Children of the Islands

In the fourth collaborative production between the Captiva Island Historical Society and the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village, Children of the Islands offers a rare and heartwarming look at what it was like growing up on Sanibel and Captiva before the Sanibel Causeway forever changed island life.

Acclaimed documentarian and award-winning broadcast journalist Ken Sneeden combines extensive archival research with moving first-person recollections to preserve the voices of those who experienced this remarkable way of life firsthand. From the adventures of children growing up in pioneer homesteads to the enduring legacy of prominent Black pioneer families such as the Gavins and Walkers—whose world-famous shell collecting supported the island’s early shell industry—the documentary celebrates a community shaped by agriculture, commercial fishing, hard work, and strong family ties.

Filled with rarely seen photographs, historic film footage, and unforgettable personal stories, Children of the Islands captures a disappearing way of life and preserves it for future generations.