White Ibis on Captiva Island. -- Photos by Tracy McLaughlin

It can come to you in a moment of silence while sitting on a Florida beach in the early morning dawn when the sky is a fiery red ribbon across the sky. It can come while sitting in a canoe or kayak as your paddle quietly dips into the warm salty water of the Gulf of Mexico. Or it can come to you during an excursion to the more than 400,000 hectares of nature sanctuaries and unspoiled wetlands of Southwest Florida.

Florida's wildlife. Majestic, colourful, innocent -- sometimes elusive and dangerous.

I started my wildlife quest at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, recently named as the "Gateway" site for the southern section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Saved from the saws of the logging industry more than 30 years ago, the sanctuary is the last old growth bald cypress forest left in the United States and is home to a multitude of birds and animals.

Visitors actually whisper as they stroll along this rustic 3.5-km boardwalk so they won't disturb the wildlife. Nature-lovers scurried up to me with a finger over their lips and a friendly "shhhh!" at the times when I couldn't contain my enthusiasm over spotting something really cool in the swamp. Surprisingly there were no pesky mosquitoes here thanks to the gambusia "mosquito" fish that gobbles up the larvae by the millions.

Along the way I listened to swamp guide Dick Brewer, a retired school teacher and one of several volunteers so passionate about life in the swamp that they work for free. In his hushed voice he pointed out the majestic great egret as it marched through the swamp in search of tasty frogs, the wood stork, black vultures, blue herons and the beautiful white Ibis.

"In mating season the Ibis' bill and legs change from pink to a bright tomato-orange so that it can find a mate," said Brewer. "Beats going to the bar to find a mate."

The highlight of my two-hour trek was watching the grinning alligators as they skulked through the swamp and I lay on my belly on the boardwalk to watch them, not daring to allow so much as a baby toe dangle over the edge -- just in case there was an inadvertent SNAP.

Never underestimate an alligator in the wild, and never try to feed them Brewer said.

"People try to feed them chicken bones -- next thing you know that little doggy on the leash disappears."

A visitor at Corkscrew Swamp Sactuary watches over Lettuce Lake for alligators and other wildlife.

Brewer is always flabbergasted by visitors who have no fear of these living dinosaurs, like the man who insisted they were fake alligators and tried to hop over the boardwalk to touch them.

"We hauled him back while he still had his fingers and toes intact. Heck, they can crunch up a hard-shelled turtle like it was an M & M candy," Brewer said.

I didn't get to see a Florida panther at Corkscrew but I'm told my chances would be better if I ever decide to do a guided moonlight walk on the boardwalk.

The next day I travelled an hour or so north to the west coast to Sanibel Island -- an exotic little jewel where stop lights and McDonald's fast food joints don't exist and where there is a law that you can't build a building higher than a palm tree.

I drove along winding palm tree lined roads to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, named after the 1920s Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and environmentalist, Jay "Ding" Darling, and home to many rare species of birds, reptiles and mammals. The reserve occupies almost a third of the island with footpaths, winding canoe trails and a 6.5 km scenic drive.

Entertaining tour guide Greg Nelson for Captiva Kayak and Wildside Adventures.

On the open trolley, ride tour guide Jim Wilson pointed out the beautiful roseate spoonbill, white pelicans, egrets, alligators and other wildlife in a soothing grandpa kind of drawl as he told folksy stories about the wildlife and the enchanting Calusa Indians who once lived here with kings and medicine men.

We watched as the white pelicans formed a circle around a school of fish and took turns helping each other catch breakfast. Wilson stopped the trolley to pick up a Horseshoe crab and told us how the medical profession uses an extract from the horseshoe crab's blue, copper-based blood called lysate to test the purity of medicines. Certain properties of the shell have also been used to speed blood clotting and to make absorbable sutures.

"The wonders of mother nature," he said.

The enchanting Sanibel Island is connected by bridge to Captiva Island, an adorable little exotic spot about 1.5 km wide. Here I took a cruise with Captiva Cruises where another passionate volunteer tour guide -- and natural comic -- Fay Carne, took a group of us out on a dolphin watch adventure.

"They communicate with high-pitched squeaks -- kind of like our kids," she quipped.

Saying hello to a Florida morning.

And oh, my, gosh, then the dolphins came, popping out of the water, swooping and smiling just like in all those Disney movies and everyone on the boat cheered and sighed in loving awe.

"Look Mom, Pelicans!" gushed 4-year-old twin brothers Sam and Max Fouts of Wisconsin as they watched them leap out of the water and play in the wake of our boat.

I love first-time experiences and this was the first time I ever saw a dolphin in the wild.

You can have an even more up-close-and-personal encounter with these beautiful animals and other sea life by renting a kayak at Captiva Kayak & Wildside Adventures next to Captiva Cruises. Here I took a guided kayak tour of The Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail with tour guide and naturalist Greg LeBlanc.

For an instant, I was frightened when some sort of giant fish splashed its tail near my kayak. But then I saw the gentle, seal-like friendly face and I was told that this was the endangered West Indian Manatee swimming beside me -- another first and another rush of awe.

An alligator skulks at Corkscrew Swamp.

Feeling satiated with my day, I checked in at the Island Inn, a resort gem hidden away on the Gulf shore where cozy rooms and white cottages dot the beachfront property. I slept like a baby while listening to the waves lap against the shore.

When I rose at sunrise to watch the red sun bless the beach and strolled barefoot along the edge of the warm gulf waters, I got another taste of Florida's wildlife.

Suddenly it looked like raindrops in the water but it was hundreds of tiny coral fish jumping as if calling to the birds, "come and get it!" And along came the comical storks, Ibises, Sandpipers and dolphins to get their fill of the smorgasbord put on by Mother Nature with tender loving care.

As the sun rose higher and changed from red to a warm, yellow glow, I felt energized. Just another little gift to start a new day in Sanibel, Fla.

Fish tacos are a delicious new invention by the chef at Doc Ford's restaurant, which is themed after famed author and local redident Randy Wayne White.

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A TASTE OF PARADISE

SANIBEL AND CAPTIVA ISLANDS Restaurateurs and chefs from all over the globe have come to Sanibel and Captiva Islands -- not just to add their creative touch, but because they want to live on these palm-tree lined islands, where everything moves at a slower pace and there are no stop lights.

Here's my top three favourites for the three main meals of the day -- lunch, dinner and of course, dessert.

Lunch at Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille

This folksy place is themed after the books of local resident, Randy Wayne White, a former fishing guide and now a New York Times best selling author of Sanibel Flats -- and other whodunits -- with main character Doc Ford and his quirky pals who may resemble some of the locals.

I had the chef's creation -- fish tacos made with locally caught grouper. Look around and you will see some of the local fans who come to eat here wearing a Doc Ford psychedelic T-shirt that states: "Weird is only weird if you fight it."

Dinner at Key Lime Bistro at Captiva Island Inn

An outdoor patio with palm trees and glittering lights set an exotic island mood with singer and guitar player Pat McCuen's voice softly wafting through the warm evening air. I had locally caught jumbo gulf shrimp with a Key Lime sauce for an appetizer and stuffed snapper. The place had a wonderful feel and even the waiters sang along with the musician.

Dessert at The Bubble Room

You don't have to just have dessert here because the seafood and steak menu with a Tarzan or a Jane cut is delectable. But you have to try the Bubble desserts.

Not many people can finish the New York cheesecake, Key Lime pie, or any of the other desserts but the servers will pack them for you for a late night snack. Even if you aren't hungry it's worth visiting this delightful place with a Christmasy feel, '30s and '40s memorabilia and a toy train that travels along the walls. This place is a hoot.

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BOTTOM LINE

MORE INFO

- For details on travel to the Sunshine State, consult Visit Florida -- visitflorida.com. For information on the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel, visit the Lee County CVB website -- fortmyerssanibel.com.

- For the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, see corkscrew.audubon.org, where you will also find information on the sanctuary's participation in the 3rd annual Southwest Florida Birding Festival Jan. 19-21.Registration at rookerybay.org.

- For Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, one of North America's top birding destinations, see dingdarling.fws.gov.

- For details on boat tours, check captivacruises.com and captivakayaks.com.