This looks nothing like the SEA HARES I’ve seen in the past that gracefully dance through the water flapping their wings like a beautiful bird. I know, this guy looks like Bob Slug Marley… in need of a haircut. I found this RAGGED SEA HARE at the  Sanibel Lighthouse Beach yesterday morning at low tide where there were ooodles of them! I’ve never seen one of these before! We’ve had some strange winds from all directions and very choppy seas the last few days so I think they got pushed in right after they “hatched”. When they got out of the water, they retracted their horns and pigtails (haha- they are actually called papillae but let’s go with pigtails for now) and rolled up in ball. This gives new meaning to “hare ball”, right?
And yes! Another video! I loooove finding and learning about new sea life and add  it to my BEACH BLING  identification page!
Ummmm…. Please don’t tell anyone else that I heard what this RAGGED SEA HARE was saying… they might think I’m crazy. Â ;)
Oh and I had witnesses that will tell you I wasn’t crazy listening to these guys. I ran into Dan and Tina (TN) who were at the Lighthouse shelling finding all of these fantastic shells while I pointed out the RAGGED SEA HARES…
And! To top it all off, I saw Karen with her cutie aqua iLS shirt and iLS cap on! I first met Karen and Dexter (St Louis) after they found a huge MEGALADON SHARKS TOOTHÂ at Blind Pass last year. It was so good to see yall again!
PS- If you don’t know already, there is a tropical storm in the Atlantic predicted to become Hurricane Isaac which is on a path headed towards Southwest Florida. If it stays on this path and gains strength, I’ll let you know in a quick post if we have to evacuate. Fingers crossed that we only get shells and NOT a hurricane.
Hare ball, I love it! You are such a wag! So, what was really making those noises? Sounded like how I would expect a seal or walrus to sound. That was a bird at the end, right?
Boy-oh-boy, I have fingers crossed for you, too. Statistically, it can’t happen again to Sanibel for another 90 years or so, right? Thanks for offering to keep us in the loop.
Yes! I’m hoping we dont see another hurricane in 90 years. I hate the stress of waiting to see what it does. But then we have days to prepare so we are lucky for that.
ps- the “voice” at the end was a chipmunk. baahaha- yes, Im a goofball
I love learning from you Pam!! And i hope you can stay safe!!
Stay safe, if it comes time for y’all to do the human equivalent of the raggedy sea hare “reverting to ball position”!
hahaha I’ll remember that sckeppy! ;)
That was quite a video!!! I’m so glad you can understand “raggedy sea hare”, and put the words for us….I couldn’t understand a word that s/he was saying!
I really hope that Isaac turns North very soon and goes into the Atlantic. I hate to think of all of the people on the various islands going through a hurricane again. Prayers for safe-keeping!
(ps – do you have all of your shells in a ready-to-go box?!)
OMG that was hilarious! Poor little babies. Did you try to put them back in – or were there too many?
Way too many to put them all way back out since the water was so shallow so far out. Most of them were scooting along like Mr Hare Ball was….doing as they please. ;)
Your sound effects cracked me up! Sounded like the wookie out of Star Wars! Hope the storm brings lots of shells and nothing else! Stay safe!
Pam, you are a hoot. I so wish I had got to meet you when I was there in July. I did meet someone who knew you tho. It was the lady whose sister found the junonia. I didn’t find as many great shells as I hoped but I still had a great time. BTW, I met Brian at Captiva Cruises altho he wasn’t my captain. He was nice (and cute) !! shaggy
Hey, how great that you got to see so many raggedy sea hares! Little cuties! Of course I loved the video! Pam your videos are hilarious and great!
As for Tropical Storm Isaac, it is passing over my various friends in the Leeward Islands today with continuous winds of 45 mph and dumping maybe as much as 8 inches of rain. We will see how the storm track changes after today. I hope it doesn’t really intensify much.
That video was SO funny!! You had my son and I laughing so hard! What do you use to make your videos, and where do you find your sounds and music? Anyway, you have been finding some really cool sea life lately!
Pam! Are you sure those little fellas weren’t tribbles? And my very best wishes for Isaac to go east, away from your sweet island and my Texas Gulf coast.
The wonders of the sea are endless and so is Pam’s sense of humor and creativity!
If you want to see another amazing sea creature check out Captain Brian’s blog for Aug 22nd– that’s a huge living whelk– wonder if it’s a record breaker?
Pam,
It was so great to see photos of the sea hares……we are here now and were amazed at how many there are.
You did not mention this, but the ones we fooled with ejected a purple liquid. Do you know what that is?
Also, do you know what those large clear jelly-like blobs n the beach are? I have not seen tentacles and a couple on the beach told me that they are not jellyfish. And I have accidentally stepped on a couple and no stings. Just wondering!
Thanks!
Debbie
Hi Pam!
Thanks for the info. I’m down here till Tuesday and I thought they were expelled critters from shells. While we were swimming in the ocean we felt large areas of slime under our feet. We were quick to jump up on our rafts because we thought they were jellyfish. We are staying at Compass Point and they seemed to be mostly in a large mass about waste deep off the shore line. A few on the beach but most under water. Hopefully they were deep enough to survive.
Now about Issac. Do they usually suggest you evacuate the island if it becomes a category one storm? I’d really like to wait it out because I’m hoping for good shells! After a big storm do you head out as soon as its safe to go outside or do you have to give the tide time to recede?
Thanks for everything Pam. love the site!
Pam – we’ll be watching for your hurricane updates – we were supposted to BE there right now, but are waiting in TN until it is “over” whatever that means – we may have to bring our big truck for water damage repair if THAT happens!!!! Take care and be safe. Johnnie
LOL I love your captions on the sea hare video!
Pam – Thank you so very much for the video. What an awesome little critter! I have never seen one of these before! I will definitely keep an eye out next spring when I’m at Sanibel! I am glued to the weather channel right now making sure you are safe & that the storm misses Sanibel! Praying for you & all the residents & vacationers right now!
Pretty amazing! LOL, Pam you crack me up…that vid is so cute. You really are creative. I will pray and send good juju to you and all Floridians that Isaac will stay further out in the gulf, or weaken. I know you and Clark will stay safe! And just think…after the storm passes there will be SHELLING HEAVEN!!! Love to you!
Thank you for keeping us posted me and my family are supposed to come down on Wednesday. We are hoping it dont hit to bad and that the bridge will be open cause we are staying at one of the cabins at Blind Pass. We check your website everyday for a shelling report even though we live 1300 miles away
Love the video! Very interesting info, too. Pam, you are getting soooo good with the video editing — too fun! Praying for shells not a hurricane!!!
Pam you are a great teacher! I love the video and the humor but most of all learning about yet another creature! I am thankful for your website. I will be there 2 weeks from today and can’t wait. Keep safe and keep us posted on the progess of the storm….and don’t forget to grab your seashells if you have to evacuate!!
Pam, I’ve been watching that radar and getting nervous for you. Know you are in my thoughts and prayers in the hopes that Ivan moves away and lessens.
xxoo
Great post Pam… You keep amazing us all, love it.
Fingers are crossed for the safety of you & Sanibel . Keep us posted.
Wishing you only great beach bling after the storm passes
Mary Ann
Fantastic information and a great video. Stay safe, you and Clark are national treasures and cannot be lost to a hurricane. MEM
I just went through all of the listed Shark Tooth articles and couldn’t find the on about the Megaladon Sharks tooth. Can you direct me? MEM
Hi MEM!
Just click on the bolded and highlighted words “Megaladon Sharks Tooth” in this post. I put a link to the day I met them and I photographed that tooth. Thank you for your concern about the hurricane warnings We are safe and snug and still waiting to see what Isaac does. We don’t have any evacuation notices since the storm seems to be moving more west of us. Yay for us but now have to keep northern coastal cities of the Gulf of Mexico in our thoughts for safety.
Hey Pam, I loved the videos. I was going to ask, where did you guys go snorkeling that one time in the Florida Keys with Murexken? Where do you suggest to snorkel if you don’t have a boat? Any beaches I could swim out from?
Hi Emma, I’m not familiar with any places to snorkel off the beach in the Keys. We went so many places in MKs boat i got turned around so I couldn’t be too much help even if you did have a boat. Sorry Emma!
Emma, I know that MurexKen is always a help if you message him through TripAdvisor. He has helped me before there. I think that he has a trip report there too from a Keys trip. Check there, good luck!!
Thank You Pam and Donna R! I will be sure to check with MurexKen!
Pam, We are in Isaac’s path (cone) and are hoping for the best. Looks like you and Clark will get a storm surge as Isaac passes by. Stay safe and post pictures as you did for Tropical Storm Debby! Hope your electricity holds as ours never does. Linda K (Penscola, FL) from your July 6 blog. Mandatory evacuation from our beaches now. Shelters opening at 9 tomorrow. More later.
Be safe Linda!!! I’m hoping you only get tropical storm winds as well! xo
Pam,
I’m a year round resident and recently came across your website.
IT’S FANTASTIC!!!
Earlier today a galfriend of mine and her daughter and my daughter (school canceled today) went down to Barefoot Beach. LOTS of surf, and many waves, but not much for shells. We were probably there at high tide? Found a few Augers, a couple small fighting conchs (un-inhabited ;-) ) I guess my best find of the day was a 3-4 inch long worm shell. What are you “seeing” for the next few days that might be the best time to head out? I might head to Sanibel lighthouse where I’m most familiar, though one of these days I want to get to Blind Pass-seems that’s where the finds are! Bottom line…where to go, where to go, where to go??? ;-)
Thanks for a fabulous web site and all the info you have packed into it-well done!
Maribeth M