 residents turned out for the gathering, which included a silent auction from island businesses and a question and answer session. Charlotte resident Robin Wilkins […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
Editor’s note: We sent a set of identical questions relating to Boca Grande to both of the Lee Commission candidates for District 5 earlier this month. In Lee County, the commissioner is elected across the county. This week, we print responses from Amanda Cochran, one of two Republican candidates Six generations of my family have […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
At Tuesday’s regular Lee County Board of County Commissioners meeting, several members of the Boca Grande Parking Committee were reappointed and one person was appointed to replace a member who resigned. There are four members of the committee with a term expiration in September 2026: Boo Gemes, appointed by Commissioner Kevin Ruane; Ron Drake, appointed […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
A group from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami last week planted 767 orchids through Sam Murphy Park and the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association Bike Path as part of their Million Orchid Project. The Million Orchid Project is a native orchid reintroduction program for South Florida with the goal of reestablishing one […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Sports & Outdoors.
Lee County has the highest total number of manatee deaths in the state for 2026 so far, according to newly released preliminary manatee mortality data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). FWC’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory has recorded 101 manatee deaths in Lee County from Jan. 1, 2026 to July 24, 2026. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Profiles, Sports & Outdoors.
Latest in generation of guide leadership Above, Dusty with his wife, Nicole, and daughters Alana and Ava. Photo submitted This year, the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association took on a new relevance. Fresh off a new website, it held a neighborhood party at Whidden’s to kick off tarpon season and promote Boca Grande’s guides and […]