Sanibel Sea School Blog
Diving Ospreys and Walking Batfish at Sanibel Sea School
Campers at Sanibel Sea School enjoyed exploring two fascinating coastal creatures during Fishin’ With Osprey Week at the organization’s flagship campus on Sanibel, and Going Batty for Batfish Week at Canterbury School in Fort Myers.
Ospreys are fishing birds, with fish making up about 99% of their diet, so each camp group spent lots of time fishing with seine nets and cast nets. Participants had a chance to observe an active Osprey nest through binoculars, then they built a life-sized replica using natural materials gathered on the beach. There was also a birdwatching field trip to “Ding” Darling, a canoe trip to observe Ospreys in their habitat, and an exciting obstacle course.
Batfish Week campers learned about these strange fish with modified pectoral fins that help them walk along the bottom of the sea. Often found in seagrass beds, sandy areas, mud, and rubble, they feed on crustaceans, mollusks and worms. Batfish have a special lure to attract their prey, so participants crafted their own lures and attempted to attract fish into their nets. They also ran a batfish-themed relay race, snorkeled in batfish habitat, and made batty batfish art.
As usual, there was plenty of time for surfboard paddling, macramé tying, and hanging out with camp friends. Sanibel Sea School is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to improve the ocean’s future, one person at a time. To learn more, visit sanibelseaschool.org.