Originally published in the News-Press by Amy Bennett Williams on June 19, 2026.
Anyone headed out to the Sanibel Causeway this weekend might want to think twice about getting into (or even touching) that lovely turquoise water.
That’s because the water tested “poor” for fecal indicator bacteria, according to state health officials.
Swallowing or swimming in such waters can make people sick with diarrhea, nausea, rashes or eye irritation. However, the concentration of the bacteria ― and where, exactly, on the 3-mile-long causeway the troubling samples came from ― is not available on the state website that’s supposed to provide that information.
Warm water promotes bacteria growth
Enterococci, the tested-for bacteria, comes from the poop of warm-blooded animals, which could be mating manatees (as it was in 2022 on Lovers Key), humans or birds.
“We did have a good rain on Sunday morning,” said Rick Bartleson, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation research scientist. “That could’ve washed a source of bacteria into the water.”
And warmer water promotes the growth of bacteria, points out Calusa Waterkeeper board member Jason Pim.
Whatever the cause, “Water quality … does not meet the recreational water quality criteria for Enterococcus bacteria recommended by the Florida Department of Health,” the Lee County branch wrote in a news release sent out late in the afternoon of June 18 before the long Juneteenth/Father’s Day weekend.
Test results not on state website
Officials advise “against any water-related activities at this location due to an increased risk of illness in swimmers. Sampling conducted during regular water quality monitoring showed that the level of bacteria exceeds the level established by state guidelines.”
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