No Impact from BP Oil Spill on Sanibel and Captiva Island Beaches

If you’re thinking of heading to the beaches of Sanibel and Fort Myers this year, but are worried that your kids will be playing with tar balls in the sand, you can relax. Recent projections by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report the probability of the BP oil spill impacting the destination is less than 1 percent. That echoes the opinion of Kristie Anders, education director for the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. She says the Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico follows the edge of the continental shelf, which runs parallel to the state’s coast and extends 150 miles offshore. Barring a major storm, it will steer the Loop Current away from the area and well offshore of Southwest Florida. So this could be the year Southwest Florida becomes a real bargain for people in the know.