It doesn’t get any better than seeing a huge pile of shells wash up on the beach within one day. I was shellucky enough to see it happen at Blind Pass Captiva and to get the video of it I showed you on my last post. It was Shellectric!
Talk about “shellucky” – local sheller Susan from Pine Island found a CABRITS MUREX!
Shellzam!
These are just a few other fab shells she found as well…
Lolly was there with her homemade shell belt collecting all sorts of goodies.
She found all sorts of shells like HORSE CONCHS, WHELKS, MUREXES and FLAT ZIG ZAGS and GIANT BITTERSWEETS…
After seeing my “CANDY” (my little HORSIES in the first photo) and Lolly’s as well, an orange HORSE CONCH is all Patti from MN was wishing to find. Moments later… voila! Patti whooped it up when she found her own sweet “CANDY”. Yay!
Babs from St Augustine was there to see all the shellnanagans and to find her own treasures.
Its always fun to see what makes different people happy when they find something unusual. I was thrilled when Babs showed me this awesome ROUGH SCALLOP that had obviously been damaged in its lifetime but survived the predatory incident (IMHO- I’m thinking that’s prob what happened).
See? At one time, this mollusk knew it had more life to live and repaired its damage to see more days. I love those type shells! This even looks like it tried to manage the shape of a heart.
This shell pile event doesn’t happen every day so when I’m there to witness it, I try to breathe it all in and enjoy every single moment.
I didn’t make it back yesterday so I have no idea if it’s all still there. Let me know if you found any treasures at Blind Pass over the weekend.
Join me on a Shelling Adventure! CLICK HERE for more info.
PS- I was at Gulfside City Park Beach over the weekend and its still loaded with shells and bling too. :)
Oh and I hope to see y’all at the 2015 78th Annual Sanibel Shell Festival at the Sanibel Community House this weekend March 5,6, and 7!
UPDATE 3-3-15: I stopped by Blind Pass Captiva …. the shell pile is completely picked over and filled with sand. Amazing. The top picture had new shells in this post washing in and the lower picture was 3 days later. The power of Mother Nature…
Oh to be there in Sanibel instead of back here in NY shoveling snow. Loved the video. I wish Blind Pass had that many shells when I was there. Loved the flat scallop, bittersweet, and the cabrits murex. Also like the rough scallop. I’ll look at a few videos to keep me going through the rest of winter. Pat
OMG!!!!!!! Those shells are exquisite!!!!!!!!!! I’m so happy for everyone that is finding them. I’m gonna be down on Sanibel in less than five weeks for spring break and I’m really happy!!!!!!!!! Thanks fo rhte updates and posts Mrs. Rambo, keep shelling!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yaroslava :D
Trying to pick shelling dates between March 10 and 17. Do you think this shell pile is a result of low tide in the night and coming in with a high tide? Help!
this shell pile (like most all shell piles that happen in sw florida) are from some high west/northwest/southwest winds that occurred.
Wowza!!! That’s absolutely amazing to see all those different kinds of shells. I love it!
Pam, I have a question for you. It used to be that when I clicked on a picture of yours, there would be a ‘plus’ sign indicating that I could click on it again to supersize it so that I could really zoom in on those shells. I haven’t had that option lately. Is it possible to get that back? (Is it a setting on your camera or is it something on my computer?) At any rate, thanks for all of your great posts!!!
You are welcome- its so much fun to share! as for the big images… those are the cybershelling photos that i resize for you to give you that plus sign to blow up. i put too many photos on my blog to be able to do that for all of the photos- i don’t have the gigabyte room. the cybershelling photos are files that are way too big and fill too much space in the cyberworld- I’m so sorry but it would cost me a fortune!
Oh, I had no idea. I completely understand!!
Pretty pretty pretty!
DANG! I’m so bummed I didn’t make it there before we left Captiva on Saturday (in the pitch dark., at the crack of dawn…). What great finds!
Beautiful finds! Wish I could be there for the shell festival but getting to go to Sanibel at all is treat enough for me! Happy shelling!
wow I wish I could be so lucky,but then again I am because I am lucky enough just to get down there and enjoy the sun,sand,gulf and the rewards of the sea and that’s why I love shelling miss it i’ll be back r.g. stein
UGH! We spent 9 days at Blind Pass for the past two years and no shell pile. There have been at least two since we’ve been home. boo hoo. I did snatch a nice King’s Crown rolling in the waves near the bridge on the Sanibel side this year. My first one so I still had something to talk about.
Keep the posts coming Pam, it is what gets us to the next trip.
My husband & I just love your site Pam! They keep us going through the harsh Chicago winters. My husband was featured on your site last year after finding a Junonia at Blind Pass Captiva…which just thrilled him. We’ll be there this weekend for the Shell Show & are SO excited.
Thanks for all the inspiration, knowledge, and excitement!
Wow…. shellucky!!! I would be in shell heaven. So fun to see all the beautiful treasures.
lol, ok, just have to ask! Those 2 people in the background of the sheller’s shots – are they walking on water, surfboards or sandbar? :D
Stand up paddle boards :)
We’ll be heading home in the wee hours of the morning. It has been a great week despite the few days of crazy fog. :) It’s always so sad to leave paradise.
Pam, thank you for the tutorial on cleaning urchins. There were a lot of them on the beach the first few days here and thanks to you I knew which ones I could take and how to clean them. They are all cleaned and just beautiful. I’ve packed them carefully so hopefully they make it home ok. I will do the ‘glue step’ once I am home.
A special “thank you” to you and Clark.
Thanks for the photo with the orange scallop in the middle. I absolutely love the orange shells! They are my favorite!
Hey, I have a chance to hit Sanibel tomorrow, would that shell pile still be there and have lots of goodies? :)
OMG… I love your posts. Every since I found your page I’ve wanted to move to Florida. We always vacation in Pensacola Beach and I find amazing shells but not as great as your posts!!!
In the first photo – is the cone shell a regular alphabet cone or a Sozon’s cone?
It’s an alphabet. It would be very rare to find a sozon here on Sanibel or captiva. I’d be shouting to the rooftops!!! Hahaha
Great collection! New follower. Just moved back to SWFL after being gone for a few years. Just got into shelling literally last week so learning the ropes right now. Hoping to go early tomorrow morning in Sanibel before the festival starts at 9.
I hit Barefoot last week and Bunche today. What would you say is the best time/place around here? I’m basically looking for things to decorate and make jewelry with. Great blog. :)
My husband and I were just recounting our shelling adventure (on Feb. 28th) with my parents and I wanted to show them, instead of just telling them, exactly how many shells were at Blind Pass. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the pictures of you and Lolly from last week! Showing them your faces was so much better!! I wanted to thank Lolly again for explaining to me how to clean a sea urchin-I will forever remember that brief encounter. God Bless you both from Kentucky. Missing the Sanibel sun already…we came back on the 1st…it snowed 17 inches last night!!
I am planning a trip to Sanibel in June or July, this will be my first big shelling adventure. I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of whether June or July would be this best time. from some research it sounds like July tends to have more storms? Do the cruises tend to fill up quickly I noticed some of them don’t take reservations in advance they have to be a week in advance or less. any info would be appreciated. I am so excited, I love watching the videos. I just sit and dream?
Thanks so much, Leslie