Andrew West | Fort Myers News-Press
The south end of Fort Myers Beach is a nesting site for many of Southwest Florida’s protected shorebirds. Those include black skimmers, least terns, snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers and more.
News-Press photographer Andrew West spent a recent evening there documenting some of the sights.
Some skimmers were seen loafing on the sands while others hunted the shallow waters in search of a meal. Least terns bathed and a lone reddish egret danced, pranced and ran in a zig zagging pattern drumming up a meal. In Big Carlos pass, several dolphins broke the surface of the calm waters, working in pairs in search of fish.
A staked off area alerts visitors to be aware of the nesting birds. The terns will make a racket and dive bomb any potential threat, which includes people. When hatched, snowy plovers and least terns are small cotton balls with feet. The camouflaged puff balls scatter along the landscape. The snowy plover chicks feed almost immediately after hatching, while parents bring in small bait fish for the least terns and black skimmers.
Beach nesting season is April 1 to Aug. 31.
Check out the video and photo gallery on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the Naples-Bonita Springs, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
Federal agencies still haven’t signed off on a rebuild of the much-beloved Naples Pier.
At a workshop June 16, Naples City Council discussed potential changes to the design, but expressed reluctance to make any big ones, as it could drag out permitting.
During the workshop, Tim Hall, with Turrell, Hall & Associates, a consultant on the project, told council any significant changes could add months to the Army Corps of Engineers’ review and approval process.
“We’re hoping to get a permit from them probably in the September timeframe and it could add another six months on top of that,” he warned.
Council discussed changes to the land side of the pier only, including the addition of a restroom solely for use by the Naples Police Department, so officers could better secure and protect their safety equipment, including guns, while on duty.
Read more on naplesnews.com.
Are you looking for a home in the Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Laura Layden | Naples Daily News
Naples will usher in 2026 with fireworks.
Just not on New Year’s Eve, but a few days later. The show is planned for the first Saturday of the year.
Last year, city council voted to pull the plug on its annual fireworks on New Year’s Eve, near the Naples Pier, citing public safety concerns and the strain on police resources during a busy time.
Backlash was quick after fireworks canceled
The decision was met with sharp criticism from some residents, however, who complained about the loss of such a beloved tradition. The backlash came quickly on social media and in angry emails to the Naples Daily News, with one resident saying city council deserved the “Grinch Award.”
Read why the City wants a more manageable fireworks date on naplesnews.com.
Dave Osborn | Naples Daily News
A Naples landmark has received a top honor for one its most popular and unique attractions.
The Naples Zoo has been named in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2025. The national news publication rated the Naples Zoo’s Primate Expedition Cruise eighth among the 10 best zoo exhibits across the country for 2025.
What was criteria to make 10 Best list
“The best zoo exhibits not only educate but also engage visitors by transporting them to another place, whether it be the foothills of the Himalayas, a Florida swamp, or to an island in Madagascar,” USA Today said in announcing the winners.
“But which zoo exhibits are the most impressive, immersive, and informative in the country?” Find out on naplesnews.com.
Contact David to find a home in the Naples area at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Mark H. Bickel | Naples Daily News
Not that we didn’t know this already, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded: Naples is a great place to retire in Florida.
Kiplinger agrees, picking Naples as one of its six ‘best places’ to retire in Florida for 2025.
What Kiplinger said about retiring to Naples
If you want to show off your Ferrari, hit the links, and retire in style on Florida’s west coast
For those drawn to Florida’s Gulf Coast, Naples is synonymous with wealth and the good life, and with an ample population of retirees. Parks, golf courses, and pickleball courts abound, not to mention the enduring attraction of its beaches, with their soft sands, calm waters, and spectacular sunsets.
Read on for Naples by the Numbers on naplesnews.com.
Planning to retire in Naples? Contact David to find a home in the Naples area at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.
Liz Freeman | Naples Daily News
The Naples Pathways Coalition is the driving force behind an ambitious project for more options for walking, running, and bicycling without worry of getting hit by cars.
The project, Paradise Coast Trail, was introduced by the coalition in 2018. It is proposed as 100 miles of paved pathway, separate from roads, that will connect Naples to Ave Maria and to Collier Seminole State Park, and Bonita Springs, according to the coalition’s executive director, Michelle Avola-Brown.
In 2023, the state Legislature adopted the segment of the Paradise Coast Trail from Marco Island through Naples, the new Paradise Coast Sports Complex, Ave Maria, Everglades City, and Immokalee into the state’s SUN Trail network that runs through the state.
Read the full article and view photos on naplesnews.com.
