Here's another example of Florida's island mysteries that have yet to be documented: Google Maps clearly shows a sandy island called Sharker's Island. It's located at a sort of three-way waterway intersection of Lido Key, Bird Key and Bay Isle. No Street View available, which you may find a no-brainer since there's no streets, but that hasn't stopped Google before.
Curious, I did a Google search and found there's essentially nothing on the web about this damn island. How is that even possible in the year 2013 when you can even manuever around inside Scott Base on a remote mountain in Antarctica?
Some guy's personal profile that's been duplicated amongst a bunch of spam-echo sites states "An awesome place I've visited: Sharker's Island", and a realtor's website mentions it in passing: "...easy access to either Roberts Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, the Gulf of Mexico via Sharker's Island or directly to downtown Sarasota across the northern bridge off Siesta Drive."
And that's it.
Undeterred, I tried to use Google Maps Street View to see if the island could be seen from other shores, but Street View doesn't extend far enough on Bird Key, and the view from Bay Isle would come tantalizingly close if not blocked by someone's beach house:
Looks like I have another island to add to my bucket list.
Of course, it looks as if there's literally nothing there - not even a tree or a patch of grass - but who cares? I'll just sit there with a parasol and drink a Yuengling, while pouring a little out in the sand for my dead homies Ernest Hemingway and John Ringling.
was SUPing out there, and my friends were going to the "sand bar" that seems to be where Sharkers Island is on google. I turned around because of wind, but I think that may be it. In that case, it sank. will explore it next time.
ReplyDeleteLOL. About the only way to "find" Sharker's Island is to traverse the area at low tide in a boat and you may get stuck on it. That someone actually named this Underwater sand bar is a hoot. I have a feeling some numbskull named Sharker got stuck there and named it after himself. I got stuck on it in 1973 in a Catamaran and thereby am going to lobby to rename it Jake's Island because I was there 1st!!!
ReplyDeleteI suspect this is a spoil island - created with sand that was dredged from the channel to make it deeper. This sand contains many fossils, including megalodon sharks teeth that can be as big as your outstretched hand. I plan to paddle out there later today at low tide to investigate
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