SEA PEARLS and BABYS EARS were some favorite gems to be found at Lighthouse Beach this week. They blend in with all the other shells and bling so I feel so rewarded when I find one. It’s like I feel lucky that I saw the beauty in them when others may have passed them by without giving them a glance. That’s why beachcombers “get” each other, right? Beachcombers know there are hundreds of treasures the sea offers …but we just have to take our time to look for them.
But I feel luckiest when we meet other beach combers on the beach like Lee and Susan (formerly of Guantanamo Bay) who turn into friends for life because they feel the same way. So much fun!
We not only found those SEA BEAN treasures at Lighthouse Beach, we combed the beach at Gulfside beach…
…Where we saw some nice SAND DOLLARS, OLIVES and a few other nice finds.
Each beach we went to, we saw completely different shells and bling. We walked along Bowman’s Beach to find a few small shell piles…
Lee caught a few SHARKS EYES rolling in the surf.
Oooooo… and look at that FLAT SCALLOP and ALPHABET CONE Clark found… perfect!
This was my fave find of the week… a brilliant, bright orange RIBED CANTHARUS. Omigosh… Eye candy.
But even if I didn’t find the RIBBED CANTHARUS, I found happiness…
With some of my fave peeps …
You can make cute jewelry out of the sea pearls. Drill a hole through them.
Oh my goodness!! So fun to run into ya’ll 😉 Love this post!! You 2 are “happiness” in every sense of the word!! So fun to be with!! ❤️
Where did you get your “shells” bag? It looks compartmentalized….
I found those bags (prior to seeing them here-what a coincidence) to pack for Sanibel. I found them at Salvation Army thrift stores in Morton Grove, IL.
They are shower caddies (dorm room style) and mesh with lots o pockets.
Did Clark find those great shells in the water or in a shelf line/pile? Was it low tide? Love the flat scallop, nutmeg, and alphabet cone. That brightly colored cantharus is gorgeous! Way to go, Pam!
Hi Diane! He found them all by walking and scooping at the waters edge about 2 hours before low tide.
Thanks, Pam.
Hi Pam, I am a huge fan of your blog. I have learned so much about shelling. We are planning a cruise that will stop at Aruba, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman Island, among other places. We would love to shell. Do you have any shelling recommendations? I think some of those places do not allow you to take shells out of the country. Do you know about that? I appreciate any input.
Thanks!
So sorry Andi, we didn’t find much when we were in Aruba and haven’t been to the other islands but don’t forget to look for sea glass- we found lots of sea glass In Cozumel.
We are planning another trip in Nov and wanted to know more about those Apple snails from Harns Marsh. Can we find them all thru the year and do we need to be “overly” concerned w/snakes, gators etc? I know to be cautious but do boots etc need to be worn?? Any additional advice on how to truly locate the snails?? Thx! I had sent a comment before re this when we came to sanibel in August but could never find a reply!! 😜 I’m not overly tech savvy!! Thx
Hi Maureen, oh gosh, I’ve only been to harns marsh once to find apple snails and I shared everything I know about it in my post. Just Go to http://www.iloveshelling.com/blog/2013/11/19/filling-the-apple-snail-cart-at-harns-marsh-preserve/
Maureen, I have been there 3 times – all in late Feb or early March. Yes, be cautious but we haven’t seen any snakes or gators on any of our times there. Do watch out for the fire ant hills – just watch where you step. I wore scuba booties as they are my shelling water shoes but any kind of boots would be fine. Walk along the water’s edge to the right. The closer you get to the trees the more you will find. They are right along the water’s edge or sometimes floating in the water. The last time (last Feb.) I took my shelling back hoe to scoop them up so I didn’t use my hands. It made it much easier to reach the ones in the soft mud or water. They will be muddy and have ants and sometimes spiders in them so be sure to take a good plastic bag to put them in until they are cleaned. It is a messy job but they sure are beautiful when done. Mostly they look brown or black from being in the water but don’t be discouraged. You’ll have all the colors after they are cleaned. Have fun!!
Hey Pam, When I was there in July I had the pleasure of meeting your friend Cherry and her hubby! They are such a sweet couple ! We talked about our love of the island and of course shelling! xo
Isn’t she the sweetest thing? She told me that y’all met and she said the same thing about you- you are so sweet! ;) Ive only met her husband once – we all have so much in common.
Love those sea beans! I found some on our last trip and wasn’t sure what I they were.
isn’t it fun finding little treasures that are just as good as the big ones and the pleasure that comes with the catch sea beans,baby ears whatever mother nature shares with us brings smiles and good feelings and makes the day a little brighter .I hope pam and clark share there days showing and helping others how wonderful shelling can be,they are special people and I cant wait to go out again.
Pam, It’s so nice you were able to spend time with Lee and Susan. I’m sure you all had a great time seeing each other again – and the shells are a great bonus.
Leaving tomorrow for Sanibel! Wooo hoooo! Cannot believe those baby ears.
Can you tell me what sea pearls actually are?