The Gulf of Mexico along Florida's southwestern coast is tranquil: low waves, if you could call them waves, lap the shore in dribs and drabs. The crystal water has a tint of blue and a million points of sunlight glimmer across the surface. The coast is about as clear as it gets; it’s good to be in southwest Florida.
Even though it’s the summer “off” season the beach is rather enjoyable. Gulf water temperatures are a balmy 86 degrees, and a brief breeze blows. It’s impossible to tell that several hundred miles to the north several million gallons of Gulf water have been fouled.
Indeed, the “Paradise Coast’s” beaches are clean, strewn only with countless sea shells and modestly mounding macro-algae of various color palettes. So far we have no oil: no sheen, no tar patties, not even a stray tar ball. According to recent scientific predictions, there is less than a 1% chance of actually seeing oil on or even near the shores of Lee and Collier Counties.
There’s much to enjoy, and right now fishing is better than ever. In the backwaters this weekend live shrimp on the hook brought in a keeper-sized redfish, several mangrove snapper, and some small snook, while crevalle jack and Spanish mackerel beat up the bomber lure.
Any day is complete when a playful dolphin surfs the boat wake on the way back to the ramp. Scenes of summer in southwest Florida just couldn’t be better.
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