Seashell Excavation

Seashell Excavation

Shells were rolling on the shore of Captiva Island all last week at Blind Pass. You can see the gradual changes in my photos since Wednesday and this is what the shell mound looked like yesterday afternoon. It looked like a archeological dig for Mayan ruins… or for dinosaur bones….. nope, they were digging to China for shellicious seashells.

Cheryl digging for shells

Cheryl digging for shells

Cheryl has been a sheller all her life and made her own “backhoe”. She is a fossil hunter so she knows how to dig deep to get the best specimens. Last Wednesday she found 8 CONES when the shells were rolling in!

Shell excavation on Captiva

Shell excavation at Blind Pass

Some people were doing the sit ‘n sift or the shelling shoe shuffle while others were digging with their shell backhoes.

Bruce Oregon Shell Club

Bruce (Oregon)

Bruce, a member of the Oregon Shell Club, was tickled with a piece of JUNONIA, COCKLES and CUT RIBBED ARK shells.

Bruce's Cut Ribbed Arc shell

Bruce's Cut Ribbed Ark shell

Emma From Canada junonia piece

Emma (Canada)

This is Emma with her piece of JUNONIA she had just found. Those JUNONIAS are teasing us! She and her mom Barb came all the way down to Sanibel/Captiva from Canada because they have been seeing pictures and reading about the fabulous shelling on our islands from….. YES! ….. This Blog! She really told me that! Thank you Barb, that’s such a compliment. I hope you and Emma will find a whole JUNONIA while you are here.

Young photographer on jetty

Emma enjoying every view of Captiva

I am a day behind getting pictures to you because of the parade but I will post today’s photos of the every changing beach at Blind Pass and the shelling. The best shelling now is under the bridge of Blind Pass on the Captiva side. Stay Tuned!