Fort Myers Beach has long been known for its natural beauty, as well as its natural resources. In case you didn’t know, Fort Myers Beach is home to the largest commercial shrimping fleet in the Gulf of Mexico. Composed mainly of shrimpers in search for “pink gold”, this fleet is one of the largest sources of pride in the Fort Myers Beach community.
On our tours, we cruise around the same waters that shrimpers have navigated for over 60 years. Shrimp fishermen have considered our gulf shrimp as “pink gold” since the early 1950s due to their vivid pink coloring. Shortly thereafter, nearby San Carlos Island popped up as a makeshift village to provide the shrimping boats with food, ice, nets, repairs, equipment and other supplies. Docks and processing plants accommodated the offloading of the crustaceans for trans-shipment.
When shrimpers go out, they generally have a crew of three fishermen, the captain, the rig man and an assistant. Their boat, called a trawler, can be out at sea for up to 20 days! Depending on the conditions, the shrimpers will collect as much shrimp as possible during this period. The fisherman would consider 20,000 pounds of shrimp a good haul.
Today, the Fort Myers Beach community celebrates the heritage of our working waterfront at the annual Fort Myers Beach shrimp festival. From the 5K, to the parade and the food and crafts expo, when you visit the Shrimp Festival you will be immersed in one of the most iconic community gatherings on Estero Island. You can’t miss the legendary shrimp eating championship where you’ll witness several participants scarfing down as much pink gold shrimp as possible!
If you’re looking for Fort Myers Beach events in March, the shrimp festival and the St Patty’s day parade shouldn’t be missed! Spend the morning at the beach and end your day with us watching the sun set over the horizon on our beautiful Fort Myers Beach sunset cruise.
