Florida’s Paradise Coast lives up to its name

“Reel down! Pull up! Reel down! Pull up!” That’s the mantra Capt. Jason Gilbert shouted as I struggled to reel in whatever was on the other end of my fishing line. It was putting up a heck of a fight, and I used every ounce of muscle to get the contrary leviathan on the boat. Maybe I had a bull shark.

I never dreamed my first deep sea fishing excursion would be so thrilling. I thought fishing was just an excuse for guys to kick back and drink beer on a boat, requiring only enough physical exertion to pop a bottle top, but there I was, about 25 miles off the coast of Naples, Fla., striving to reel in what was sure to be a record-setting catch.

Aha! A nice, fat grouper.

The captain measured the pink, squirming fish, 20 inches, and unceremoniously threw it back into the clear, green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. My jaw dropped, and I glared at him as though he had just hurled all my worldly possessions into the sea. OK, the fish wasn’t quite as big as I expected, but I had fought tooth and manicured nail for it. It had reduced me to a gasping, sweating wreck, and I deserved my trophy. I didn’t care if there was an old tire on the end of that line; it was mine, mine, mine.

Well, it doesn’t work that way. Grouper has to be a minimum of 22 inches to keep. Jason reassured me, tongue-in-cheek, that there were other fish in the sea. He was right. I caught my limit, and as we zipped through Gordon Pass, past rows of elegant waterfront homes, I felt as triumphant as a 19th-century big game hunter returning from an African expedition.

We docked at River Walk restaurant, where I was told my grouper would be prepared any way I liked. I guess real fishermen clean their own fish, but I was happy to leave that to somebody else.

A platter of fish tacos, served with citrusy-sweet pineapple salsa, arrived just as I slurped down the last of a delicious frozen cocktail called the Last Mango.

The grouper was tender and flaky, quite possibly the tastiest fish that ever swam in the sea. At least, that’s how it seemed when I reflected on how much I had labored to finally get a keeper.

Everglades by airboat

The next day, I headed to Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours in Ochopee, just outside Everglades National Park.

I have always been fascinated by alligators, and I couldn’t wait to observe them in their natural habitat. Well, I didn’t have to wait. I was standing near the water before the tour began when a monster gator crawled out of the marsh, stopping to sun himself practically at my feet. I could see every razor-sharp tooth in the predator’s jaws, every bump on his rugged skin.

Too close for comfort. I made a hasty retreat. A staff member introduced me (from a safe distance) to Tripod, a reference to the creature’s missing front leg. He said that, because of his advanced age, Tripod is not the hunter he used to be and is losing weight. Seriously? It’s hard to imagine the hulking reptile’s size before his involuntary diet.

Onboard the airboat, I put on my headphones (it’s a noisy ride) and got a major stomach-churning adrenaline rush as we sped off through marshlands and mangroves, easily gliding over the tall sawgrass.

When we stopped for photos, alligators of all sizes stealthily emerged from their hiding places, and we soon were surrounded on all sides. It was both exciting and creepy, and I was suddenly thankful I wasn’t in a kayak. It seems miraculous that this 150 million-year-old species survived long after their dinosaur contemporaries died off about 65 million years ago.

Of course, gators aren’t the only animals that call the marshlands home. More than 350 species of birds, including egrets, herons, kingfishers and osprey, make it a bird-watcher’s dream.

Marco Island

After a couple of days of wrestling grouper and sidestepping alligators, I was ready for a slower pace, so I checked into the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club and Spa, which is undergoing a $300 million expansion and renovation.

Marco Island, just 15 miles southeast of Naples, is swanky in a quiet, understated way. The resort features two 18-hole championship golf courses, a spa with Balinese-style treatments, and Ario, a top-notch restaurant specializing in dry-aged steaks. But, for me, the main attraction was the long stretch of uncrowded, snowy-white beach.

A sailing and shelling excursion operated by the resort takes guests to one of several small islands — in my case, Coconut Island — for an afternoon of beachcombing.

As we skimmed across the calm, clear sea, the captain told us manatees and dolphins inhabit these waters. Right on cue, a pair of dolphins soared into the air, frolicking alongside the boat in perfect synchronization.

On Coconut Island, shells in an array of colors peeked out of the white sand. The abundance and variety made it difficult to decide which ones to take and which ones to leave. I picked up the perfect sand dollar, but a few minutes later, I spotted one that was even larger and whiter, so the first one went back in the water.

I was about to plop a pretty Florida fighting conch in my bag when the sea snail indignantly emerged from its shell. Yikes! I put it back on the beach and, from then on, checked that the shells I collected were not actually occupied by a living creature.

The warm water lapped at my ankles and the sea breeze brushed my skin. I strolled past a flock of black skimmers pecking at small crustaceans with their bright orange beaks and observed brown pelicans dive-bombing into the ocean for fish.

By the end of the afternoon, I had a bag full of shells and lots of photos of exotic birds.

This corner of southwest Florida is called the Paradise Coast, and I found that it certainly lives up to its name.

IF YOU GO

Where to stay

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club and Spa. 400 S. Collier Blvd., Marco Island, Fla. 239-394-2511, marcoislandmarriott.com.

Where to eat

River Walk at Tin City. 1200 5th Ave. S., Naples, Fla. 239-263-2734, riverwalktincity.com.

Ario at Marco Island Beach Resort. 400 S. Collier Blvd., Marco Island, Fla. 239-642-2695, marcoislandmarriott.com.

Activities