Bowmans Beach

This county owned/city maintained beach consists of 50 acres and offers guests access to the Gulf of Mexico’s sand and surf. Bowman’s Beach has a less developed shoreline than other areas of Sanibel, causing many beachgoers to find the five minute trek from the parking lots to the beach a minute inconvenience and worthwhile. Beach operates 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., year-round. Onsite amenities include concessions, changing rooms, showers, drinking fountains, picnic areas with grills and ample parking with over 200 spaces. Parking fees apply. For more information about access/use, please contact 239-395-1860. For beach wheelchairs, please contact the City of Sanibel’s Police Department at 239-472-3111.

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WATER QUALITY

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on November 18th, 2019. The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

CURRENT WEATHER

23°C

Clear and sunny

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MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

Monitoring results are collected weekly on Monday and results are posted to the Florida Healthy beaches website on Wednesday. Samples are collected year round, however the peak season is from March to November. Swim Guide checks for the latest information daily, Monday - Friday.

The Florida Healthy Beaches Program Categories are:

Good = 0-35 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water;
Moderate = 36-70 Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water, and;
Poor = 71 or greater Enterococci / 100 mL of marine water.

The 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria recommends using 70 CFU per 100 mL as the Beach Action Value (BAV) to guide public health advisories. A Single Sample Maximum (SSM) at 70 CFU per 100 ml and a BAV are functionally the same. If the sample result is above the indicated value, the beach is resampled and tested the following day or a beach advisory is issued with the first test result. The Healthy Beaches program no longer uses geometric means to represent recreational water quality data.

On Swim Guide a beach is marked Green when it has a Good or Moderate standing meaning the SSM test results show Enterococci counts between 0- 70 cfu (colony forming units) / 100ml.
Swim Guide marks a beach Red when it has a Poor standing. This means the SSM test results show Enterococci counts exceeds the BAV of 70 cfu/100ml. These conservative advisories better inform vulnerable people (children, elderly, and the immunocompromised) who have elevated health risks due to water quality at the beach.
A beach is marked Grey when no current or reliable monitoring information is available.

Please note: Vibrio vulnificus bacteria, also called flesh eating disease, is a naturally occurring bacteria in some of Florida's waters. This bacteria can be lethal, especially when contracted by individuals with compromised immune systems. Concentrations of the bacteria are higher in the mouths of rivers near oceans. The bacteria is most dangerous when ingested in raw seafood but recent deaths are attributed to individuals who have waded in water with broken skin. Beach goers are urged to use caution and consult a physician if you suspect you have come in contact with the bacteria.

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Bowmans Beach

Sanibel, Florida

Managed by The Swim Guide - Florida

WATER QUALITY

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on November 18th, 2019. The Swim Guide - Florida updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on at

For water quality icon legend, click:

CURRENT WEATHER

23°C

Clear and sunny

MONITORING FREQUENCY

SOURCE INFORMATION

WATER QUALITY GRAPH

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Blind Pass - Turner Beach Captiva, Florida	Captiva, Florida	Historical Status
Tarpon Bay Beach Sanibel, Florida	Sanibel, Florida	Historical Status
South Seas Plantation Captiva, Florida	Captiva, Florida	Historical Status
Sanibel Causeway Fort Meyers, Florida	Fort Meyers, Florida	Historical Status

Other Beaches Near This One

Beach	Location	Water Quality
Blind Pass - Turner Beach Captiva, Florida	Captiva, Florida	Historical Status
Tarpon Bay Beach Sanibel, Florida	Sanibel, Florida	Historical Status
South Seas Plantation Captiva, Florida	Captiva, Florida	Historical Status
Sanibel Causeway Fort Meyers, Florida	Fort Meyers, Florida	Historical Status

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Swim Guide shares the best information we have at the moment you ask for it. Always obey signs at the beach or advisories from official government agencies. Stay alert and check for other swimming hazards such as dangerous currents and tides. Please report your pollution concerns so Affiliates can help keep other beach-goers safe.

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	Green means the beach’s most recent test results met relevant water quality standards.

	Red means the beach’s most recent test results failed to meet water quality standards.

	Grey means water quality information for the beach is too old (more than 7 days old) to be considered current, or that info is unavailable, or unreliable.

	Green means the beach passed water quality tests 95% of the time or more.

	Yellow means the beach passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time.

	Red means the beach failed water quality tests 40% of the time or more.

	Green means the beach has historically excellent or pristine water quality, but there is no current data.

	Red means the water at the site has water quality issues or there is an emergency.

	Grey means there is no current water quality information, the beach is under construction, there has been an event that has rendered water quality information unreliable or unavailable.