Donnie wasn’t kidding when he commented “Bring it!” for the wanna-be shelling competition in my January 1st post. He went right out to Blind Pass Captiva and scooped up his first perfect little LION’S PAW this morning! Score! You win today Donnie- Congrats!
He must have snagged all the ALPHIES too because when I got there, I didn’t see a single piece of one in the whole big shell pile. He did miss this very cool piece of a DEER COWRIE though…
Christy (TN) found some beautiful WHELKS and started to fill her bag with other goodies too…
 I saw lots of the Sanibel Six (minus the CONE) but mostly I loved this delicate FIG laying right on top of the pile untouched…
 I always love to see people sharing their treasures. I caught Carolyn and Les (Fort Myers) admiring the shells together they just found.
I walked over to the Sanibel side to find hundreds of dead MULLET fish laying on the beach. Ugh. A casualty of Red Tide. Yuck.
 I’ve heard that red tide has been really bad around the Sanibel lighthouse so I’ve stayed clear of the east end beaches the last week. I get that irritating cough when I breath it so it’s not worth it to me any more (I used to tough it out since “they” say it can’t hurt you). But it looks like it’s hit Captiva now too but I didn’t feel that tickle in my chest- whew.
 I think this may be why Clark and I have found those big shells lately too. Could be from the red tide….. but don’t quote me on that. I’m only speculating since it’s not every day you find 3 (!) huuuuge shells like that in one day. I also found this cool skull…
 When I found this, I thought it looked so cool and looked like a bird skull. Like an OSPREY or something but it’s not. It is some sort of fish.
Anybody know what kind of fish skull this is? It sort of has that CRUCIFIX SHELL look about it but definitely not the same.
 Any way, there are lots of shells still coming in from this windy cold front and hopefully the red tide will go away in the next few days so I can enjoy the beach like I did with my girlfriends Jane, Sandy and Mary…
Looks like some great shells are rolling in….
That’s quite the pile at Blind Pass…one could sit there all day and dig, dig, dig…oh, what treasures to be had! Happy Shelling Everyone! Wish I could be there but with Pam’s blog it lessens the pain…
I hope the red tide does not last as long there as it did here at South Padre this year. When I returned from Sanibel the first of November we had it for a month. It can and does make you sick. We had a cold front here and I found some sundials, lots of angel wings, some turkey wings and a keyhole limpet. Not like there but at least some shells. Can’t wait to go back in October for a month this year!
I knew that pile was going to be there. Low tide was at 3am & since I am on anti-biotics I was hard pressed to tell the Hubby I was driving to Sanibel in a hard freeze for a low tide. We had a nice shell line on Manasota Key today. Love the winter winds!
I thought I was crazy, but I had to go out before sunrise with all the wind blowing last night to see what treasures would be on the beach this morning. There was not much on the beach near Pointe Santo (tarpon Road Beach). I was a little disappointed. I did find 4 perfect olives though and a small lace murex which made the early outing somewhat worthwhile. We’re all coughing from our excursion to the lighthouse yesterday, so if you’re sensitive to red tide cough stay clear of that area for a few days. Hopefully early tomorrow will be better!!!!! Sue from PA
Just Blind luck I didn’t pass that shell up or step on it ;-) I loved seeing all the shells loaded up on shore this morning…I can’t wait for this Red tide to leave.
I don’t know how I missed that Deer cowrie piece…lol.
I could just sit on that shell pile for hours and hours searching for teasures, but for now I will have to just dream and read your posts!
The Red Tide did us in last week – my husband can’t even go back to work, he’s been coughing so badly and his chest is in bad shape. Naturally, we had spent a lot of time at the Lighthouse Beach!! Sorry Pam, the hotel’s free wireless wasn’t allowing me access, so I couldn’t meet up with you :(
Next time… but we will order in advance!!
Finding a lion’s paw would be a dream come true — what fabulous luck Donnie! I am feeling wistful for Sanibel again! :)
Thank You :-)
Is red tide common during winter months? I always thought there was more of an algae bloom risk when it was summer? I don’t think it could keep me away though..
I’ve seen red tide so bad (at least here in Texas) where my eyes were red, burning and watering and I was down sick for a couple of days with a chest infection ~ so anyone with sensitive allergy issues needs to stay clear.
Congrats on the Lion’s Paw! I’m jealous–in a good way!
The older two say “Hi” and the oldest wants to know if you’ve been practicing Uno. He’s up for a rematch…… :)
I’m up for a rematch but little worried since I haven’t practiced a bit. I wouldn’t be betting on me! lol
Some very cool finds! What a beautiful fig in perfect condition.
But I’m sorry to hear about how bad the red tide can be.
LOVE the fig! I’m hoping for a couple good figs and pear welks and moon snails. And I’d really love some horsies, and lace murexes and maybe a bonnet and a junonia too… Just sending out the vibes (and asking for what I’d like to find) for my visit on the 15th. Can’t wait to get there!
oooh oooh… and a really bright true tulip too!!! :)
Good to know there is red tide there as I ws planning on a quick new moon visit.Funny you mention it as I showed property here in Sarasota two days ago and found 3 dead fish on the beach water looked kind of brown but no odor.
I bet MurexKen will know what the fish skull is…
I appreciate your confidence, but you would lose the bet. I am better at the ID of marine invertebrates, especially mollusks. Skulls are even more difficult, especially if they do not have the jaw. Sorry.
Hi fellow Sanibel stoops! Love this site..brings back very warm memories….I first came to Sanibel on the Ferry when I was 7 years old…..a very long time ago.
Now I am turning 65 this month and have dreamed of staying in a cottage on the beach again, or with some fellow sheller who would like to have some company. I can cook and clean as well as do errands and walk the beach. Just throwing it out there..anyone who would like some company and someone to sit in the shell pile at Blind Pass and find treasures please email me. I would happily pay to stay with you for a while…..I have pretty good references —–Just retired from the Police department in my town. Hope one of you will contact me!!! Oh yes, I love kids and babies and pets too!
Here’s to finding a junonia!
Kathee in Colorado
Kathee, Nice to “virtually” meet someone who remembers Sanibel from 50 plus years ago. I first visited Sanibel in 1961 and also used the ferry. Sanibel sure was a different place then. My birth family usually came to Sanibel in July or early August. My father was both generous and frugal. He was generous to take our family to Sanibel for two weeks every summer, but was frugal enough that he would not pay the extra $2 per day for air conditioning. Consequently, one of my most vivid memories of Sanibel is how warm it was.
Although MurexAlice tells me that it is not my place to help ladies (other than her) come to Sanibel Island, I am sure that there would be a number of women in your same situation. You recommended that interested people email you. Although I will not email you, I do not see where your email address is listed for anyone who might want to email you. As we all know, there are potential problems with listing your email address on a “public” blog. Pam’s blog is primarily about shell collecting, not “connecting” with other shell collectors, per se. Pam may or may not want to comment concernng this matter, but I cannot offer any advice. Hope you find a junonia. MK
Thanks for the information about this blog…Guess I just assumed all folks who adore Sanibel also love shells…..just threw it out there to see what would happen.
Your comment did show up on my email. Thanks for responding MK and I hope you too find a junonia.
Kathee in Colorado
Kathleen, I’ve been a go-between for several people who have wanted to share a boat with Capt Brian so I if someone wanted to email you, I will help you guys out and get you each other’s emails… of course without assuming any responsibility if yall dont like each other (LOL) or anything else. I’m not a rental service but I like to help out my sister shellers (and bros)! Thanks MK for bringing it to my attention and for both of your stories of the ferry days. Wow, 2 bucks for ac!
WOW! I was on Sanibel Christmas week and can’t complain too much about the shelling. Seems I always find something beautiful. But, those shell piles at blind pass. I haven’t seen that many in a long time. Maybe in April…
FYI – Oceans Reach just launched their new web cams. They have one beach cam though I don’t know what you see as it’s dark here now. From looking at the location of the camera on the building, it was pointed to the east toward Gulfside park. They also have an Osprey cam 24 hr.
Do you have the address for the web cams? I already view the Island Inn cam daily- I NEED to see my “happy place”! Osprey cam would be awesome as my husband fell in love with them on our visits there. Thanks!
Thanks Linda for the heads up on the web cam! I added the beach cam to my web cam page… hmmmm. maybe I should add the osprey cam too, Mechelle! Okay you just talked me into it. I’ll go and do that now. Thanks!!
Amazing! ive been watching other videos and no ones found a kittens paw
Did you find out what that shell was that looks similar to a Crucifix shell?
it was a fish skull. Nobody knows which fish though. Funny thing is, I put it outside because it had a weird smell to it. I thought it would bake in the sun and dry that odor but some animal must have thought that smell was too good to pass up. It was gone! I never found it again. LOL
Found a similar skull in the gulf this afternoon. Near Navarre, FL. Did anyone ever figure out what fish it belonged to?
I talked to a “skull guy” and he said there are too many that look similar but he said definitely a fish skull
I have found the same type of fish skull you found, the one that looks like a crucifix shell. I’m really interested to know what exactly kind of fish it is. Any update?
Me and my buddy went fishing early last night and we were dragging the bottom of the water floor and we hit something and pulled in the same skull as you have found here in Lake Charles Louisiana we are trying to figure out what type of fish it is too
I found that same skull here on Jekyll Island, GA. We’ve been unable to identify also. I went to the Tideland Center on the Island. The lady there said they’ve seen one like that before but she couldn’t remember. She was going to look into it, but I haven’t heard back yet.
Hi Everyone, the name of the skull you have all been trying to identify is I very much believe POLLOCK aka pollachius virens… I have quite a collection of those skulls as they are such amazing objets and know them well, but have asked around for a year and researched and analyzed it and came up with that answer. See this link for professional identification photographs too! http://www.nabohome.org/products/manuals/fishbone/fish/Skull/skull.htm
I’m super jealous of those bones you found! Up here in Massachusetts at Revere Beach the only bone I’ve found is the maxilla of some sort of grouper fish.
I found the same skull but idk wat it is
Hello! I recently found something at the Jersey Shore, Brick Beach One, which is near Lavalette. It looks very much like the deer cowrie you have posted. One of my friends keeps insisting that it is the head of a seahorse! I’m not going to lie; it really does look like it’s the head skull from a seahorse! Have you found anymore of this type of “sea treasure”? I am very intent on figuring out exactly what it is! In my Googling research it seems as if it must be a cowrie, as you have said. The underside has plentiful groves and pores (all dried of course) that resembles coral in a sense.
Thank you for this wonderful web site. It’s an absolute gem!
Hi Pebbles, i love to solve mysteries! please post a photo of it on my Facebook page… https://www.facebook.com/iLoveShelling or twitter… https://twitter.com/iLoveShelling
It is a species of grouper. (Skull)
Thanks Ben!
I found that skull in Cape Cod. Definitely a grouper or something along that line
Did you manage to find out what type of skull it is, cos I found something similar on the coastline in South Africa