I am channeling my inner artist looking at these CHANNELED WHELKS as I look back on our shelling trip to the Carolinas earlier this month (Beach Combing Trip To Portsmouth Island). I could have taken hundreds of photos of these incredishelly beautiful works of art as I saw them laying in the sand half buried in the islands of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Seeing KNOBBED WHELKS and OYSTER SHELLS rolling up in the surf was a masterful sight to behold. Mother Nature artfully placed a SAND DOLLAR as though she staged this still-life for me to photograph. I didn't find all of her still-lifes in obvious places. These 2 KNOBBED WHELK shells, an ANGEL WING and oodles of OYSTER SHELLS were behind a large wrack line of driftwood, seaweeds and various sticks from sea oats and sea grasses. The EASTERN OYSTER SHELLS are so beautiful as well, especially the juveniles as they form stunning sculptures. After searching for miles, we found an area filled with …
Oyster
Bringing On The Beachcombing
There is nothing more exciting than seeing shells line the beach as far as the horizon. At Tarpon Road beach access (mid island on Sanibel)... that's what we saw yesterday- miles of shells. Amy from Alabama was a happy girl be able to witness this beautiful site as well. She found oodles of APPLE MUREXES and FIGHTING CONCHS in a wide assortment of colors, patterns and textures along with some other beauties. I ooohed and ahhhed over her best find (well, her best find to me anyway) which was this ROCK SHELL. Its not often I see these shells so I was excited for Amy that she found one. I saw Ellie from Wisconsin holding her hand in a way to protect something delicate. It was a gorgeous double ALTERNATE TELLIN with colors of yellow, pink and mauve. It looks like a beautiful butterfly! I was thrilled to find a LONG-SPINED URCHIN and a WEST INDIAN SEA URCHIN to add to my mix of treasures (OLIVES, CONCHS, TINTED CANTHARUS, NUTMEG, ROUGH SCALLOP, dark rich BANDED TULIP, a …
So Many Rare Shells Found On Sanibel This Week
I have said countless times that the beaches of Southwest Florida change every day and by the hour so finding shells becomes a fascinating treasure hunt. So I would say Tam Tam from Michigan has had quite a treasure hunt this week! She found so many shells that aren't found on our beaches all that often like that sweet baby LIONS PAW (top left), a CABRITS MUREX (middle), a LONG SPINED SEA URCHIN (okay, thats not a shell but its just so beautiful and big for that type of URCHIN) and a THORNY OYSTER (bottom). The ALPHABET CONE isn't rare at all but it is just dang gorgeous…. and same for that BABY'S EAR. And of course you see she found a JUNONIA too! Tammy found her LIONS PAW along West Gulf Drive and found her JUNONIA and CABRITS at BLIND PASS SANIBEL. Her friend Barb from Virginia found a CABRITS MUREX at Blind Pass Sanibel too! I think this is the tiniest, cutest CABRITS MUREX Ive ever seen. Wow! Oh but hold on there's more… Sue found a LIONS PAW as well! Her LIONS PAW is …
