Spotting more life in the canals lately? A massive school of fish filmed in Southwest Cape Coral is being seen as a possible sign of a recovering ecosystem.
James Abreu flies his drone most mornings, scanning the canal behind his home on SW 54th Lane for dolphins or manatees. But this week, he caught something totally unexpected.
“I just happened to see them coming,” he said. “It was unbelievable.”
The video shows a dense, swirling school moving in slow, graceful formation. Online, people guessed everything from sharks to invasive species. But FWC confirmed the fish are black drum, native species that can grow over 50 pounds and thrive in brackish water.
While black drum are common in Florida, it’s rare to see such a large group moving visibly through a residential canal.
Abreu, who moved from California to fish from his backyard, says Hurricane Ian left the canal quiet and lifeless. Now, he’s seeing stingrays, baitfish, even a few sharks.
“It’s all coming back,” he said. “This is why I moved here. Just to be able to be close to the fish... It's just Paradise."
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