Manatee Haven: Large Enclosed Pool, Hot Tub & Elevator in North Captiva Island

Manatee Haven is located on a private island where there are no cars
(golf carts only). This four-bedroom/three and a half-bath, air-
conditioned home overlooks the Gulf of Mexico.

The ground level patio is fully enclosed with a 25 foot high screen
for an elevator, hot tub, large swimming pool and private shower.
Manatee Haven is an 'upside down' stilt home offering its bedrooms
on the first level, and the great room, kitchen, and expansive
screened patio on the second level. The third level features a crow's
nest. There are two king bedrooms, one queen bedroom, and one
twin suite. Three bedrooms are equipped with Satellite TV and DVD/VHS
players for your private enjoyment. There is a PS2 in the special
twin bedroom suite. There is a screened lanai off the master bedroom.
The second floor has a fully-equipped kitchen with Corian countertops
and a bar. The great room is fully furnished for dining and watching
665+ DVD movies on a 42-in wide HD TV which is connected
to DirecTV.

Manatee Haven, a vacation home on North Captiva Island, has all the
comforts of home. A stay at our home requires you to pack some
clothes and obtain your needed groceries. We provide almost
everything else. Our home features an enclosed patio and private
swimming pool and hot tub, elevator access to all floors and an observation deck
from which some serious stargazing can take place with the
portable Edmund's Scientific Astroscan Telescope and a new SkyQuest
Orion Telescope.

For entertainment we have provided satellite transmission programming
(DirecTV) to 5 television sets including the 42 inch HD/TV in the
great room, 5 DVD players, 1 VCR, books, board games for all ages,
toys, playing cards, binoculars, 665+ DVD movies which are in 12 DVD 
3-ring binders identified as G to PG and PG 13 to R, 50+ VCR movie tapes,
20+ PS3 games and 100+ music CDs.

Manatee Haven can provide you with free use of a laptop computer that has a WIFI broadband highspeed internet connection or you can bring your own laptop computer. Also available is a printer/fax/copy machine. Telephone service includes free long distance calls throughout the United
States only.

For your comfort and convenience, Manatee Haven is completely air
conditioned and has ceiling fans in all rooms including four in the
great room. It has a fully equipped kitchen with microwave,
dishwasher, refrigerator with filtered water, smooth-top stove/oven,
disposal, ice maker, all cooking and baking supplies, an
expresso/latte machine, electric grill, electric cooker, and kitchen
linens.

The bedrooms all are beautifully decorated with island themes and
each has a TV, clock/radio. telephone and additional linens. The two
bathrooms on the bedroom level have both a combination
tub/shower, island theme towels, and hair dryers. The bathroom on the
second level has a shower, towels and a hair dryer. We have
additional towels in the linen closet on the bedroom level and also
two port-a-cribs, high chair and an extension for the dining table in
a separate closet by the laundry room. The laundry facilities are on
the bedroom level and have a separate washer, dryer and also a
washing tub. There is a storage area above the washer and dryer where
you will find an iron, ironing board and other laundry needs.

For recreation, we provide beach towels, beach mats, beach chairs,
umbrellas, boogie boards, snorkels, sand toys, fishing gear, numerous
water games for the private pool, outdoor Weber grill,
outdoor kitchen cabinet, outdoor refrigerator, George Forman electric
grills and dining and lounging furniture.

As the only mode of transportation permitted on the island is by golf
cart, we have provided a special Manatee Haven cart for you in our
enclosed garage.

All guests have access to the facilities of the North Captiva Island Club.

Shelling -

North Captiva is well known as a shelling collector's paradise.
Examples of shells you may find include: lightning whelks, cockles,
cones, pens, olives, tellins, coquinas and conch. We have many
shell books at our home to help you identify your collection of
shells. The best shelling season is in the winter months when we have
a "nor'easter" but you can still be successful in shelling at low
tide during any season of the year. Some of the best shelling is
down on the state land at the new cut created by Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Dining -

Barnacle Phil's

Barnacle Phil's is a favorite with local fishermen, boaters who come
from neighboring islands and vacationers to North Captiva. You have a
choice of dining in or dining out by the docks. Barnacle Phil's has
an eclectic menu that offers fresh fish, chicken, veal, beef and
chef's specials. A must try is Roberta's world famous black beans and
yellow rice. 

Mango Island Cafe

Mango Island Cafe is a private delightful tropical restaurant
overlooking Hidden Cove and the Florida Wildlife Sanctuary. You can
enjoy your favorite drinks and a delicious island meal while you
watch osprey and pelicans soar by and you may even spot a wondering
manatee in the cove. Mango Island Cafe is at the North Captiva Island Club.

Island Deli

Island Deli at the North Captiva Island Club offers a wide variety of
deli sandwiches and boxed lunches for your boating trips or for lunch
at home. There is also a well stocked grocery store and they also
make pizza daily and also some evenings.

Shopping - We have two wonderful shops on our island that sell a wide
variety of items that you may wish to purchase for friends back home
or for yourself as a wonderful memory of our beautiful island. 

At Barnacle Phil's is a wonderful eclectic boutique that its owner and manager has carefully chosen for visitors to North Captiva Island. You can't leave this small
store without purchasing the perfect outfit for sun/play in addition
to various whimsical t-shirts, baseball caps, and sweat shirts.


The ice cream shop at Barnacle Phil's is a daily must for many islanders. They happily accommodate your needs with the best ice cream ever. They also sell Barnacle Phil's t-shirts as well as a wide variety of art work and other neat gift items.

Grocery items such as canned goods, dairy products, cleaning
supplies, sundries, sodas, beer and wine can be purchased at North
Captiva Island Club. They also have hot coffee available in the
morning along with two daily newspapers, The Fort Myers Press and USA
Today.

Bird Watching - Bird watching is a favorite activity of most visitors
to our wonderful island. North Captiva is an island sanctuary for
many species of birds including osprey, ibis, cormorants, egrets,
bald eagles, terns, brown and white pelicans and many more. We have
binoculars to get a closer view of the various birds and also many
books and videos to help you learn about the birds you have
observed.

Swimming - Manatee Haven has a screened pool on the sunny side of our
home. There are many water games for entertainment including water
basketball and water volleyball. Manatee Haven guests also
have a private beach access that is approximately 200 feet from our
home. Boogie boards, sun umbrellas, beach mats, sand toys, fishing
gear and beach towels are available for your use and enjoyment.

Fishing - Fish abound in the waters of Pine Island Sound and the Gulf
of Mexico. The back bay of the sound is good for sea trout, grunts,
snook, tarpon, redfish, and ladyfish. The Gulf and passes are
great for sheephead, tarpon, mackerel, snook and grouper. The best
fishing is in the early evening or during the day up by the air strip
or over by the fish house.

Fishing boats can be rented from Captain Charlie. All of his boats
are 16 feet long, very stable, 25 hp motors, and are equipped with
all Coast Guard approved safety gear. They are perfect for fishing
the waters around North Captiva. The skiffs can also be used for eco-
touring activities such as Dolphin and Manatee observations and
exploration of Pine Island Sound, including the many areas too
shallow for other types of boats.

Fishing boats, 18 feet Center Consoles with 90 hp outboard motors are
available for rental at Island Personal Watercraft Rentals which is
at the North Captiva Island Club. They have a complete
inventory of boats, waverunners, guided tours, fishing trips, kayak
tours available for your enjoyment. They can even create a complete
tour for you to meet your needs or you can tell them what you would
like to see and do and they will plan it for you. They also have
sunset cruises aboard their 22 foot deck boat, or their 24 foot
pontoon boat. The guided tours on the waverunners is a fun afternoon
for all family members.

Star Gazing - From our second level there is a winding staircase that
leads to a private deck, or Crow's Nest, for enjoying sunrises and
sunsets and also for star gazing. We have an easily portable
Edmunds astroscan telescope that is very easy to use and can be
carried to the observation deck. There are four different lenses with
the Edmonds including a Barlow. A second new Orion Sky Quest
telescope is also somewhat portable and it can be used on either
level of the home. It is also very easy to use and has its own
information system to let you know what you will be able to view each
evening.

It is often possible to view our Earth's sisters including Mars,
Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and sometimes Mercury through these
telescopes. Astronomy videos and books are available to help you
identify specific stars and planets as well as current Night Sky
magazines.

Other Wildlife - One of the most common animals that you will see on
North Captiva Island is a brown small reptile that is often called a
lizard. These small reptiles are actually Cuban anoles. They belong
to the iguana family and are very useful because they feed on all
kinds of insects.

A must see on our island are the two families of river otters that
are found around the docks at Barnacle Phil's Restaurant and also
North Captiva Island Club. They are fun to watch as the mothers
are trying to teach their young to swim and hunt for food but the
young would prefer to play with
each other.

In the summer months, many sea turtles come to North Captiva to nest
along the shoreline. There is a no lights ordinance in effect during
the nesting season to prevent newborn sea turtles from becoming
disoriented. One of the most memorable experiences is to observe a
giant loggerhead come ashore to construct a burrow and lay her eggs.

On your ventures around the island you are bound to see the tracks of
our gopher tortoises; follow the tracks and hopefully you will see
one of them. They often can be seen feeding on grasses along the
paths in the very early evening. It is important that you do not
disturb any burrows or the
tortoises that you see.

In the summer of 2005 two manatee mothers and their young have taken
up residence along the shallow inlets on North Captiva. As the waters
around the island get colder in the fall they will migrate to
warmer waters around the electric plants. A boating speed limit is in
effect around the manatee zones. A mother and her calf are already
back for a return visit in May, 2006.

It is also important to keep in mind that golf carts are not
permitted on the beaches on any part of North Captiva Island.

Off Season weekly rate:                 $ 2,250

Summer Season weekly rate:        $ 2,500

Shoulder Season weekly rate:       $ 3,000

Peak Season weekly rate:              $ 3,950

Special Rate for 2 persons only:            Take 20% off weekly rate