We didn’t see an abundance of shells on the beaches of Sanibel earlier this week but now the winds have changed from east to west along with evening negative low tides throughout the weekend… soooo… now we are finding shells again!
We weren’t the only ones that found this little sweet spot on Sanibel about a half mile on from the bridge that connects Sanibel to Captiva at Blind Pass. Judy B found the Sanibel Six plus lots more…
Judy B was on the iLoveShelling cruise to Cayo Costa on Sunday so I was thrilled to see her again on the beach with her son (in the water shelling).
After I took that photo of her hand with all of the shells, about 30 minutes later, she showed me another gorgeous handful of shells she just found. I couldn’t resist! I had to take another photo with that spectasheller GAUDY NATICA (COLORFUL MOON SHELL), NUTMEGS, BANDED TULIP, CHESTMUT TURBAN and that SPINY JEWELBOX with such nice spines…
Ron and Sharon (South Dakota) and Annie, Rachael and cutie little Keara (in front) from Minnesota were all scooping shells out of the surf too…
They found quite an awesome assortment…
I started shelling right beside Lynn and Ed from Pompano and saw they were having a ball finding great shells. They said this was the best shelling they had seen all week…
Lynn showed me her bag filled with BANDED TULIPS and more…
But hold on… I have video of them! LOL I started taking a movie of all of the shells in the water and saw them keep picking up shells so I had to ask what they had. Ha! It’s hard for me to concentrate on talking while I’m filming because I get so distracted so easily. Errrr… and it’s the first time I’ve ever turned the camera on myself. Oh well, I’ll get more comfortable one day if I do more of that nonsense. Who knows but click on the vid to see..
Super Sheller Clark lived up to his name again and pulled out a perfect ALPHABET CONE and he also found one of those chocolate colored LACE MUREXES but I still havent taken a photo of it. Oh and Judy B found a dark LACIE too…but no photo- sorry! Here’s Clark with his ALPHIE though…
We also saw Christy and Larry from TN who were on the iLS shelling cruise too! They were not going to be outdone by Clark or anybody else by finding a brilliant bright orange mid size HORSE CONCH and a perfect FLAT SCALLOP…
And lemme tell you, Larry is funnier than a June Bug! After showing me his perfect FLAT SCALLOP, he then showed me this shell and said “Now I’m FLAT broke!” LOL
Here they are with another treasure, their daughter  Sarah…
The evenings right now are perfect on the beach. Low humidity, 80 degrees, no bugs, low tide and shells.
We also had a little eye candy on the way home off San Cap Rd. Can you see the baby ALLIGATOR on the bike path?
Now you can see it a little better. Wild, huh?
The video isn’t working! Really want to see it!
Try now fran! So sorry I hope you can see it now?
Yes! It works now! Love it!
Would the mamma alligator have been close by? Or is this one two years old or whatever, and off on its own? Looks like it is headed toward the road. Uh oh! I hope it made it to wherever it was going safely.
p.s. There is a large loggerhead laying eggs right now down below my balcony/ condo on S. Hutchinson Is., Atlantic coast. Have you ever seen the babies hatching? Now, that’s amazing and sooooo much fun! Do ya’ll get leatherbacks on Sanibel?
Omg Robyn, that’s so cool! We get few leatherbacks, mostly loggerheads but no, I’ve never watched her laying eggs in person. Lucky you!!!
Oh and about the alligators… Babies stick close to mom but this one might have been old enough to wander away from her. You bet I was on the lookout for the momma though! I tried to heard this one back into the woods but I didn’t want to upset it.
Does Super Sheller Clark have a new tool to help grab the shells….tell us about it please?
Judy B found some beautiful shells, she’s got the eye for sure!
2 days and then we’ll be there!!! We broke our scoop last weekend at Caspersen Beach finding shark teeth. We’ll have to make do until the shops open on Sunday!
Thank-you! Loved the video, shells and the baby alligator. Wish I was there, 6 more months for me!
We just made reservations for the June ILS Shelling cruise!! I’m already so excited!! Will be down there for 2 weeks in mid June with our daughter and her husband!! Hopefully we will be as lucky as you guys have been lately with the shells!!
Fantastic post Pam! What fun!
Off of the East Gulf we were greeted with hundreds or of many sand dollars washing washing up on the shore. Out on bsand bar there were so many of them burying themselves in the sand you were afraid to walk. Most of the Olives were alive but so , two or three starfish, even a lot of the minis were alive. I did find a baseball size sharks eye if I am correct walking across the sand bar .I picked him up, was amazing . Wish I could have kept that one
I have been shellibrating this whole week! Starting off with your cruise to Cayo Costa, and then to top it off, meeting up with you again and shelling with you and Super Sheller Clark! Did you have something to do with this picture perfect weather too?
The last 2 days at blind pass have been exshellent! My son & I found an alphabet cone, 10 nutmegs (1 supersize), 10 florida cones, 3 gaudy nautica, 4 shark eyes, 3 horse conchs (plus a candy), 2 dark lace murex, lots of turbans, lots of banded tulips, lots of olives, lots of fighting conch, etc. Looking forward to one more night of shelling at blind pass!!
Hi Judy!!! I met you / sat next to you on the boat on the cruise to Cayo Costa. I’m SO GLAD you had an exshellent week for shelling, and that your son was out there with you, too! I hope you had an easy trip back to Boulder. I enjoyed talking with you on the boat that day. We were at South Seas Resort on Captiva over Memorial Day weekend, but I didn’t have the kind of luck that you had your last few days at Blind Pass. You really found some great shells! I’m glad Pam found you there and posted a pic of you & your shells!
Sherri W.
WOW! Love all the shells. Love the sound of the waves coming ashore. Wish I was there. Good luck shelling everyone.
Pat
Was at Lighthouse beach Wednesday at low tide and found lots of murex, cones, fightig conch and small horse conch. Some were home so had to go back. Got some good ones today at high tide at Island Inn.. Is my last day and plan to hit Blind Pass early for low tide Sat. morn. before I have to check out. Hope the shells are still there! Glad you had such good luck and fun!
Thanks for that video, Pam! I just wanted to jump right into my screen and grab some of those shells!
Cannot wait to get back to Sanibel! Your blog has helped me to get through a very long North Dakota winter. Looking forward to the shelling, surf & sunshine on our next visit!! Thanks for showin’ the shellin’, Pam!
Awe, love the baby alligator!
I’m facinated with this website!!! It’s absolutely awsome!!!
I too love shells and am planning a couple days to go to Saibel with my husband to try our hands at finding some treasures. When is the best time of day to find them? I’ve been told low tide. But as I live in Ohio, I don’t know much about the ways of the ocean. Are evenings or mornings best? And finally can you tell me what those rake type scoops are that I saw people using in your pictures?
My husband and I just returned from Sanibel and Captiva Islands. We went with so much anticipation of beautiful shells covering the beaches at low tide. But both a.m. and p.m. low tides had very little treasure to present to us other than little tiny shells (mostly broken). The islands presented a beauty all their own though. But as far as the shells, we were greatly disappointed. The pictures posted of beaches full of lovely whole shells is very misleading. We asked residents about the lack of these beautiful shells and we were told that each year there are less and less available.For a once in a lifetime journey (from Ohio to Florida) based on a website’s videos and pictures we were a bit let down.
Debbie C. I am so sorry you were disappointed with your shelling experience. I’m especially sorry if you feel like THIS website is “misleading”. If you have followed this blog, I have written countless times how the beach changes by the day and the hunt for seashells is just that… its a treasure hunt. Just like in life, some times you have to work a little harder at finding the treasures you are looking for. Sanibel DOES have “beautiful shells covering the beaches” some days…. actually I would say most days. But they might not be on the beach… they could be in the water. But it also depends on what type of shells you are looking for. If you arent happy with small shells, then I would take a second look at them… you might just find they are stunning and might make you smile after looking at them closely. Seashells are the gift that Mother Nature has given us here in SW Florida but with a strong east wind, the shells can be taken back out in the gulf. With any beach vacation, there are chances of rain every day- its the chance we take. If one goes on a birding vacation, there are chances you might not spot the bird you want to see. If one goes on a whale watching trip… there are chances of not spotting a whale. A skiing vacation could have a lack of snow. I could go on… but I want to assure you, theres NO WAY I can make up the 7500 images of our beaches I’ve posted on this blog. Of those 7500 photos, probably 5000 of those photos are happy shellers I’ve taken photos of holding seashells they have found. My blog is just that- it’s my diary of who I’ve met and what I’ve seen on these beaches. This is not a “crew” or a corporation taking these photos, writing these stories and giving countless amounts of information- its just me. But again, I’m genuinely so sorry you didnt find the seashells you were looking for and that you missed some of the amazing wildlife, sealife and beach bling that are here on the beaches in Sanibel and Captiva. pam