Meet your Captain

Captain April grew up on the water and developed a strong connection to the outdoors and wildlife while fishing with her father in Minnesota. Since moving to Southwest Florida, she has become passionate about sharing the amazing beauty of our local waters and animals that call the estuary of Pine Island Sound their home. After a short stint homeschooling her children during the COVID pandemic, Captain April discovered she loves to teach! This has carried forward to her boat tours where she excitedly shares her knowledge of local wildlife, the history of pirating, fishing and tourism in Pine Island Sound, the Calusa Indians, the role of women in settling both Captiva and Sanibel Islands, and how the geologic formation of the various islands differs from one to another. Captain April is humbled to join what still remains a small number of female boat captains in the area. She’s licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and is a member of Captains for Clean Water, Coastal Conservation Association Florida, Sanibel Captiva Business Women’s Association, and The Sanibel-Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce. Adding to her knowlege, Captain April also completed the Coastal Systems Course offered through the University of Florida|IFAS, Florida Master Naturalist program. She also proudly founded The Sanibel School Fishing Club where she teaches middle schoolers about ethical angling, conservation, Florida's aquatic habitats, basic fishing gear, and general fishing concepts to help create confident and responsible anglers.