To walk the beach on a warm winter’s day in December is such a gift.
And to take a stroll on that warm beach littered with seashells is priceless!
Bruce and Mariah from Richmond, VA joined us for a great day to share this sunny beach on Big Hickory Island on an iLoveShelling Sight Sea-R Cruises shelling adventure this week.
They found such a great variety shells and bling right away. Look at that amazing dark brown FLORIDA WORM SHELL with its teeny tiny tip still in tact.
Wendell and Wendy (Alabama) started collecting all sorts of cool stuff…
From an incredibly lacy LACE MUREX to SEA PEARLS to a PEAR WHELK EGG CASE to striking WEST INDIAN CERITHS.
Denese and Missy (Indianapolis) found some awesome SAND DOLLARS.
We find really cool chunks of CORAL on this beach every time but Linda and Jamie found a huge hunk that will be such a beautiful piece of sculpture.
Well look at Sue! She has found a love for the micros and minis and found a perfect spot loaded with MARGINELLAS, RICE, DRILLS and other tiny sweet shells to filled her mini vials with her big tweezers. Love that (insert that little love symbol you make with your two thumbs smooshed together with knuckles bent over to make the shape of a heart- heehee).
My buddies Martha and Marie always have a good time on every beach they step foot on and now they’ve converted another sheller… Duane.
He’s even perfected the Sanibel Stoop pose!
With calm clear water and sunshine, I felt lots of peace from Diana and Sam (California).
Peace. And awesomeness.
I always love to see families like Janet, Benny, Bethany, Donna, Joyce and Andrew visiting from Virginia, Maryland and Florida’s east coast taking a beach combing day like this to get together. It was so much fun to meet y’all!
And look at those CONES Janet found- oooooo. A perfect ALPHABET and FLORIDA CONE pair.
So happy to meet and hang out with shellers Ellen, Judy, Bob and Kathy traveling from Vermont and New Hampshire. Boating and beaching- does it get better than that?
Its really cool to get out on our shelling cruise boat since its not all about just shells. Its about the whole adventure getting to a secluded island and enjoying the wildlife too. We had a pod of DOLPHINS swimming right beside our boat so we all were able to see them jumping and playing.
One of the baby DOLPHINS liked showing off for us too- so cute!
And we have silliness of course too- My fave of the day…. Dawn and Corly (Iowa) found THE best beach bling and shell. Dawn found this funny plastic ALLIGATOR in the high wrack line (its crazy since we really don’t have that much trash on Big Hickory Island) and Corly put her awesome ALPHABET CONE in its mouth. An ALPHAGATOR! hahaha
We all got to celebrate even more after I handed out $25 gift certificates to Sealife By Congress as I do on every iLoveShelling cruise. Oh yaya baby.
Join us on one of these excellent trips! CLICK HERE for more details…
Wow! Everybody found some wonderful AWESOMENESS!!!!!! (Pam–what in the world is that leopard-print shell in your first photo??)
It’s the shell of a leopard crab- gorgeous, right?
Oh my–Yes!
Just what I needed today. Steamboat was hit with about 2′ of snow. Oh how I wish we were there instead!!!
UGH!!! I so miss being there shelling!! I love, love, love the alphagator! Pam I do have a question…. I use a cane for walking, will I be able to join in on one of these amazing cruises?
Hi Patricia, yes, it is possible to get on and off the boat if you use a cane…. But it can get tricky at times. Because the beaches change so quickly, the sand shifts and the boat is run up on the beach so the angle of the ladder is never the same. Ive never seen a problem and every captain is very helpful and safe. :)
Hey Pam..enjoyed our cruise to Hickory Island..now we are looking for a nativity set made from shells..any idea where we could get one?
Hahaha, love the Alphagator!!! Miss these beautiful SW Florida beaches so much!!!!
Pam, while everyone else is counting down the days to Christmas…I’m counting down the days to Sanibel! I’ll be on the Jan. 21 trip to Big Hickory, and I can’t wait to experience this new destination. Wishing you and Clark a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you in 33 days!
Another fun ILS trip with you Pam! A wonderful morning of new friends, peaceful shelling and beautiful nature, feeling thankful… Merry Christmas to you and Clark!
I enjoyed talking to both of you on the boat as well as on the beach. I hope we run into each other again. Everytime I see a mini, I will think of you Sue.
Diane from Tucson
Hi, Sue helped me find my first wentletrap! (She circled where I should look, gave me her big tweezers, crouched down and pointed…but I will still count it as a first ‘find’.) It was nice meeting her & her husband. She mentioned you and your cruises. I missed out this time, but still hope to catch a trip on one of our next visits. Fabio & Jackie