Smiles For Seashells
By
This is shelling heaven. I’m sure you understand why Clare and Robin have such great smiles on their faces as they sift through scoops of shells Clare just brought back from the water.
Those are WENTLETRAPS they are finding!
I felt so lucky all weekend to be able to sift through such a wide wrack of shells and talk to so many happy successful shellers at the lighthouse beach on Sanibel.
This is a day’s shell collection that any sheller would smile about. It’s like the top ten shells of Sanibel, isn’t it? I saw Connie again (from March 30 post) with a FIGHTING CONCH, PAPER FIG, TRUE TULIP, HORSE CONCH, FLORIDA CONE, ALPHABET CONES, LIGHTNING WHELK, a little tiny KING’S CROWN, and a PEAR WHELK on her shelling screen (oh yeah, and a PONDEROUS ARK but not sure I would call that a top ten shell- haha).
Connie with her top ten.
Rachael (Denver) found a FLORIDA CONE and two minutes later, she and her Aunt Joan scooped up all of these shells from the surf…
All of these shells in just two scoops!
Rachael and her Aunt Joan (Rachael’s mom’s twin sister!) smiling big.
This weekend you could find big shells but Hudson (St Pete, FL) had keen eyes to find beautiful minis too. This is a gorgeous COFFEE MELAMPUS.
Happy Hudson!
Hudson’s little sister Ilene filled up her bucket with COCKLES and DOSINIAS. She even saved a STARFISH by putting it back in the water.
This guy is a malacologist in the making if you ask me. When I started talking to Mitchel (MI), he told me he was a scientific shell collector. I watched him scoop up a few good scoops of shells out of the water to take back to the sand to sift through them. Every time he’d dump the shells out, he’d draw a crowd of people to see what he found….. most of them were girls. Smart guy.
Nice Conus spurius (ALPHABET CONE), Dr M.
There were so many different things like this HORSE CONCH EGG CASE with a PEN SHELL washing up on the beach that I could talk about it for days….. and I think will. I’ll have to show the rest of my photos tomorrow since I’ve run out of time. I have so many more good ones …. like this
SEA ANEMONE flower…..
Please leave some true tulips for me when I come in August!!!!!!!!
Wow. Almost summertime…and the shelling is easy!
What great “top tens” to find!
24 Days until I’m the one out there finding all the shells! Great pictures today!
24 days for me too — hope we have such luck!
Were the Sea Anemones sitting on a banded tulip? Even they know beautiful shells when they see them! Thank You for sharing and we look forward to hearing more about your day!
Can I just say…your blog is the most inspirational place to come to when the cold, dreary weather of Boston starts getting to me? THANK YOU for preserving my sanity!
It’s such a joy to see your pictures and read about the great shelling being enjoyed by so many! I was there in March and the shelling wasn’t as bountiful as it is now. My fingers are crossed for next year:)
Great pics for this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad, blustery day. A lot of alphabets are washing up, aren’t they?
That is a bumper day of shell collecting, so many pretty little treasures
I am so looking forward to the carefree July days of shelling! Can’t wait…love those true tulips!!
What is a Dosinia Pam? What great pics today!!!
Oh my gosh! I dont have the dosinia on my seashell identification page do I? I have another photo of them so I’ll post that tomorrow. Thanks Kelli!!
Thank you for sharing the octopus birth video and today’s tip on wentletrapping. I met a lady yesterday who said your blog is what gets her through the cold winter weather in PA. You are doing such good sharing your respect and love for nature!
Coming to Sanibel from still-chilly Colorado was such a treat last week! It was great meeting you and we love your blog! –Rachael and Joan (4/3)