North Captiva Island
Encyclopedia
North Captiva Island is an island
in Lee County
in Southwest
Florida
, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico
. It lies just north of Captiva Island
, separated by a channel called Redfish Pass
which was created in a 1921 hurricane. It lies just south of Cayo Costa Island, separated by Captiva Pass
.
Like Captiva and Sanibel Island
s, North Captiva is a barrier island
to Pine Island
(to the east of Captiva and north of Sanibel), and is very narrow. There is no automobile access to the island and electric golf carts are the primary means of transport.
Development of the island began in the 1960s, but was slow due to the absence of electric service and the difficulty on transporting building materials to the island. Commercial electric and phone service was established in the mid 1980s. The island now has about 300 homes built and 300 vacant lots, or about half way to build out. About half of the island is owned by the State of Florida and is part of a State Park. All other areas are privately owned including the roads. Since the island can be accessed by boat or small plane only, a regular passenger ferry service runs from Pine Island Marina (the "Island Girl" charter service) at two hour intervals - serving both tourists and locals who own neither boats or airplanes. There is also a barging service that transports materials to and garbage from the island.
The island was damaged in August 2004 when the eastern eyewall
of Hurricane Charley
struck North Captiva, immediately before hitting Charlotte Harbor
to the north-northeast. The island was literally cut in two by the storm surge. Although it took several years, the island has mostly recovered from the hurricane damage and new construction is ongoing.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
in Southwest
Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is a region of Florida , United States located along its gulf coast, south of the Tampa Bay area, west of Lake Okeechobee and mostly north of the Everglades...
Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. It lies just north of Captiva Island
Captiva Island
Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.-History:According to local folklore, Captiva got its name because the pirate captain José Gaspar held his female prisoners on the island for ransom or worse...
, separated by a channel called Redfish Pass
Redfish Pass
Redfish Pass is a strait in Florida that connects Pine Island Sound with the Gulf of Mexico. It also separates Captiva Island on the south from North Captiva Island on the north. The pass was created by the hurricane of 1921 which divided the once larger Captiva Island...
which was created in a 1921 hurricane. It lies just south of Cayo Costa Island, separated by Captiva Pass
Captiva Pass
Captiva Pass is the strait that separates North Captiva Island from La Costa Island in Lee County, Florida.The pass connects the Gulf of Mexico to the west with Pine Island Sound to the east....
.
Like Captiva and Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island is an island located on the Gulf coast of Florida, just offshore of Fort Myers. In 2000, it had an estimated population of 6,064 people...
s, North Captiva is a barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
to Pine Island
Pine Island (Lee County, Florida)
Pine Island is an island located in Lee County, Florida, on the Gulf coast of southwest Florida. It is the largest island in the state of Florida, and the 118th largest island in the United States. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Pine Island Sound, to the west of the island. Matlacha Pass...
(to the east of Captiva and north of Sanibel), and is very narrow. There is no automobile access to the island and electric golf carts are the primary means of transport.
Development of the island began in the 1960s, but was slow due to the absence of electric service and the difficulty on transporting building materials to the island. Commercial electric and phone service was established in the mid 1980s. The island now has about 300 homes built and 300 vacant lots, or about half way to build out. About half of the island is owned by the State of Florida and is part of a State Park. All other areas are privately owned including the roads. Since the island can be accessed by boat or small plane only, a regular passenger ferry service runs from Pine Island Marina (the "Island Girl" charter service) at two hour intervals - serving both tourists and locals who own neither boats or airplanes. There is also a barging service that transports materials to and garbage from the island.
The island was damaged in August 2004 when the eastern eyewall
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
of Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley was the third named storm, the second hurricane, and the second major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Charley lasted from August 9 to August 15, and at its peak intensity it attained 150 mph winds, making it a strong Category 4 hurricane on the...
struck North Captiva, immediately before hitting Charlotte Harbor
Charlotte Harbor (estuary)
Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the most productive wetlands in Florida...
to the north-northeast. The island was literally cut in two by the storm surge. Although it took several years, the island has mostly recovered from the hurricane damage and new construction is ongoing.