Rattlesnake Key, shown highlighted in blue, was sold Oct. 30 in a private $18 million transaction. Islander Image: Courtesy Manatee County Tax Collector
A long-running effort to protect one of Tampa Bay’s most ecologically sensitive islands reached a new turning point with the sale of Rattlesnake Key.
The 724-acre tract of mangrove islands and submerged lands in Tampa Bay is south of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Manatee County.
Nearly the entire tract sits within Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, which the Florida Department of Environmental Protection manages.
Rattlesnake Key Preservation Co., the new owner, said in a Dec. 3 statement that the purchase would help “preserve the natural character of this special property for local residents, sportsmen, and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy for generations.”
Efforts by Manatee County and the state to acquire 1,000 acres, including Rattlesnake Key, for $23 million for a preserve or park collapsed in 2023, and the owners listed the property in 2024 as part of a $75 million package.
Rattlesnake Key remains one of the most intact natural landscapes at the mouth of Tampa Bay, supporting expansive mangrove forests, fish nursery habitat, bird rookeries and shallow-water wetlands.
For more on this story, read the Dec. 10 issue of The Islander.
More from The Islander: