Blind Pass Captiva seashells
The Gulf of Mexico was twisting, turning and churning all day today so I was chomping at the bit to get to the beach to see where the good shells were going to show up. I got to the Captiva side of Blind Pass around 4pm to find …… a seashell frenzy!
Nolan (WI)
Nolan was a very lucky boy to find a perfect ANGEL WING. I’m always so surprised that this fragile shell can stay completely intact with such rough waves tumbling and tossing so many shells together like a washing machine.
Ella (WI)
Nolan’s sister Ella sprung into action too and found a FLAT SCALLOP and a fantastic HORSE CONCH.
Avery and Max (Orlando)
Avery and her brother Max had already filled up two shelling bags filled with FIGHTING CONCHS, COCKLES, OLIVES, MUREXES, SCALLOPS AND CLAMS within an hour or so. Adorable!
Captiva seashells washing ashore
The shells weren’t that easy to snag since the waves were pounding on the shore so it was helpful to have a scoop like Nolan in this picture. Another good option was to feel around in the water on the edge of the surf like you see the two girls in the picture above.
Tanya (CA)
Looky what Tanya found getting in the water on the edge of that surf (she’s one of the gals in the picture above in the water). A perfect ALPHABET CONE!
Yulia (CA)
Minutes later, Tanya’s sister Yulia found her own ALPHABET CONE. They deserve those ALPHABETS and all the other shelltastic shells they collected after being punished by those pounding waves for hours. Determined girls! I Love it!
Griffin and Kris (Chicago)
Griffin found a KINGS CROWN, a beautiful TRUE TULIP and together with his mom they found a big bag full of ….. well, there was just too many shells to name. They had another bucket full too!
Caroline (Chicago)
Not to be outdone by an ALPHABET CONE, Caroline found the most beautiful carrot colored FLORIDA CONE.
Caroline's Forida Cone
Honestly, this photo doesn’t do Caroline’s CONE justice. I wish you could really see how magnificent the color was of this shell. Outstanding.
Doug, Caroline and Laura (IL)
It’s always such a pleasure to watch families have so much fun together collecting shells…. ahem, well I should this time say “body surfing for shells”. Take a look at Caroline’s happy picture above with her FLORIDA CONE. Now look over her shoulder …. that’s her dad diving and body surfing to scoop big handfuls of shells. The thrill of seashell victory is very addicting. :)
Clark with his best shells
Clark has been celebrating victories not only with the shells he found today but with the VCU basketball team. VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) is in the Final Four!!!! That’s Clark alma mater and he is hog heaven seeing them succeed. Go Rams!
Our shells that we brought home
What a victory of seashells. This is what we shellers dream about….. days like this.
Captiva crouchers
You handful of shells is such a pretty array – longing for the day I can walk those beaches and do the crouch :-)
So jealous , miss Sanibel , the feel of sand beneath my feet & the tinkle of the shells as the waves come in !!! Come on July 18th !!!!!! :)
Sanibel it the best place for my shelling. Even now I’m not sorted yet all my treasures after the Seashell show. During vacation in Sanibel everyone has a special feeling like a prize winner.
I love all your photos of the kids with their treasures. You can tell in their faces they really do think of them as treasure. You guys found some great shells too.
Will be thinking of you when I am walking the shores of your home town. I am going to miss the shells of Sanibel however. Will be carrying my “I Love Shelling” tote so hopefully I will find a shell or two to put in there for the trip home.
Thanks for the wonderful blog and photos and everything! :)
I love it when the shelling is like that!! Bruises? Who Cares?! Look what we found!! Yee Haa!!!
Wah! I’m usually there this week!
We need to start the ‘determined girls’ club, Pam. beautiful words.
Just awesome. I’ve been watching the rain on the web cams so I expected a huge shelling post from you!!
Thanks!!
as you know, I am so jealous! Glad that you had such a great time. Posting on the Caron’s Beach House facebook page this am.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Caron
I so miss this it brings tears to my eyes. I grew up in FL and spent many happy hours shelling on Anna Maria Island with my cousin.
Hi what great shells you found I love the beach and i love collecting shells. My Hubby and I lived down by the area you are at. I am disabled in a walker but want to go onto the beach and get these type of seashells. Hopefully soon My Hubby is in a power chair which makes it not possible for him to go out on the beach. We love the beach If we could just find beaches that are accessible for those that have wheelchairs and power chair? I am searching all the beaches and maybe will find one or two that disabled people can go on even it if it is not that close to the water.
We live in Safety Harbor FL are you able to find any sand dollars or star fish in the area where you are??
Anyway thank you for the wonderful pictures and for sharing them
Fondly Bev
Bev,
Yes! Come on down! The lighthouse beach has a very nice beach access for power chairs, push wheel chairs, walkers and parking spaces. Check out this post of Sheller John enjoying his shelling adventure at http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/2009/10/31/sanibel-sheller-electric-wheelchair/
Beautiful!!! Wish I was there! ~ Maria
I was so mad I could not get out there yesterday I knew it would be big! How was this morning? Has anyone been out?
The shelling is aawweesooome today!
WOW! Lools like it did in December but obviously ALOT warmer with folks in the water like that! I am so jealous but very happy you all are finding such wonderful shells! That is awesome. Love the Moon Snail that Clark found. I think they are quite beautiful. Have LOTS more fun and Pam – POST AWAY I SAY!
WOW!!
We can’t wait until May 24th! It’s snowing here in Pittsburgh. Save some shells for us to find. We have yet to find a whole Kings Crown! You found 2. Also Caroline’s Florida Cone was such a different color than we’ve seen. Love your blog.
There is a smile on my face just looking at all those beautiful shells everyone found. What beauties!!
Lee
Jealous: party of one.
Oh, Pam, I love you! Thanks for posting about areas that are accessible to those of us who have mobility issues and thank you, Bev, for asking. We live on a canal in Weeki Wachee and can catch crabs from our dock and it’s only a 5 min. drive to the gulf. The Nature Coast means we have no natural beaches but 5 manatees gave birth in our canal one year. We see dolphins almost every time we go boating and if you have no fear of getting bogged down, you can venture onto the mud flats at low tide and possible find 2 or 3 shells if you have good eyes.
I’ve been slobbering like a Pavlovian dog over your site with the delicious finds and info you share so well. Our 40th anniversary is tomorrow, so maybe we’ll treat ourselves to a dose of your playground. Many thanks for your awesome blog.
Myristica,
Oh you are so welcome!
FYI- There are also several places on the island to rent wheel chairs with big fat rubber tires made to get through the sand. Check out Billy’s Bikes or Finnimore’s on Sanibel. I have links to their websites on this post http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/category/bike-rental/
ps- love you too ;)
Praise God for this site! I grew up in Florida and am now land-locked in central Illinois. We come down twice a year but my dream is to relocate back home. I’m only 55 and can’t wait 12 years to retire to come back to the Gulf. I’ve been to beaches all over the world and NOTHING compares.
Wow–do I ever wish I was there too!!!!!
I had to work so hard mid-March to find shells–and there they all are now–piles and piles of them. I’d be right in there sifting away–for the whole day long.
Enjoy, enjoy.
Does anyone know a good place to shell around Treasure Island/St. Pete’s? I’m headed there for a few days in April–with windsurfing hubby and son. Might make the drive to Sanibel.
Susan
Toronto