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Perspective: Clam Pass
Seen from above, inlet takes on another dimension of natural beauty
Looking east through Clam Pass at the waters of Clam Bay and development of Pelican Bay. The beach trail and club facilities at Pelican Bay, left, are private; the boardwalk and food/beach gear facilities at right are public. Lexey Swall-Bobay/Staff (3)
Looking south at and past Clam Pass, with days of rain raising the level of tidal discoloration from mangroves.
Unusual, illustrative look at the private path to the beach club and the meandering canoe-kayak haven at the north end of Clam Bay. Discoloration of water coming from the pass is from mangroves after days of heavy rain.
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Behold.
The beauty of an inlet.
Especially one nestled amid such a natural area on the border of urban development.
This is Clam Pass. It is in Pelican Bay, between Naples and Vanderbilt Beach.
And this is the first of a series of aerial perspectives on Collier inlets.
Clam Pass connects the Gulf with Clam Bay, which is accessible to canoes, kayaks and small boats with motors to match. Whether the shallow, meandering bay ought to be made available to more and larger craft is part of a political struggle among Pelican Bay, the city of Naples to the south and Collier County government.
Yet, we digress.
Clam Pass is a spectacle that changes seemingly every time beachgoers look closely. Its mouth bends and turns with shoaling sands. A sand bar emerges from time to time off its south side. Adventurous waders can slog eastward slightly to the south of the pass.
It reaches from Vanderbilt Beach Road to Seagate, with culverts sending water back and forth between Venetian Bay — another matter that can get touchy politically.
To get to Clam Pass, go to the public parking area next to the Naples Grande, formerly Registry Resort; walk the boardwalk or take the tram.
Enjoy.
— Jeff Lytle, Perspective editor
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