A day in the life at the luxury Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure Island can be stressful as it is hard to figure out how and when best to relax! Ok it’s really not that stressful.
For example, we enjoy a morning stroll to the Gulf and a refreshing swim to get the day doing in the right direction. The best time to go to the snow white fine sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico is the morning.
A morning dip
Why the morning you ask? Easy, it’s way less crowded and the sun is still building up steam for the rest of the day.
As you stroll through the back citrus garden of Eiko’s Beach House and navigate through the swaying sugar cane for the short 50 yard hike from your porch to the Gulf, be careful not to disturb the long necked cranes which are happily eating shellfish for breakfast until you intrude on “their turf.”
Before you enter the water, locals tend to wear water slippers in the off-chance that they may unintentionally step on a stingray feeding in the sand. Or more likely some pesky shells!
However, when your ready, with slippers or not, walk into the Gulf! The salty water laps up against your ankles as you ease into the refreshing water. Enjoy listening to the seagulls cry and watching the pelicans dive for fish.
Meeting a dolphin
Then, when you are ready, take the plunge and submerge your shoulders and head under the gentle waves…you’re in. This is where the real fun begins as you hunt for your first “encounter”.
Start looking for any black or grey objects which stands out against the white capped waves. If you are at the right place at the right time, you have yourself a dolphin sighting!
Dolphins usually travel in pairs or sometimes the whole dolphin family travel together looking for delicious seafood in the Treasure Island area.
A dolphin encounter is not a slam dunk guarantee but in two weeks at Eiko’s Beach House we usually see several dolphins. Sometimes, if they are curious, they will come up to you for a closer look. It is usually best to ignore them as your apparent lack of interest can attract them closer to you.
Manatee encounter
Another experience which is less frequent but very gratifying is a manatee encounter!
They tend to sneak up to unassuming swimmers and gently give a nudge. Last August, two manatees swam near us and we noticed their large shadow in the water, as the manatee investigated who we were and once satisfied, silently swam off to John’s Pass.
Manatees do not eat fish but feed on algae and seaweed. While there are large colonies of manatee at Crystal River about 70 miles north of Treasure Island, some manatees seem to live near John’s Pass. We also discovered they like to travel around Florida and the South East coastal regions so keep your eyes open for these truly unique mammals.
Home at the Eiko’s Beach House
A stay at the luxury Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure Island should be an experience in total relaxation.
However, even while relaxation may be your goal, it’s possible that an unscheduled encounter with dolphins and manatee. Our advice is to thoroughly enjoy the experience as we believe these encounters, in part, motivate our guests to visit the Eiko’s Beach house year after year in their search for relaxation on the Gulf of Mexico . See you there soon!
