Calusa Beach & Loggerhead Beach — Local services in Stock Island

We visited on a Wednesday in late December 2024 (Christmas Day). They were open. We arrived around 10AM and there were 3 cars waiting in front of us at the gate and plenty of parking in the parking lot by Calusa Beach (facing Florida Bay/to the North). We heard this was the best place to snorkel. We did hike up the bridge and at least see Loggerhead Beach.

They weren't wrong about the snorkeling. While we didn't try the other beaches, there were plenty of small fish in the rocks by what I think is a small jetty. Many people were walking on top of it to take pictures but there were enough fish here to keep my kids entertained for the better part of an hour. The water was clear. There were a lot of hermit crabs as well on the rocks. If you went to the end of the jetty you have to be more carful as it gets pretty deep pretty quick 8-10 ft. Also boats and coming in and out of the marina and not all are following the rules.

The Calusa Beach was great with great sand and relatively flat. They have a number of picnic benches with pergolas. Some have seen better days however. There was shade available too with trees. We had a great day here. The water was a little colder than we would've liked but the sun was out. Younger kids didn't stay in water long and mostly played on the beach. There were some people throwing around balls which some came pretty close to us when they missed. It wasn't what I call super crowded but I can only imagine what this might be like on a very packed day. I don't think I'd want to be here.

The bathrooms were also pretty nice. They had a number of outdoor showers although some worked better than others and access here was all concrete so easier for wheelchairs and strollers.

Overall we enjoyed our trip to this beach for the first time. We wish we had more time and would definitely come back. There are other hikes we really wanted to do and also explore the other beaches on the ocean side like Loggerhead Beach and...

WARNING!!!!! Stay on the north side of the island in the posted swimming zones. The south side near the inlet/bridge can appear calm and flat but there’s a deep undertow, even on those pretty tropical sandbars it is DANGEROUS!!! Keep your kids close and ALWAYS, I cannot stress this enough, ALWAYS have some kind of floatation device. You cannot fight this current. I’m a 20 year Master Scuba Diver and today I nearly lost my life trying to save two people who were swept off the sandbar into deep water. Thankfully a random boat was nearby to save us. I wasn’t even on their boat before they spotted two other people being swept away screaming for help so a total stranger saved 5 lives in a matter of minutes. Please please be careful on the south side of this island near the bridge. The currents and undertow can change your life in a second. The sand bars look pretty, but they can be deadly. Please wear a PFD! To whoever rescued us all today, you...

This is a great beach, but it's only great water quality when the tide is coming in, bringing the blue water from the Atlantic into the bay side. So the best time is after the peak of low tide, when the tide is turning around, coming back in. If you walk down to the left, towards the bridge, there's a great place to fish, where it's allowed. The consession stand has good coffee and has some good snacks so you don't really need to pack lunch. Bring a mask and snorkel because the fish towards the bridge are plentiful. The sea birds seem to have some kinds of contest going on as to who can make the weirdest and loudest cries, so don't be shocked if it sounds like a skunk ape is swimming next to you. It's probably a heron talking...