Archive for Millipede Starfish
Sanibel Summer North West Winds
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Blind Pass - Photo by Clark on his iPhone
Clark is having a ball without me because there are high NW winds making big waves on the beach at Blind Pass Sanibel….. which are bringing in the shells. I’m still in Virginia Beach visiting my mom but he called me several times yesterday to tell me the east end of Sanibel still doesnt have many shells (yet) but Blind Pass is rockin’.
He even took pictures with his iPhone to show us who was finding what so I guess he’s sort of a guest blogger today. heehee. He took this next picture and said “Cute family of four from Durham, NC they were here all week saw us in the parade and have been coming for years” –
Frank, Tami, Sam and Mia (NC)
OMG- Clark just called again. You won’t believe this! He went to Blind Pass today (Saturday) to tell me it just wasn’t the same as yesterday so he went to the beach around Sundial Resort. Super Sheller Clark sniffed it out again….
Photo by Clark on his iPhone
Can you believe that? He’s a JUNONIA crazy man! It’s a little cracked but it’s even better than the one he found a couple of weeks ago. It’s gorgeous! Weehoo! Way to go honey!
Beep. Beep. Okay let’s back up, let me show you the rest of the pictures he took from yesterday’s adventure at Blind Pass. Look how huge this live MILLIPEDE STARFISH is! After letting several people take pictures of it, she put it back to the water to help it survive.
Brenda (FL)
Xenia (Miami)
Clark took this cute little arrangement of all of his finds from yesterday. He found a SCOTCH BONNET and an ALPHABET CONE yesterday and a JUNONIA today. Wowee, dude!
Beached Seashells, Starfish and Crabs
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Sanibel Shell wrack
It was a little overwhelming to see so many shells, STARFISH, HORSESHOE CRABS, SEA URCHINS, PEN SHELLS, CRABS and so much more sea “stuff” littering the beach around Gulf Side City Park (Algier’s) yesterday afternoon. In the picture above, I tried to show you… a) how many great shells were there right together… b) how close to shore those crab trap bouys are… c) just how many other things were washed up together.
Very large wrack line
Look at how many PEN SHELLS and COCKLES!
Hundreds of Sea Urchins
It was unbelievable how many PURPLE SEA URCHINS there were. The same cold front and west winds that blew that JUNONIA into Anthony’s hand, blew all of these URCHINS, other sea life and even the crab traps to shore.
Big Red True Tulip
That was a perfect TRUE TULIP hiding in with other shells. I got so excited that I found a good shell but then saw he was still alive…. then in a split second was so happy again that he was still alive. I put him back in the water to hopefully live to breed to make more beauties. This sport of shelling is an emotional roller coaster, huh? LOL
Pig's foot on beach
Did you ask what a pig’s foot was doing on the beach? I did too the first time I saw one. Pig’s feet are used as bait to put in crab traps to attract STONE CRABS so if the traps get damaged or open up because of rough seas, the pig’s feet wash up on shore eventually.
Angel Wing on Pen Shells
Every time I find an ANGEL WING, I think of the poem Thoughts From A Shell Collector.
Tzofia, Shelley, Leora, Shira and Jeff (St Louis)
Speaking of angels, look how cute these little girls are.
Dawn from Chicago
Dawn is showing a perfect nine arm MILLIPEDE STARFISH. She was putting as many live critters back in the water as she was putting in her shell bag.
Sunset on shell wrack
After the sun set, the tide was coming back in to take lots of these shells and sea life in this wrack back to the sea.
Shell Creations
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Artist Sue
Local tile artist Sue was finding colorful SCALLOPS and a few WORM SHELLS to use in an address sign for her son’s house. I just love to hear about different creative ideas for using shells in art projects.
There were also lots of URCHINS, MILLIPEDE STARFISH and PEN SHELLS on the beach off Middle Gulf Drive on Sanibel and lots of shells churning in the surf so I think in a couple of days this will be a great place to shell on the low tide.
Lighthouse is Loaded
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Jane's Alphabet Cone
My good friend Jane took this picture this morning around 8am at the Lighthouse. She said that this ALPHABET CONE was laying right on the beach exactly in this spot…….and it’s 3 inches long! She said there are tons of shells right in front of the Lighthouse even after they just replenished the beach with lots of trucked in sand around the fishing pier.
Notice that right by the CONE, there is also a LIGHTENING WHELK, a WORM SHELL, a MILLIPEDE STARFISH and in the top left there looks to be a nice MUREX too.
Great photo, Jane, and congrats on that nice find!
Great Shelling off West Gulf Drive
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Morning at West Gulf #4
Horse Conch, Worm Shell and Fighting Conch
Starfish with Clams and Scallops
One of many Millipede Starfish on the beach today
Yes, it was still in the 30′s this morning on the beach but I didn’t really mind as much since there were plenty of shells to keep me busy (and I had on a killer coat). I just wish I had a pair of warm rubber boots because the surf was filled with new bigger shells coming in.
If you don’t have an A parking pass to be able to park on West Gulf Drive, I suggest you go to Algiers Beach and walk east (head left from the parking lot when you hit the beach) or just hop on a bike and enjoy the spots that aren’t so filled with people. You’ll get better dibs on the best shells.
Warming to 49 On Sanibel
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West Gulf Dr #6, 10- 15 mph NNW winds
Millipede Starfish
It’s 49 degrees and I can’t believe I think this feels nice compared to the winds by the water. On the beach, it was mid 40s and the wind chill felt like 30 but I’m so glad I was fortunate enough to dig for shells instead of digging out a snowy driveway.
I got a phone call this morning from a friend, John, who got to Captiva early this morning to find a bare beach. He then headed to the Lighthouse to find about the same thing…no good shelling.
So Clark and I headed to West Gulf #6 after catching George Clooney’s new movie Up In The Air at the Island Cinema (it was pretty good…..but no Academy winner).
Jane (Restin, Va) and Judy (Sanibel)
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Lots of WHELKS, OLIVES, URCHINS, MUREXES, COCKLES, SCALLOPS, TULIPS and FIGHTING CONCHS
nice new shell pile on West Gulf Dr #4
Clark met Judy on this new shell pile that just formed around West Gulf parking access #4 and found out the she has found a total of 13 JUNONIAS. That’s thiiirteeenn! She didn’t find much out there today but she only picks up the cream of the crop. She was out there on that sand bar (shell bar) getting her little white tennis shoes, socks and pants soaking wet……with that wind chill of 30s. She’s a trooper….along with Clark too. Yep, I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold and maybe that’s why I haven’t found my JUNONIA yet. Like Jane from Virginia said “We should get extra credit for just being out here today”.
Margye (Albany, NY) with a tiny bright orange HORSE CONCH
Broken HORSE CONCH on drift wood
