Dear Fellow CONCH-Lers
   I was asked about a trip report to Florida this Christmas (I would have
sent one sooner but my computer hard-drive crashed).  Let’s just start with
the good news, it was SPECTACULAR.  We went to Sanibel for 5 days and one
day on Honeymoon/Caladesi Island.  We had wonderfully low tides thanks to
the full moon (we had a lunar eclipse too which must mean the sun and moon
were cooperating especially well together).

     First I have to thank the city and visitors to Sanibel.  If you are a
stranded Strombus (or other unfortunate critter) there are a host of people
who want to put you back in the water, maybe even to the point of being
over-zealous.  The colony of Pleuroploca gigantea that was near our hotel
that we saw three years ago actually seemed to have gotten larger, certainly
it had a lot more +10 inch specimens.

     The first impressions of Sanibel this year were the huge number of
echinoderms on the beach, urchins, ‘sea beans’, starfish, and brittle stars.
Lots of Pens too. On the central Sanibel beaches I found (mostly left)
plenty of the ‘regulars’-numerous Fasciolaria lilium hunteria (both alive
and cleaned), large live Pleuroploca gigantea and fewer dead small ones,
lots of Oliva sayana, few Murex this year, and of course lots of Busycon,
both species alive and cleaned.  In the Lightning Welks the largest live one
I saw was maybe an 12 inch specimen, I did bring back a empty gem that was
maybe 9 inches (and a larger less-than perfect specimen).  Lots of Ficus
communis, empty and with dead or living animal and a few Vericularia at
Blind pass.  I found a few cones (C. spurious (5, but only 1 good) and C.
floridanus), but my wife did better than I with two spectacular ones. I also
did find a small fragment of a Junonia.  A women I had met at Blind pass
found 1 and ¾ Junonia over just two days! I found a few Cancellaria
reticulate a couple of fragments of Phalium granulatium both on Sanibel and
Cayo Casta and a nice little Lion’s Paw also on Cayo Casta.
     A rather magical event.  I was up early ‘before the crowds’ at the
Pleuroploca gigantea colony taking photos of the animals. I was returning to
the hotel and met my wife and daughter going out to the beach.  The beach
was now covered with active shellers looking for prizes so I really didn’t
think I’d find much in the way of non-living shells. At about the same time
I met a women with her kids who had fairly recently lost her husband. She
was a sweet woman and we talked a bit about her husband, how she missed him
and how this trip was part of her healing process.  We parted after which I
saw the top of a Pleuroploca gigantean buried in the sand.  I assumed it was
also alive but was amazed when I turned it over to find it was actually an
empty 11 inch specimen with some worm damage.  My first ever dead Horse
Conch over 6 inches! I was admiring my prize when I thought about the woman.
 After thinking about it figured I really should give the Horse Conch to her
the shell.  As I approached her I saw that her son had also found one, this
one an absolute gem and even a touch larger than the one I had found! And
this on a crowded beach! Sanibel magic at it’s best.
      On Honeymoon Island the find was a 7 inch half eaten large red
Fasciolaria tulipa (there were live ones too). We took the boat to Caladesi
Island which was truly lovely. Certainly the loveliest Strombus alatus I've
ever seen (hundreds of them), from gorgeous dark chestnut specimens through
to a spinless wonder.  My daughter insisted that we throw back all the
living specimens we came across so I literally threw back several hundred
(my poor arm).  I found both C. spurus and C. floridanus and what I think is
a fossil C. jaspideus, and thousands and thousands of Turbo castanea
including one golden one. My daughter kept helping herself to the the  Turbo
castaneas until I thought my back would break!  A few baby Pleuroploca
gigantean and the regular Busycon and Olives. It was also nice  to find a
few whole pairs of empty Macrocallista maculate (one of my favorite Bivalves
to find) and large M. nimbosa. We also threw back maybe a dozen living
members of each of these species.
    Outside of the shelling as always it was great to see the
Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum and bumping into Jose was wonderful. Sounds
like the museum will have a fantastic new display of world records that I,
unfortunately, missed. Also a chance to meet Larry Strange at his shop and
talk shells was a fantastic plus.  Honeymoon island has a nice display of
local shells including a 24 inch Horse Conch.  And just to add my 2:00 am
stomp around Bowman's Beach (Sanibel) scared up a Bobcat! Quite a plus. A
very enjoyable trip!

Doug

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