Follow the Yellow Shell Trail
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Following the baby ear trail
Instead of following the yellow brick road, Julie is following the track of a live yellow BABY EAR at low tide. She sees the path on the sand bar and then follows the trail, digs in the sand and gently pulls up the yellowish mollusk. Are you ready to see what they look like? This is the first time I’ve ever seen a live one in person! Ready? Here you go…..
Live baby's ear shell
Really…this isn’t a photo of a handmade ravioli or smooched ball of wet dough. It’s a baby ear mollusk that practically surrounds it’s whole shell…..and it’s very slimy!
Leigh (West Palm Beach) holding a live baby's ear
I saw Leigh and her niece and nephew, Julie and Jack (Ft lauderdale), having the best time playing out on the sand bar in front of Holiday Inn on Sanibel. They were digging around, giggling and running back and forth. I had to see what all of the fuss was about. They also found live SHARK’S EYES and SEA ANEMONES.
Live shark's eye coming out of his shell
Live baby shark's eyes with egg casing collar
On the right hand side of the PEN SHELL is the egg casing collar for more baby shark eyes. It was Mother Nature’s huge touch tank out there last night. Now meet Leigh’s nephew, Jack. He loves the sea anemones.
Jack with sea anemone on Sanibel
Leigh and her family come to Sanibel a lot – every time the tide is really low. Of course, after they are done looking and learning about the mollusks and sea life they find, they gently put them back where they found them.
Oh man i wish i could be there. But, me and my family are coming tomorrow!!!! Anyways, its strange cause I see that you always find baby ears and then you you just discovered a live one, yet I have never even found one!!! I see that you have found alot!!! I dont know what is up with me. Where do you find them on the beach?
Hi McKenzie- click on this link. I show you what to look for to find baby’s ears. http://iloveshelling.com/blog/2010/04/12/q-tip-for-the-babys-ear/ . Good luck!
Oh thank you so much!
Hey! That’s extraordinary! Pam – are the tides extra low at certain times of the year than others? Do certain factors affect this or just time of year? Love, love, love your blog. Thanks!
Take a look at my FAQ page and click on the links there. You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn by looking at the tide and moon charts. http://iloveshelling.com/blog/faqs/
Pam, I am constantly entertained and amazed by what I see on your website. Thank you so much for sharing your love of shelling with all of us! A live baby ear-never thought I’d see one:) !
I have seen dozens of the shark’s eye egg casing collars on the beaches around Bonita and Little Hickory. Now I know what they are~Thank you for having one of the most enjoyable sites on the web!
This photo’s are something I’ve never seen in my life,thank you so much for showing me & my family things they might not ever see. Maybe one day
It’s also so nice to see kids get a kick out of shelling,you can tell it’s not forced on them,they just love it & the look in their eyes..well you can see how much they truly enjoy it 
Again,thank you.
Pam, I love, love, love your blog and read it almost every day (no pressure
. Thank you for sharing what I can’t come see/do myself. I was at Seaside for 4 days last week and was disappointed with the almost total lack of shells (but not with the lack of oil balls!), though we did enjoy playing with a crab and some sand fleas and watching the coquinas burrow into the sand. Thanks again.
Marianne Masciantonio…
I’m at seagroves beach which is just minutes away from seaside and i totally know what you mean. It’s like hey, if I’m gonna be in Florida, it should be in Sanibel hahaha:) although this beach area is great, nothing beats shelling in Sanibel.
Oh MY!!! am so loving reading about all the shells and the most lovely images of blue waters!! I have got to send you some pics of when we visited Shell Island….completely uninhabited…in the Abacos Islands! I was IN heaven and proceeded to get very sunburned while shelling!!
Loving your blog!!
[...] at the beach by Casa Ybel Resort. I wasn’t really finding any keeper shells (or those live BABY EAR tracks) but it really didn’t matter after I saw these young cousins having so much fun filling their [...]