[/caption]Cutter Loose remains on the hook in Pelican Bay today. We take advantage of this relaxed setting to explore the beach at Cayo Costa State Park. Access to the park is provided by small boat docks and a dinghy dock. Ferry service is provided from Pine Island. There are no vehicles on the island, other than those related to the operation of the state park.
As a barrier island, Cayo Costa features an assortment of pine forests, oak-palm hammocks and mangrove swamps. But the real attraction at Cayo Costa is its nine miles of white sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. From the dinghy dock, the trail to the beach is less than a mile in length. A few dozen sunseekers are clustered on the beach near the trailhead. We elect to stroll south along the water's edge where the only other creatures are sanderlings, oystercatchers, ruddy turnstones and plovers. Every imaginable type of shell can be found on this beach. Walking ankle-deep in water and gazing at the horizon places us in a beach trance.[caption id="attachment_2865" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Birds of a feather..."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_2870" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose at anchor in Pelican Bay"]
[/caption]Winds are increasing out of the south today as a cold front approaches from the western Gulf. When we return to Cutter Loose, wind speed has reached 18 knots and gusting. There is a chance of a pre-frontal thunderstorm after midnight tonight. Cutter Loose will remain at anchor here in the relative protection of Pelican Bay until the weather picture becomes clearer.
We leave you with images of this beautiful place called Cayo Costa.
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