Captured Waterspout Offshore Sanibel Island FL Pictures

October 12, 2009 – Sunday morning a water spout formed about 6 miles due south of Sanibel Island, Florida. Around 9:30am, a developing heavy shower was slowly moving west-northwest over the very warm Gulf waters offshore Southwest Florida. Shortly after a waterspout organized under the dark rain free base of the cell, with a visible funnel about halfway to the water surface. There was a surface circulation and spray ring visible in the pictures after having to enhance the contrast.

Further east over the interior Southern Florida peninsula, they were burning sugarcane like they do every October for harvesting. The easterly flow made for a hazy morning over the eastern Gulf waters, also making it harder to make out if the funnel was truly reaching the surface. From the visible eye, it was easier to see that indeed it was on the water and producing a spray ring. After messing around with the contrast levels in the digital pictures here, you can make out the spray below and to the right of the funnel / spout.

The duration of the water spout was about 7 minutes, at least from the first time I took notice of it, as I was packing up the car after our week long vacation on Sanibel Island. It made for a nice weather lover departing gift for me, after all the other outstanding nature photography I was able to capture throughout the week on the island.

Update – 10/13/09 - I want to thank Daniel Noah, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay. Daniel sent me a archived radar image of the small cell. Below you can see truly how small this little shower was that produced the waterspout. Looking at the image also, I think it might have been further south than 6 miles from Sanibel. Again, thanks to Daniel for the update, and he also noted that the waterspout will be added to storm data.

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