There is nothing more exciting than seeing shells line the beach as far as the horizon.
At Tarpon Road beach access (mid island on Sanibel)… that’s what we saw yesterday- miles of shells. Amy from Alabama was a happy girl be able to witness this beautiful site as well.
She found oodles of APPLE MUREXES and FIGHTING CONCHS in a wide assortment of colors, patterns and textures along with some other beauties.
I ooohed and ahhhed over her best find (well, her best find to me anyway) which was this ROCK SHELL. Its not often I see these shells so I was excited for Amy that she found one.
I saw Ellie from Wisconsin holding her hand in a way to protect something delicate.
It was a gorgeous double ALTERNATE TELLIN with colors of yellow, pink and mauve. It looks like a beautiful butterfly!
I was thrilled to find a LONG-SPINED URCHIN and a WEST INDIAN SEA URCHIN to add to my mix of treasures (OLIVES, CONCHS, TINTED CANTHARUS, NUTMEG, ROUGH SCALLOP, dark rich BANDED TULIP, a WORMIE and …. candy!)
Then I walked the beach at BLIND PASS Sanibel to see Michelle from Illinois (right) with her family Mary, Mike, Patti and Molly. she was carrying a strange looking shell so I stopped her.
OMG its the lip of verrrry large HELMET shell. Wow! HELMETS are from Caribbean so to see the lip of that shell in such good shape and color was impressive. She also found a nice THORNY OYSTER too. Good eye, Michelle!
I saw Justin and Jeff from Connecticut scooping in the water and Bonnie combing the beach about a mile from the pass (the furthest point in the background).
They were having a ball finding some really nice shells like TULIPS, WHELKS and huge COCKLES. They said they were just as happy to find shells as being here to enjoy this awesome weather.
Krystal S posted on iLS Facebook all the shells they found yesterday morning at Blind Pass Sanibel….
Molly P posted there as well to show us she found this LIONS PAW this week on the Captiva side of Blind Pass. Congratshellations, to all of you!
Keep ’em coming, Mother Nature!
My daughter and I will be there April 9 for a week and I can’t wait! It is so hard to look at all the pictures and have to wait another week and a half. We have never been down in April before, but it is my 60th birthday and Sanibel is where I wanted to celebrate. I will be the one sitting in my chair in the water with my scoop for hours at at time having the time of my life! Pam, I really hope I run into you this time.
I cannot wait. I love this cybershelling. I am back in Sanibel in 1 week. Fly out next Friday. This in winter in Michigan has been awful. I have looked forward to your shelling updates. Thanks and keep them coming. Kathy
Woweee, wow, wow, wow! Seven more weeks…….. :-))
Beautiful lion’s paw against the bed of jingles…
I just want to congratulate everyone on such lovely finds. If I could bring a back hoe and just scoop it all up I would be in heaven. Alas, I can only live vicariously until the 24th of April and then maybe rent a back hoe. Ah just kidding. Can’t wait to be down there and shelling as well.
Have a lovely day all. Whoooo Hooooo!!!!!!!!!!
I love the cybershelling. Thanks so much, Pam. The next best thing to being there! What a great week to be on Sanibel, or Ft. Myers Beach!
WOW…looks like lots of lovely shells coming onshore. Sure wish I could be there to snatch some of ’em up… Thank you, Pam for posting each day and allowing us landlubbers the opportunity to share in your shelling adventures!
We are leaving tomorrow and will be staying on Ft. Myers Beach for the next week!! I can’t wait to get my toes in the sand and start shelling — especially after Mother Nature dumped 6 inches of heavy, wet snow on us last night! I discovered this website just about a year ago, and I have enjoyed MUCH cybershelling from far away. I grew up in Tampa and spent many vacations on Ft. Myers Beach and Sanibel — it’s my very favorite place. Now that I’ve lived in Michigan for nearly 20 years, it’s always extra special to come home. Thank you, Pam, for your love of shelling and for sharing it with all of us!
I see in a lot of photos there is old spent shell egg casings on the beaches I know most people don’t pick those up but I’m working on a large project display
Hi Pam! I wanted to thank you for taking the time to look at my beautiful finds! It was a pleasure meeting you and I am loving your website!!! This has been a pleasurable trip and we plan to return again soon!!!!
Congratulations to Ellie for the beautiful find! She is a sheller in the making and will have a great memory of her find and having her picture posted by you. I am sure you made her feel very special as you do to all of us who have the privilege of meeting you.
I think I have become obsessed with seashells. The last four nights I have dreamed of shelling in Sanibel. Those alphabet cones were just out of my reach. Maybe this was brought on by my trying to find a new place to stay on Sanibel next year or by sorting through my shells. Your blog is the best therapy I can think of.
There was this shell…
It was white with brown spots.
This shell…
Kept appearing out of the corner of my eye…. all along the shores of SANIBEL last month…. my pulse would race as its brown spots signalled to my brain: ” IT’S THE BIG ONE…. THE BIG J !! ”
Alas, the shell was lovely…. but upon a closer look… as my heart settled down,
This shell was a different variety, yet continued to catch my eye.
Well, I’ve been calling it a False J…. until locating it on the ILS SEASHELL IDENTIFICATION CHART ( which I call my Shellchecker !! )…
The lovely shell is a Broad-Ribbed Cardita.
Shellotte
The zig-zaggy Florida Fighting Conchs are so special.
Oh I miss Sanibel! We will be in Ft Meyers Beach for a wedding end of May and are hoping to make a day trip:) Well we will :) Anytime we are anywhere close I must get my shelling/Sanibel fix!
Over here on the Atlantic side of Fl, the shells get beat up so badly it’s really hit or miss with our shelling.
Love that lions paw shell. So many shells and names don’t know how you remember them all but wish I could join you all.