Southwest Florida’s beaches are known around the world, but don’t be fooled, they aren’t the only area attractions. Within Southwest Florida there are other attractions that are unusual, amusing, and just plain fun. Three of these attractions have rightfully taken their place as local institutions and set admirable precedent in birthing endless innovations that bring business to their doors and shores.

Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples

Adventure travel, eco-tourism, and classroom field trips all cater to Americans’ burgeoning desire to combine entertainment with education. Armchair spectating and textbook learning no longer satisfy. We want to be involved. And we want our children to learn by doing, building skills that help them thrive. Today’s best attractions — like Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples — take us on unexpected journeys and move us to action.

Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples recently earned coveted accreditation by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, winning recognition as one of the premier 200 of 2,500 licensed facilities in the United States. Simultaneously it achieved status as one of a mere dozen such institutions operating without any tax dollar funding. For Naples’ 52-acre downtown zoo, becoming accredited is comparable to another business achieving an ISO rating. And they did it with just two years of intense preparation, passing written, oral, and onsite scrutiny on their first application.

This rare feat bespeaks the institution’s dedication to ethical and professional animal care, conservation, and education. And it makes qualifying to receive exotic and endangered species a relative “piece of cake,” according to Tim Tetzlaff, Director of Education for the Naples Zoo. Arrangements for several new species are underway. Earlier additions included large sulcata tortoises, crested porcupines and kudu antelope. Naples also was among only 20 U.S. zoos to introduce spotted hyenas.

Locals who haven’t been to the Naples Zoo in a while are in for a surprise. Contemporary repositioning has banished trained animal tricks in favor of real-life drama. Multimedia presentations in Safari Canyon bring wildlife ranges and animal behaviors to life. Hands-on keeper presentations, interactive adult/child audio information stations, and audience question and answer sessions enhance natural exhibits. It’s a small zoo with big city panache. More, it’s operated by an animal-savvy family who operates the gardens and zoo in stewardship for Neapolitan Enterprises, founded by Julius Fleischmann, the man responsible for also creating Naples’ high quality Third Street South shopping district.

CEO Nancy Jane Tetzlaff-Berens, together with first husband Larry Tetzlaff, established the Naples Zoo in 1969 as a complement to private tropical gardens planted 50 years earlier and opened to the public as Caribbean Gardens in 1954. Sons Tim and David Tetzlaff, zoo director, together with Nancy Jane and General Manager Ralph Williams serve as the executive team.

“The four of us make the decisions,” says Tim Tetzlaff. “All four of us have carried shovels with us for years. We know what it takes to keep animal populations thriving.” Robert Berens, the brothers’ stepfather, oversees operations. Nancy Jane’s mother Gertrude assists in the gift shop.

Family roots in the zoological business reach back to the 1930s. In 1965 the Tetzlaffs launched and operated for 30 years the “longest running animal attraction inside an amusement park anywhere in the world” at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. After wintering their animals in Naples, they decided to close the Cedar Point operation in 1994 and permanently move their talented retinue to Southwest Florida.

Today, the zoo’s Primate Expedition Cruise’s stunning views of 10 island wildlife communities introduce 6,000 members and hundreds of thousands of visitors to lemurs, gibbons, apes, and monkeys. African Oasis, Tiger Forest, and other outdoor exhibits yield insight into the lives of lions, tigers, zebras, cougars, alligators, and kangaroos. Hundreds of suitable botanical species provide habitats and settings. Underlying every exhibit and program is the motive to “teach people to respect animals for what they are, not what we’ve trained them to be,” according to David Tetzlaff, who began his career as the youngest wild animal trainer in the country.

Still, presentations must entertain to attract. And Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples deftly leverages the balance. Fluidly evolving, up-to-date exhibits generate the crucial word-of-mouth that keeps visitors returning to see what’s new and different. Addressing heart-stopping issues like deforestation, consumer demand for wild meat, and killing tigers for Oriental faux-pharmaceuticals prompts visitors to take action.

“We talk about the bad things happening in the animal kingdom, the good things being done, and how people can help,” says Tim Tetzlaff. He fears that if such issues aren’t resolved, videos of wild animals are all that will remain for the next generation of children.

As with any Southwest Florida attraction, the beach is the Naples Zoo’s biggest competitor. Thus, cooler days bring larger crowds. The affordable $29.95 annual pass, about twice a one-day admission, proves an effective draw. Midwest, European, and Florida tourists repeatedly return for intriguing half-day sequels of adventure among the plants and animals. Caribbean Gardens enjoyed a record attendance day during Easter week and expects this year’s total receipts to be up.

Always, “the toughest challenge is getting local residents to come,” says Tim Tetzlaff, whose responsibilities include advertising and publicity. Recently, he has partnered with local cinemas and sports teams in offering ticket deals to the zoo.

Tetzlaff is grateful that, because of the zoo’s independence from governmental and institutional monies, “decisions on behalf of animals can’t be compromised” by differing priorities of outside funding sources. 2001 will see a new centralized animal food preparation area built on the back lot of the 100-acre property. Nearby activities range from maintaining existing herb and vegetable gardens and plant nurseries to temporary animal quarantine areas. Streamlined coordination of these operations frees funds for animal enrichment and other programs.

Now that Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples has achieved accreditation, the next big goal is lobbying to certify Naples as a National Wildlife Federation Backyard Wildlife Habitat. Zoo managers are committed to the concept of devoting backyard, office park and school lot landscaping to provide food, water, and shelter for wildlife, including bird migrations seeking disappearing Everglades habitat.

As zoo education director, Tim Tetzlaff points to the fact that “Wildlife-friendly communities around the country have proved that exchanging lawns for native plantscapes increases species habitat by 10 to 50 percent.” It’s an idea whose time has come in Southwest Florida.

The Shell Factory

Corporate events, employee holiday parties, school trips, and family reunions of 30 to 300 people will be delighted with The Shell Factory’s new emphasis on accommodating large groups. Light-hearted fun, giant barbecue pits, and outdoor surround-sound for lakeside concerts and presentations provide a well-lit, welcoming place day or night. Fresh changes in seven-day-a-week amusements set the casual atmosphere humming.

Four years and $3 million into a project that has unexpectedly turned into a full-time job, Tom Cronin, Sr. has turned his first profit on The Shell Factory in North Fort Myers. He purchased it in 1997, “an historic rattletrap from 1938 that I fell in love with.” As general partner, he took on the role of “chief cook and bottle washer,” and began pooling resources.

As of 2001, The Shell Factory now boasts 30 acres of improved facilities, a 30-member board and 150 volunteers organized in a not-for-profit corporation that is closing in on one- million visitors a year. Current attendance ranks it in the top 15 Florida attractions, with a bead on the top 10. It has grown into one of the top 75 family attractions in the United States.

But wait. There’s more. Much more. The Shell Factory’s board is thinking so big that they have targeted 2005 as the year to warrant a $20 million facility. Just halfway to the goal, Cronin enthusiastically enjoins that, “We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”

The traditional shell craft, tchotchke, and kitsch gift shops have been joined by the largest Christmas store and video arcade around. Bumper cars and boats offer family fun along with 18 holes of miniature golf. Food service is growing with entertainment venues.

Celebrating the week of July 4, the Shell Factory lakeside comes alive with an expanded Family Fun Park. First up are a year-round haunted house and water-wars balloon pitching. Additional seating will enhance outdoor concerts, which are being reprogrammed following the departure of the famous Waltzing Waters, formally on short-term lease and offered to the public free of charge. By the end of the year, the water show will be replaced with a laser light show over the lake. A railroad museum is coming. Plus, in 2002 an American Indian village and museum will open, honoring a 20-nation Indian powwow. An onsite fudge maker and glassblower will welcome a T-shirt embroidery enterprise and possible candle maker as neighbors.

“I’m looking for new ideas all the time,” says Cronin, who thrives on creative twists and exotic shopping sprees for intriguing merchandise. His motive is to provide good, clean fun and quality family time for today’s kids, who are exposed to so much TV, media hype, and hard realities of the street. “This is one of few places in Southwest Florida where families can spend a day together,” he says.

In addition to supporting family togetherness, Cronin likes to support worthy causes. Octagon Animal Showcase, a public expression of Cronin’s personal behind-the-scenes assists to Southwest Florida’s Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary, now occupies 12 acres at The Shell Factory. Contributions and attraction receipts support animal care and feeding both here and at the original 30-acre rural sanctuary. Additional income is slated to establish a full-fledged exotic animal hospital and recovery center.

Strengthening of community interaction with Octagon is apparent as total visitor tallies have climbed from 30,000 to 150,000 with relocation of selected animal exhibits to the second site. “What we want to do is integrate animals and plants, and involve the community in caring for the habitats,” notes Cronin. This year Octagon Animal Showcase will open a Serpentarium and Rain Forest at The Shell Factory. Plans to tour educational exhibits will reach even greater numbers of adults and school children.

As an entrepreneur and landlord of 17 restaurants over the years, Cronin knows that one must continually offer things that are new and different to keep people coming back. “Some of it is silly stuff,” he admits, “but it’s working.” He learns what people want, and gives it to them.

This year The Shell Factory’s staff of 140 expects to complete 29 upgrades and additions and welcome 800,000 to 900,000 guests. In season, an estimated 50 percent derive from the local region. In summer, that rises to a satisfying 70 percent. With an onsite coupon book, visitors can treat themselves to a $43 value for just $20. Cronin speculates that rising gas prices may encourage regional tourism.

Though The Shell Factory built its market using $50 billboards, today’s roadside placard fees are out of reach. Television and radio ads now support wide distribution of tourist brochures. Visibility, renovations and fun ideas move forward as grants, donations, fund raising events, and operating revenues progress.

“We’re impatient to get things done,” says Cronin. “I’m also ecstatic that building this will never end.”

Sun Splash Family Waterpark

Cape Coral’s Sun Splash Family Waterpark has become a national role model for municipalities that want to stop subsidizing community facilities in favor of strategies that turn profits. Since its third year of operation, Sun Splash has contributed an average $100,000 a year to city revenues. This community-owned water park adheres to its mission of serving residents, attracting tourists, reinvesting capital, and maintaining affordable prices. Now in its 10th season of welcoming new and returning visitors, it’s a work in progress that’s working like a charm.

Cape Coral Recreation Superintendent Jean Wood does what few, if any, corporate presidents do. Each week finds her laboring incognito onsite at several city recreation facilities under her care. Her most recent role at Sun Splash Family Water Park is attending to guests climbing up the towering new 5-story, 457-foot Giant Electric Slide, the first of a pair that more than doubles a typical trip into the catch pool.

“I’m there to hear what people have to say,” says Wood. “Unsolicited opinions, positive and negative, are better when people don’t know who I am.” She has discovered, for instance, that adults love the Electric Slide as much as teens. Overheard comments prove as helpful as marketing surveys. Working alongside staff, experiencing their jobs during regular hours and at special events, also helps this unconventional manager understand employee needs and sparks a “150 percent effort.”

Fourteen years ago, Wood sold the city on the feasibility of a financially and socially profitable city aquatic facility that would “grow up into a water park.” Most water parks are simple tourist attractions. As Cape Coral saw it, however, only a well-rounded community facility steeped in both instruction and recreation would do. Too, its comprehensive plan specifies that “the city’s recreational resources must parallel population growth,” according to water park Manager Mike Fischer.

So along with sheer fun-in-the-sun came swimming lessons for all ages, scuba classes and water aerobics. Summer lifeguard camps annually produce 110 certified lifeguards, who often hire on as Sun Splash staff. One-week Splash-Ca-Teer preteen job training introduces young people to a variety of Recreation Department opportunities.

Costs mount when you maintain a payroll of 8 full-time managers and 162 part-time employees working programs seven days and three nights a week. The water park’s 146 operating days run March through September. Sun Splash consumes millions of BTUs to keep one million gallons of water in three outdoor pool systems circulating at a constant 76 to 82 degrees regardless of ambient weather. (A treatment pool for arthritis comes online in 2001 at 90 degrees.) The advertising budget is a cool $100,000. Then there’s a public commitment to deliver a novel capital construction project every two years. So how does such a facility turn-in a consistently healthy profit?

By making the water park accessible to all. That’s accomplished by catering to every imaginable niche population, ranging from single parents and preschoolers to seniors and those with special needs. And charging everyone just $8 to $10 or less, selling season passes, and promoting group discounts.

More than 40 percent of the 1,300 people who pour into Sun Splash each summer day are Cape Coral citizens. In all, 70 percent hail from Florida, 25 percent from up north, and 5 percent from overseas countries. Attendance in 2001 has risen 10 percent over last year. A current 1,600-person capacity could reach 3,000 daily admissions at build-out.

Families, grandparents with grandkids, and teens love playful splashing that is both refreshing and responsibly supervised. Adults can relax and cruise the quarter-mile Main Stream River in tubes. They stroll the lily pad walk, revivify at a rain tree, and soon will gaze from gazebos connecting to a newly announced eco-boardwalk.

The more adventurous take a deep breath and plunge through the Cape Fear waterslide, Drop Slides, Zoom Flume, and Funnel-L-Tunnel. Or they can jump into a game of water volleyball. “Our ultimate dream is having a wave pool that generates ocean-size swells,” notes Fischer. Children are at home in interactive play areas, graduated wading pools, and a space dubbed Squirt Works.

“Lots of families can’t afford to take a vacation,” observes Wood. “Sun Splash is a great experience in their own backyard.” Wood’s own grandchildren, who travel and visit attractions around the world, can’t wait to return. “Sun Splash is their favorite,” she grins.

This 25-year veteran of Cape Coral’s Recreation Department has reason to smile. Sun Splash was conceived by her vision and continues as one of three profitable enterprise zones on the Cape. (Two others are a city golf course and yacht basin.)

Revenues flow into Sun Splash from more than water play. “Corporate sponsors play a big part in supporting our programs and capital improvements,” says Fischer. Pepsi Bottling Group, Lee County Electric Coop, Sprint, and Edy’s Ice Cream each contribute from $1,000 to $10,000 a year. The adjacent 1,000-foot-long Lake Kennedy eco-boardwalk, set 30-feet offshore to preserve vital wetlands edge for wildlife, will be made possible by a Lee County Visitors & Convention Bureau grant. Further appetite for supplementary income is quenched by the Calypso Café, Oasis Deli, and Ice Cream Shop. Current souvenir sales serve up memories of trips down the Electric Slide at the Sun Trader Gift Shop.

Direct marketing initiatives invite corporations, churches, reunions, hotels, city recreation departments, and youth sports organizations to come out and play at Sun Splash. Last year, group sales accounted for 40,000 of 194,320 visitors. General advertising and publicity draws Lee County residents through billboards, newsprint, and television. Regional radio and cablevision penetrate county borders to reach the rest of South Florida.

Sun Splash Family Waterpark comprises 12 acres of Cape Coral’s 32-acre Lake Kennedy Community Park. It too, annually grows and adds facilities in order to keep up with the city’s soaring population, which recently topped 100,000. A nature park and exercise trail, senior center, and special population center will be joined by a $5 million youth center. The latter will be paid for by grants and sponsorships and will open coincident with installation of the second giant slide. Fischer foresees a logical spillover between the youth center and water park.

“Always,” says Fischer, “our challenge is finding ways to continue to operate and improve without raising ticket prices.”

S. Alison Chabonais is a freelance business writer.