Captiva Island
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Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally part of neighboring Sanibel Island to the southeast, it was likely severed when a hurricane's storm surge washed away a new channel, called Blind Pass, which has now been filled in with sand. Like Sanibel, Captiva is a barrier island to Pine Island (to the east of Captiva and north of Sanibel), however it is much narrower. The only automobile access to Captiva is via the Sanibel Causeway and Sanibel-Captiva Road.
North Captiva Island or Upper Captiva is another island, in turn severed from Captiva in a 1921 hurricane, creating Redfish Pass. North Captiva has power from lines that originate on the north end of Captiva, and is privately owned. With about 300 homes built and 300 vacant lots, the island is about half way to build out. Since the island can be accessed by boat or small plane only, North Captiva real estate values are generally lower than on Captiva.
Captiva was seriously damaged in August 2004 when the eastern eyewall of Hurricane Charley struck North Captiva, immediately before hitting Charlotte Harbor to the north-northeast. Initial reports indicated that 160 buildings were destroyed and another 160 seriously damaged. The storm surge cut a path 400 yards or 365 meters wide across the narrowest part of North Captiva, making it two separate islands. The new pass has not been formally named, but the locals call it "Charley Pass" or "The North Cap Gap".
According to local folklore, Captiva got its name because the pirate captain José Gaspar (Gasparilla) held his female prisoners on the island for ransom or worse. Captiva is the part time home of many famous people and was the full-time home of world renowned artist Robert Rauschenberg. South Seas Island Resort and Yacht Harbor, a 330 acre resort, resides on the northern two miles of Captiva Island.
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