Coyotes on Sanibel and Captiva Islands: Wildlife Behavior, Sea Turtle Protection, and Community Conservation Efforts

Coyotes have become a visible — and often misunderstood — part of the wildlife landscape on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. While these highly adaptable predators are native to Florida, their arrival on barrier islands has created new conservation challenges, especially when it comes to protecting endangered loggerhead sea turtles, one of Sanibel’s most important nesting species.

Understanding how coyotes live, communicate, and interact with island ecosystems is essential to balancing wildlife coexistence with conservation priorities.

When Coyotes First Appeared on Sanibel

The first confirmed coyote sighting on Sanibel occurred in March 2011 within the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Since that time, coyotes have gradually expanded their presence across conservation lands, undeveloped corridors, and some residential edges.

Their arrival reflects a broader Florida trend. Habitat loss, expanding mainland development, and natural dispersal patterns have allowed coyotes to move into coastal environments that were historically more isolated.

How Many Coyotes Live on Sanibel and Captiva?

One of the most common questions is simple: How many coyotes are on the islands?

The answer is that the exact population is unknown.

Coyotes are elusive, primarily active at night, and highly mobile. Scientists rely on trail cameras, track surveys, GPS monitoring, and field observations to understand activity patterns, but accurately counting individuals on barrier islands is extremely difficult. Seasonal movement, shifting territories, reproduction cycles, and swimming ability further complicate population estimates.

What conservation scientists do know is that even a small number of coyotes can have a significant ecological impact, especially when they repeatedly target vulnerable nesting areas. In Sanibel's case, turtle next predation is a learned behavior passed on in family groups.

Understanding Coyote Behavior on Barrier Islands

Coyotes are among North America’s most adaptable predators. On Sanibel and Captiva, their behavior reflects island conditions and available food sources.

Intelligent and Opportunistic

Coyotes are highly intelligent problem-solvers. They quickly learn patterns, adapt to deterrents, and change hunting strategies when food sources shift. This adaptability explains why traditional nest protection methods have become less effective over time.

Mostly Nocturnal — But Flexible

Coyotes are most active at night and during early morning hours, but daytime sightings do occur, especially in quieter conservation areas or during cooler seasons. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, many small mammals didn't survive leaving coyotes with a limited range of prey. Based on visual accounts of coyotes feeding on iguanas, it's been speculated that this s causing more daytime sightings since iguanas are most active during the day.

Strong Swimmers

Coyotes are capable swimmers and can cross waterways. This ability helps explain how they reached barrier islands and how individuals may continue moving between mainland and island habitats. This also accounts for a healthy population after hurricane Ian.

Social Structure: Family Units vs. Packs

Despite popular belief, coyotes do not usually form large wolf-style packs.

On Sanibel and Captiva, coyotes typically live in small family-based social groups.

A Typical Family Unit Includes:

  • A breeding adult pair

  • Their pups from the current season

  • Occasionally one or two juveniles from a previous year

These family groups defend territories that can shift depending on food availability and habitat changes.

Coyotes may hunt alone or cooperatively. While large prey requires teamwork, nest predation is often learned by individual animals — which is why targeted management strategies focus on specific problem coyotes rather than entire populations.

Coyote Vocalizations: What You’re Hearing on the Island

Residents and visitors frequently report hearing coyotes howling at night — but many are surprised to hear them during daylight hours, especially when emergency vehicles or rescue sirens pass through Sanibel or Captiva.

Why Coyotes Howl and Yip

Coyotes use vocalizations to:

  • Communicate territory boundaries

  • Maintain contact with family members

  • Coordinate movement and regrouping

  • Strengthen social bonds

What often sounds like a large group is usually just two or three coyotes calling back and forth, creating layered echoes that make the group seem much larger.

Why Sirens Trigger Coyote Howling

When fire trucks, ambulances, or emergency vehicles use sirens, coyotes often respond by vocalizing.

This happens because:

  • Sirens produce long, sustained tones similar to coyote howls

  • The sound falls within communication frequency ranges

  • Coyotes instinctively interpret the sound as another animal calling

Their response is a natural territorial and social reaction — not a sign of aggression or danger.

Seasonal Vocal Activity

Coyotes are especially vocal during:Coyotes are especially vocal during:

  • Breeding season (late winter)

  • Pup-rearing season (spring and early summer)

During these periods, adults communicate more frequently while protecting den sites and coordinating care for young.

Why Sea Turtle Protection Is Driving Current Action

Sanibel Island is one of Southwest Florida’s most important nesting beaches for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) — a federally protected threatened species.

The Federal Loggerhead Recovery Plan identifies nest predation as a major threat and sets a recovery goal of keeping losses below 10 percent.

Recent Monitoring Shows:

  • Nest depredation rates have exceeded recovery thresholds for four consecutive years

  • In two of the last three seasons, losses surpassed 40 percent

  • Certain beach sections experienced rates exceeding 80 percent

  • More eggs were lost to coyotes than to storm damage over the past four years

These trends have raised serious concerns about long-term population recovery.

View SCCF's Data & Coyote

Extensive Non-Lethal Measures Already Attempted

Before considering stronger management tools, conservation teams implemented an unusually broad set of non-lethal protection strategies:

  • Reinforced screens and cages

  • Heavy-duty anchoring systems

  • Experimental deterrents

  • Expanded nest coverage across beaches

Despite these efforts, coyotes adapted and continued breaching protected nests — including learning how to bypass reinforced cages.

What the Proposed Management Program Would Do

The Sanibel Coyote Working Group — a collaboration between SCCF, the City of Sanibel Natural Resources Department, J.N. “Ding” Darling Refuge, and CROW — has proposed a targeted management strategy beginning in 2026.

Learn More About This Proposal and View Depredation Data Here

The Proposed Program WOULD:

  • Focus only on small beach areas with extremely high depredation rates

  • Target only coyotes actively involved in nest predation

  • Be conducted by trained USDA wildlife professionals

The Program WOULD NOT:

  • Attempt to eliminate the island’s coyote population

  • Target animals away from nesting beaches

  • Expand beyond designated high-impact zones

This approach mirrors methods used on other Florida nesting beaches with documented success in reducing turtle nest losses.

Have Coyotes Ever Attacked a Human on Sanibel?

There are no documented cases of coyotes attacking humans on Sanibel Island.

Across Florida and North America, attacks on people are extremely rare. When incidents occur elsewhere, they are almost always linked to animals that became habituated to human food sources.

On Sanibel and Captiva, wildlife managers focus on education and prevention to ensure coyotes remain naturally wary of people.

Bottom Line for Visitors and Residents

Coyotes exist across North America — including barrier islands — but they are not a public safety threat when natural boundaries are respected.

On Sanibel and Captiva:

  • Attacks have not occurred

  • Risk remains very low

  • Awareness and responsible behavior keep it that way

What To Do If You Encounter a Coyote

If you see a coyote while walking or biking:

  • Stay calm and stand tall

  • Make yourself appear larger

  • Use a firm voice and make noise

  • Slowly back away

  • Do not run or approach

These actions reinforce natural boundaries and help maintain safe coexistence.

Living With Wildlife on Sanibel and Captiva

Coyotes are now part of the evolving island ecosystem. Responsible coexistence includes:

  • Never feeding wildlife

  • Securing trash and outdoor food sources

  • Supervising pets

  • Respecting conservation signage

  • Supporting science-based management programs

Balancing predator presence with endangered species protection remains one of the most complex environmental challenges facing coastal communities.

A Conservation Decision Rooted in Science

Sanibel’s environmental culture has long emphasized data-driven conservation. The current coyote management discussion reflects that tradition — guided by research, shaped by collaboration, and informed by long-term wildlife recovery goals.

As nesting seasons continue and ecological pressures increase, decisions made today will shape the future of both sea turtle populations and wildlife coexistence strategies on Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Photo: Taken by Mary Ellen Pfeifer on the Shipley Trail, Jan. 10, 2026