The Wandering Disciple

Strolling along Caspersen Beach Park in Venice feels like stepping into one of Florida’s last truly wild shorelines, where windswept dunes, scattered driftwood, and the rhythmic Gulf surf set a peaceful pace. Known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World,” the beach invites slow, deliberate walks with eyes scanning the sand for fossilized treasures tucked among shells and pebbles. With fewer crowds and an untamed natural beauty, every step becomes part of a quiet, meditative journey along this rugged stretch of coast. Taken: February 1, 2009 at Caspersen Beach Park (Venice, FL)

A hidden kayak launch on the bay side of Caspersen Beach Park leads to the quiet mangrove lined waters of Red Lake and beyond. Not too busy, most of the his kayak trail is sheltered from the busy intercoastal waterway. While you circle around the mangrove islands, you will see different types of shorebirds along the water's edge while osprey soar overhead. (Photo: June 14, 2015)

They rocky shoreline of Caspersen Beach at the southern tip of the island of Venice makes for a perfect place to watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico.  The road on the island ends at Caspersen Beach, leaving beachwalkers miles of shoreline to explore with plenty of shells and shark teeth along the sand.  (Photo: February 1, 2009)

Surrounded by mangroves and sandwiched between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercoastal Waterway at Caspersens Beach is Red Lake. The lake provides calm waters for kayaking and fishing. (Photo: June 14, 2015)

Venice, Florida:  Our tour of the kayak trails continues with a stop at Caspersen Beach.  Located on the south end of the island of Venice, the kayak trail at Caspersen includes a few lagoons and Red Lake as highlights of the trip. As we crossed over the bridge, we noticed how swiftly the water was moving under the bridge and were starting to second guess our decision, but we pushed forward to give it a try.  Worse case scenario we cut the trip short. The kayak launch is on the east side of the park.  A short series of steps lead you to the water where you begin your journey.  We headed southbound towards the intercoastal waterway.  We passed under a walking bridge and over an oyster bed which almost acted more like a rapids ride at a theme park then a paddling trail. Before reaching the intercoastal, we had to push through a mangrove tunnel that had almost grown shut.  Between the current and the tight opening, it was probably one of the tough...

A pelican glides in for a landing on the calms waters of the Gulf of Mexico at Caspersen Beach in Venice. (Photo: February 1, 2009)

Venice, Florida: Located at the southern tip of the island of Venice, lies a haven for shell seekers. Caspersen Beach attracts thousands of visitor’s each year hoping find some of the rare gems that wash up on the shore each day. Sarasota County took possession of the land in 1968 when the Caspersen Family deeded the property to the County. The land was transformed into a public park with beach access. The family later sued the county to prove the need for the land as a public park and the county won in Federal Court and Caspersen Beach was here to stay. Today the park is 177 acres of freshwater and saltwater marshes, mangroves and tidal flat along with over 9,000 feet of beachfront. The beach is one of the best places to find sharks teeth, a tradition that has called Venice the Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World. There is also a 1,000 foot boardwalk and a 1/4 mile nature trail. The far southern end of the beach has been preserved in its natural state. The clear waters of...