Get Those Toes In The Sand
By
I have never seen so many empty beautiful FIGHTING CONCHS before as I have in the last month. I try not to pick them up but some times… ooooo… it’s so hard not to after nudging them with your toes and finding them empty. I’ve had to make myself promise only to keep the exceptional ones and I’ve learned that if I just take a picture, it satisfies the urge. You might be seeing a lot of these kinds of photos in the next couple of weeks. heehee
We started shelling at Bowman’s Beach since we’ve had luck there the last few weeks. Other than finding the FIGHTING CONCHS, here is a Cyber Shelling photo of what most of the other shell piles were looking like on the beach…
After walking the beach for miles it seemed, I ran across Alan The Toe Sheller who was finding the big shells in the water. He said “While I’m cooling off in the water, I just feel around for shells with my toes”. It worked! He found 2 big HORSE CONCHS and a big WHELK! Here he is with Gail (GA), Kevin (WI), Angelique (WI) and The Toe Sheller himself, Alan (WI). He ended up finding one more big HORSE CONCH after I took the photo then he gave the white WHELK in his hand to Gail but kept that gorgeous HORSE CONCH Angelique is holding and the new one not pictured. Wow! Talented toes!
Kevin went out on his Stand Up Paddle Board and said he saw a SPOTTED EAGLE RAY like we saw last week. Cool!
Going to Bowman’s Beach is a little bit further to walk from the parking lot but it sure is a pretty path with a beautiful bridge which reflects the sky. Gorgeous.
Want to know what happened at Blind Pass over the weekend? Would you like a JUNONIA for your birthday? Well, Becky could tell you that it was a good weekend and she got the best birthday gift ever. Her husband Tobias found this for her at Blind Pass on her birthday on Saturday. That’s a birthday to shellebrate!
UPDATE: GiveAway is now OVER…
Congratulations Becky!! And happy belated birthday, too! I can’t think of a better place to be than on Sanibel for your birthday. Enjoy!
I would like to be entered for the Yolo giveaway. I would spend the $100 gift card on shelling equipment that I do no have at present. Will be using on Sanibel in the Spring of 2013. Thank you. Looking forward to it.
I think probably you should put your YOLO entry into the comments section of the previous post, where all the others are.
What an awesome BD present indeed !
Why do you not pick up the empty Fighting Conchs???
Hi Leanne, oh dear.. No, there is nothing wrong with picking up empty fighting conchs, it’s just that how many can I store in my home? I shell so often that I can’t pick up everything I see or think is pretty because I feel that if I bring them home, I have to clean, dry then sort then find a place to showcase them. I have a lot of shells already so I leave most of them that I see on the beach for someone else to enjoy. I only look for unusual shells to bring home with me. Thanks for asking! I wasn’t at all clear about that in my post so I’m sure others were thinking the same thing.
I do the same thing, Pam…and thank you for putting Becky’s picture up there. She’s so proud!
Hey Tobias,
Congrats again on the Junonia! My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting your and your beautiful wife Becky at Blind Pass (twice) and were so excited to actually be there when you found the Junonia. (we were the ones celebrating our anniversary) Honestly could not have happened to a better couple. The two of you were so sweet and so kind to everyone you spoke too. Congrats and many, many more happy years shelling together!
Thank you!
My wife and I enjoyed meeting you both. Hope to see you again soon!
LOL understandable!!!
Wow! That’s a real beauty of a junonia!! Lucky girl! and it looks like Alan found a gorgeous whelk!! I’m partial to those as I’m from Texas & the state shell there is the lightning whelk.
I should like to live there when I graduate from college, but would finding a job (at my future age, say 22-24) be hard? I mean, will there be job opportunities? I’m thinking about majoring in Marine Biology and minoring in Business, and then getting an MBA so I’m more secure in the job market
I really want to live in Sanibel; that’s like my dream! Though I want to have a job where I can work with dolphins, like at Sea World… But it’s too far :/ Life is so confusing.
I am no expert on this kind of thing, but Sanibel itself is rather small. It’s an expensive place to live, and it does not have many job opportunities. There is the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum; currently they are looking for a collections manager for their shell collection, but that kind of job does not come up very often, and plus to get a job like that you might perhaps want to have a masters degree in Museum Science as well as a BA in marine biology. Of course many people who work on Sanibel live in the city of Fort Myers, which is generally a lot less expensive than Sanibel.
I see that the University of West Florida (Pensacola) offers an undergraduate marine biology degree. Probably there are several other colleges in Florida that offer similar degrees. I don’t know where you currently are, but if you went to college in Florida you might be able to make contact with marine biology experts who might be able to suggest possible job opportunities to you.
I don’t know about the idea of working at high-end theme parks; here is a link to a marine mammal intern position with Disney. You can see they are very demanding even for interns!
https://sjobs.brassring.com/1033/ASP/TG/cim_jobdetail.asp?partnerid=25348&siteid=5039&jobid=58837
I found a Junonia at Blind Pass about 28 years ago. We were staying at the Castaway’s and I was on the beach early. The surf was a gentle rolling one and there it was. I picked it up in awe and disbelief. The ladies in the office were thrilled and took my picture. They sent me a letter later, telling me the picture did not come out. I was not disappointed as I had my shell. I still have it even though I live in Tennessee now.
What a beautiful junonia Beth! We’re here this week and the shelling has been very good. We’ve been shelling on West Gulf dr and there’s lots of shell piles. So far we’ve found a few lace murex, lots of olives, and whelks.
Been here since Friday and not having much luck finding anything – even miniatures on Sanibel. I guess I need to go to Bowman’s beach or Blind pass. Found a few fighting conchs.
Cindy,
Try going to the beach parking area by Tarpon Bay rd and West Gulf dr. Once your on the beach head west.
If you can go shelling on West Gulf dr try by access #4 and then head down pass access #7. You can see the signs from the beach as to where the access number start. We’ve gotten some nice shells all along there. Last night my husband pick up a few Florida cones and a alphabet one too.
Good luck
Thanks Barbara – do you know where the 10 spot is?
I tried Bowman beach and blind pass and found some shells in the pile mostly miniatures. I’m on gulf at Sanibel Arms west and walk to the light house and quite far the other direction as well. The water is finally starting to clear up as it’s been rather cloudy since I arrived.
Thanks Pam for the gorgeous pictures. And thanks to you we can all keep a few toes in the water on Sanibel, wherever we actually are!
Mh, Mh Mh Mh Mh…(how DO you spell those sounds?) – WOW – what a beautiful Junonia? I am soooooo jealous! We’ll be back down in November – I hope Mother Nature is saving one for me! But I’m so happy for those who find them too – must be a really great high! Today my art partner and I kayak Ocoee Lake for some quiet beauty time. But I bet we won’t find anything as beautiful as that Junonia. JL
Those beautiful shells. How did they no they were for rent and not occupied?
I really enjoy your blog and am learning quiet a bit. Thanks for your expertise and knowledge. Your pictures are wonderful
I am coming down with my Sister and her Husband in October.
What a wonderful way to treat them for having me take vacation with them!!
Please enter me in the YOLO giveaway!
I have been forwarding your posts and we all cannot wait to go shelling!
Thanks for the great pictures and comments!
Hello Karen, A I said to someone else, I think probably you should put your YOLO entry into the comments section of the previous post of Pam’s, where all the others are.
Hello Karen. As I said to Charlotte Kosa, I think probably you should put your YOLO entry into the comments section of the previous post of Pam’s, where all the others are.