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Caladesi Island, located between Clearwater Beach and Honeymoon Island is one of Florida’s most exquisite and unique barrier islands, and is rated as the second best Beach in America.
This undeveloped barrier island is full of incredible beauty, a lot of history and is accessible only by way of boat. Caladesi Island is absolutely stunning with an unbelievable natural beauty. The beaches are magnificently lined with fine white powered sand, and the water is a spectacular blue so clear, you can see the bottom. Not only is the island a beautiful paradise, but it is also full of history too.
The history of the island goes back to when the island’s original habitants where the Tocobago Indian Tribe. The Tocobago Indians used the island as a burial ground before the Spanish had arrived in Florida in 1613 and created 1.39 acre’s of shell mounds to bury their tribal members. The tribe left the area leaving behind the shell mounds that were later found in 1903. After the excavation in 1903 there were a total of 33 human remains of the Tocobago Tribe found.
After the Tocobago Tribe left, the island had no habitants until 1897. That’s when a man by the name of Henry Scharrer an immigrant from Switzerland who came to America to investigate the differences of how cheese was made in Wisconsin in comparison to how they made their cheese in Switzerland. Scharrer traveled through America and arrived in Florida to purchase a sailboat so he could go on to travel abroad in South America.
While test sailing off the coast of the Tampa Scharrer had taken out the sailboat he had purchased when he noticed a storm coming upon him. Scharrer’s voyage unexpectedly took a turn for the worst causing him to seek a safe haven ashore the island now called Caladesi. After the storm had passed he was able to venture around the island, only to realize that he found paradise. He decided that he loved the island so much, he would stay and make Caladesi his homestead.
While exploring the island, I was able to visit the ruins of the Scharrer’s homestead on the southern most part of the island. The homestead is close to the Freshwater Pond and the St. Joseph Sound. When I saw the ruins there wasn’t much left except part of a fireplace and the most of the remains of the foundation. After visiting this beautiful place, I understood why he stayed.
Today, Caladesi Island, and all it’s history is now one of Florida’s beautiful State Parks. The park is made up of six islands with a total of 650 upland acres, and more than 1,800 acres of surrounding mangroves and grass flats. Along the beautiful blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico are 17.25 acres of stunning sand dunes stacked up behind the powder white sandy beaches lined with hardy plants like sea oats, beach morning glory and sea purslane. If you go farther inland you’ll find live oak, red bay, a lot of sabal palm and southern red cedar that thrive in this type of tropical environment.
Caladesi Island’s Assistant Park Manager Bill Gruber, and Florida Park Ranger Carl Calhoun were very informative of all the island’s history and their knowledge of forestry and all the different land variables was impeccable. They were able to explain some very interesting fact about our ecological environment and how it affects not only this barrier island but other barrier islands and forest around the world.
Barrier islands like this one usually have a “high ground” which are usually free from floods, except under extreme storm conditions. Flood and fire are a constant threat to all natural habitats of this barrier island, as it is for all other barrier islands and forest areas around the world. This island has Slash pines that dominate the open canopy forest that contains an under story of wax myrtle and palmetto. The park staff keeps growth under control with ecological burns during the lightning season, which provides maintenance while minimizing danger.
Lightning is a natural maintenance provider of our forest by creating fires to keep the ecological balance. If we did not have forest fires of the undergrowth, it naturally would take over. Also by the undergrowth not burning, it allows the little tree’s to become big trees, and allows a build up of sticks and twigs and branches which cause fuel for a forest fire allowing it to burn hotter than normal. Thus making it harder for the Fire Fighters to contain and extinguish the flames. Natural occurrences of lightning create forest fires to keep the ecological system under control, making maintenance controlled ecological burns extremely important.
I was amazed to see the after effects of a maintenance-controlled burn already completed by the Florida Park Rangers. The Palm trees were all charred, but were perfectly fine and thriving along with other trees and new brush that was forming. It truly was a fascinating learning experience. Caladesi Island is not only an island full of history and a great learning experience for all ages; it is also full of FUN, Adventure and recreation.
The island has a three-mile naturally gorgeous nature trail that is full of beautiful tropical foliage and animals seen in their own natural habitat. I was completely enchanted when I got to see - up close and personal, an armadillo alone wondering through the grasslands and two gopher tortoises who where fighting over a borough that a female tortoise was in control of. The tortoises sounded like they were playing football with their shells hitting together. It was interesting to watch. There were also stingrays and dolphins giving a show as they were jumping and splashing around a short distance off the beach out in the Gulf of Mexico. All the animals were really neat to watch, and I couldn’t believe how many different animals I was able to see while visiting the island.
The island also has for your convenience a 99 slip bayside marina, or in calm weather, your can anchor off shore for your boating pleasures. Other areas of recreation include a concession area with a gift shop and a really neat playground for the children to have fun in the sun too. If you enjoy water sports there are Kayaks available to rent through the park concession and there is also really great fishing off of many of the island shores. The turtles and migratory birds like this island and find it as an ideal location for nesting. There are two species of reptile - the burrowing gopher tortoise, and its occasional roommate, the eastern diamond-back rattlesnake. That calls the coastal strand of this island home.
And for the beach lover like myself, Caladesi is paradise for anyone who loves the beach. I am a person who enjoys shelling and there are lots and lots of shells all along the shoreline. And for the sunbather’s who want to get out of the sun, for your convenience there are beach umbrellas and chairs available to rent. And if you just like to do nothing but lay on a beach and soak up the sunrays, this is the perfect place to be to enjoy the day. To get to the island, Ferry services are available from the mainland, weather permitting and departing hourly.
For additional information for Ferry Services call (727) 734-5263. Caladesi Island State Park, C/o Gulf Islands Geopark, #1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin, FL 34698, (727) 469-5918 - (727) 469-5942.
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