Bird in paradise
I was tickled to be able to go shelling on South Seas Island Resorton Captiva Island yesterday. I’ve been hearing about the big shell pile on the north tip by the jetty along Redfish Pass…… I was not disappointed. Now, that’s a shell pile! I found lots of different shells like WHELKS and FIGHTING CONCHS but tons of LETTERED OLIVES and KITTEN’S PAWS with both sides together.
Lettered Olives on a jetty rock
Whole Kitten's paws
If you know me? You know I loooove WORM SHELLS! Oh yeaya, I got me some WORMS SHELLS. They were just sitting on top!
Worm shell just waiting to be picked
Worm shell on top of the pile
Florida worm shell
I did place this last one on a broken clam shell so you could see the color, the funky curl and the little white tip. I just love them- call me crazy.
Brenda (Loxahatchee, FL)
A South Seas guest, Brenda, was in her own heaven finding FIGHTING CONCHS. She told me she makes tables with them that she uses in her home on the East coast of Florida.
South Seas Resort beach with shells
You have to be an owner or a South Seas Island Resort guest to access this part of the beach. I felt fortunate that I was asked to be a guest by a friend….sweet, huh? So, if you are staying there, you practically have first dibs on the shells.
South Seas Island Resort entrance
Sweet! Sounds like you had a great time!
Where are the pictures of the welks???
Wow! You must have had a glorious day!!! What a sheller’s delight!!
I have been there, don’t know how I got on… let’s just keep quiet about it.
Hey, what other places are you exploring for shelling? I live by Honeymoon Island.
I see what you talk about each day and go, yes, have it, have it, have it… I have found things up here that you talk about rare… Fighting conchs are plentiful here BUT the weather has to be just sooo anywhere you shell…
I’m from Dunedin! I love the very northern end of HM. I found a perfect set of angel wings out there. It’s great place to go shelling.
Oh, yes… one winter I was walking and came across so many angel wings I could not believe it! Another winter it was sea urchins! I am always finding alphabet shells. The king conch are rare…
One of my friends shells in the intercoastal but when I found out they were taking live shells… well that is not my cup of tea!
Wendy- what rare shells are you finding? And yes, we’ll keep that quite- haha. Barbara- sorry about leaving out the whelks! :) They were just small..but I know you wouldn’t have minded….next time, I’m not leaving out the whelks just for you. Yes- great and glorious day!
just like anywhere when we have storms we have the most prolific catch of shells. I regularly find olives, tulips, worms, welks, horse conchs(one year I found one over a foot long, it was alive which was even more fascinating to observe and no I did not take it), tons of sea urchins , Junonia’s are not that rare in winter.
My friend from down there was up here one winter and she said our shelling was much better then Sanibel. I think it is just the different view.
Fourth of July weekend I was able to just sit down in a pile and sift through it for shells. Snorkeling gets you larger shells…
Like all, I love to visit different areas for shells.
For a couple of years the shelling went down due to beach replenishment!
Honeymoon Island and Caledesi have been named #1 by Dr. Beach…
Yes! Honeymoon Island and Caledesi are on our list of places to visit. We saw a beautiful presentation of these 2 places at the Sanibel Shell Fair and Show in March and have been wanted to visit. Look at what I posted from the Shell Fair… http://iloveshelling.com/blog/2010/03/05/more-live-shell-fair/ . Looks fantastic but you are right…it all depends on what Mother Nature will give us with weather, tide, etc.
oh i wish i was diggin through that shell pile!!!!
Love that shell pile. When we come down we actually scoop up large hands full, stuff them in priority mail boxes and mail them home to Arkansas and Oklahoma.
It’s so much fun to shell again when the boxes arrive.
I would like to see a picture of brenda’s tables using the fighting conchs.
Enjoy enough for all of us.
Awesome! That’s where we will be in 2 weeks!
Looks like you had a blast! I love shelling! It’s like treasure hunting for me. Thanks for your comment, I really appreciated it :)
Wendy, where is Honeymoon Island? Shelling is good there? Like good enough to plan a trip there?
Wendy,
If one was interested in visiting the Honeymoon Island area, where is the best place to vacation? Do you have suggetions, since you’re a local? Thanks.
Honeymoon Island is a State Park, Each year I buy a yearly park pass.
Honeymoon and Caledesi at one time were one island. A hurricane separated them. There is a really good book written by a woman who lived there in the 30’s(it starts in her childhood) “Yesteryear I lived in Paradise”.
Here is a great squidoo about Caledisi cause you need to go there too.
http://www.squidoo.com/Travel-4#module22843802
Best place to vacation??? There is a Holiday Inn in Downtown Dunedin.
Dunedin is great. But just like Sanibel and Captiva what you find is hit or miss, you have to look at tide, storms, moon, etc.
I have been to Sanibel and Capitva and found nothing and other times thought I died and went to heaven!
Oh my goodness!! That shelling looks fabulous!! Wish I was there instead of at my desk!!
Great Pictures Pam!! South Seas Island Resort……one of the most beautiful spots here in Paradise!
I have Lettered Olive envy!!!
Aren’t the kittens’ paws with both side together live shells? I always thought they were — if they aren’t, I’ve missed some beauties! :(
I find them in shell piles that have been dry a very long time so there’s no way they are still alive…..and no odor.
I agree, if there’s no odor and they don’t eventually open I’m sure they aren’t alive. Amazing! I’ll be watching for them on my next trip! Thanks!