Shellzam! I think this is the first time I’ve seen someone find a double SPECKLED TELLIN shell in SouthWest Florida. We found lots of double SPECKLED TELLINS on our trip to Turks And Caicos but only a handful of single valves here in SW Florida … none with both valves still attached. So I was tickled to see that Stephanie (Fort Myers) showed me her find. Spectacsheller!
Along with her double TELLIN, she also found a single valve of a SPECKLED TELLIN, an awesome BROAD PAPER COCKLE, and a PURPLISH TAGELUS. Very nice.
I also saw Kathy and Pat again! They were on the March iLoveShelling cruise to Cayo Costa so we got to laugh and reminisce about them being in the “Gleaners” photo. Lots of fun.
They found such a wide variety of shells but they both said that they were happiest to find lots of CERITHS.
Speaking of Cayo Costa, Dawn and Lori from Nebraska weren’t find many keeper shells on Captiva but they were still so happy they had gone to Cayo Costa to find lots of great treasures.
Lori is holding up a wonderful LACE MUREX while Dawn had questions about these SOUTHERN SURF CLAMS. Why are they so brown? On our last iLoveshelling cruise, lots of folks were picking them up because they were milk chocolate…. and it’s not the Periostracum that is covering it to make it that color but maybe some sort of food source. Hmmmmm. I don’t remember finding them this brown in the past but I love milk chocolate! I wish I had collected a few of these milk chocolate SOUTHERN SURF CLAMS too.
So believe it or not the little shell line at the top of the high tide line is where Stephanie found that spectasheller SPECKLED TELLIN and her other bivalves. That’s what it looked like when I found my CARRIER SHELLS too. Again, ya just never know!
Since I didn’t find any “spectacsheller” shells in that wrack line, I was just as happy picking up broken shells like these FIGHTING CONCHS because I’m going to use them in a shell craft project. Seriously, look at the colors… and they already have perfect holes drill in them so they are easy to work with. When it’s done (and IF I’m happy with it- heehee) , I’ll show you what I did!
PS- Blind Pass Captiva beach looks like it’s going to be roped off in the next week or so due to a renourishment project. I’m so sorry but I don’t have any more information than that but if I get any updated info, I will let you know.
Please let us know what you find out about Blind Pass Captiva. I will be there Saturday. Cant wait.
I guess if your beach is roped off you’ll just have to come down here to get your shell on ;)
Check out blind pass on the Sanibel side! I almost always have a good shelling day when I go there. Walk south, get away from the crowds, and have fun!
Wow-Stephanie found some great shells! I have only found a single speckled tellin. Love the broard paper tellin. Hpoe the good shelling continues. Pat
Broard paper cockle
Wow, what a great whole speckled tellin. I found one small drilled valve in Sanibel in 2011, and another small (worn & shabby) drilled valve in 2012. The moon snails must find them delicious!
In St. Kitts, snorkeling, I found a really nice, very large, complete shell, but generally in the Leeward Islands is not a common shell, and when you do find it, it is usually only one valve.
Stephanie’s speckled tellin,
on that aqua background …
Pam, it’s so perfectly heart~shaped,
Like I HEART SHELLING !!
Now, I’m seeing valentines in all my hinged doubles….
Yet I’m tellin’ ya,
I like the speckled one so much,
I’ve got a major case of Shell~ Lust over that one !!
Shellotte
Oh my word!!! What finds!! Congrats all.
Thanks for sharing, those pics are great to see on a fall day up here in New England.
Mary Ann
East Granby CT
Hint for newby shellers: if you are shelling near a surf line and using a pail
Make sure it is well away from the incoming surf. I lost my first ever beautiful scotch bonnet when the surf knocked over my pail and washed it out to sea. I never found it. I found two more but they weren’t as pretty.
Hoping to go to beach by Lighthouse in next couple of weekends for my birthday! :) What have you been finding there lately?
Thanks so much for all the beautiful pictures! I can’t wait to see your project. By the way, did you finish filling your jingle jar?
Lydia, heehee- i’ve been collecting jingles, but i haven’t had time to clean then and put them in the jingle jar yet. But I’m sure i still don’t have enough to fill that tall jingle jar yet. i need to get working on it!! :)
Came upon these lovely posts while looking for shell i.d.’s Will you be having any shelling adventures/Cayo Costa trips January or February 2021? We have been staying at Castaways for the past 5 winters and I have never done a tour!
I also love a good “shell storm” at the Turner Beach Jetty.