8/31/23 UPDATE: Blue Dolphin Rebuilding Journey

Thanks to all of you who have recently reached out to tell us you’ve been thinking about The Blue Dolphin!

Some of you have asked how we fared as Hurricane Idalia brushed by Sanibel. We’re happy to report that we are all well and the impact to our island community was minimal.

Many others have checked in with us to ask how the Blue Dolphin rebuild is coming along:

We’re happy to inform everyone that we’ll have additional updates on our rebuild journey to share with you soon. Progress is being made every day against the process of completely rebuilding a circa 1958 property (located in what has since been zoned a residential neighborhood) to new (and very different) building codes and design/resilience standards.

As everyone going through similar circumstances on Sanibel is experiencing, the multiple rounds civil engineering / surveying / architecture / permitting / bidding all run on their own independent timelines. We’re doing the only things we can do to push through it. Answer every email and phone call. Attend every meeting. Respond to every question. Hire every professional we need to help us. Push for every answer. Make every necessary decision. Continue to put one foot in front of the other every single day.

We are very close to being able to share some detailed renderings of what the newly-rebuilt Blue Dolphin will look like – and we definitely will, just as soon as we have received all final approvals.

We have been asked if the rebuilt Blue Dolphin will look the same as it did in the past. The truth is, rebuilding ground-level beach cottages is not something that is possible given Sanibel’s updated building codes. We have had to change the form factor, as everyone will see when we are able to share an approved set of renderings.

What we can currently share is that Blue Dolphin guests will be able to expect a relaxing tropical hideaway, with an emphasis on amazing beachfront views. Our timeless and unobtrusive approach to hospitality will serve as the perfect backdrop for beach memories, creative retreats, special moments, and well-deserved romantic getaways by the Gulf of Mexico.

We are also excited to share the upcoming construction process with you in very visual ways – with lots of photos and videos!

Things are looking very positive for the future of the Blue Dolphin and we’re happy to have you with us as we continue along this journey! We can’t wait to welcome you back to our secluded hideaway on a pristine stretch of Sanibel coastline!

And in the meantime: Since many of you have expressed interest in hearing about other Sanibel news from us, we thought all of our extended Blue Dolphin family might also be interested in the pink flamingos that found their way to the Sanibel Causeway yesterday morning, so we’re including the video below (from our good friends at Sanibel Barometer) about this unexpected (and completely delightful) wildlife occurrence on Sanibel! Enjoy!