We like to shell City Park beach or also known as Algiers since you turn on Algiers to get to it. We stay on Sanibel 2 1/2 months each winter and some winters when we have lots of storms the shelling is great. Several Junonias were found last year. I have never found much in the summer. Shelling is also good around the lighthouse--particularly wentletraps in the "coffee grounds" drift. There might be good shelling this summer since so many shells washed up and you can't take the live ones so a lot of the dead ones are still there. I'll give my phone number on Sanibel in December and if anyone goes to Sanibel between Dec 30 and Mar 10 can possibly have info as to where shells are being found. Several of my friends are shellers. Also Blind Pass is a good place to shell. I under- stand the pass is almost closed up. Before we left in March you could walk from Sanibel I to Captiva I. and not have to be so aware of the current. Also on Sanibel be sure and stop in at Ed Handley's Neptune Treasures and Bev and Al Dynsers Showcase of Shells. There is also She Sells Seashells but they do not carry very many specimen shells. Thie winter the shells would wash up and then be covered with sand. You could walk the beach and tell from the odor of decaying shells where would be a good place to shell after the next uncovering of shells. Shelling on Sanibel is an experience in itself. Lots of shellers will go along the beach "throwing" back live shells. A gentleman told me one day that he could not collect shells for throwing back the live ones. I explained to him that he was hurting the shell when he threw it back and he was so sorry. But another lady got angry and said the shell was better off in the water than on the beach. I kinda kept my mouth shut after that. Another sheller told my friend you are a "shell cruncher. He said " what's that?" Well she explained that it is one who wears their shoes on the beach and should go bearfoot so as not to crunch the shells. She also stated that she had seen many rare shells crushed by shell crunchers. I was taking a photo of a horse conch with the animal out at the tide line. I threw a few other shells in the surf so they would wash up and make a natural setting--one was a beautiful little (dead ) orange horseconch. This lady approached and tried to take the live horse conch back in the water. I told her--I am taking a photo of this shell. Then she started touching the operculum trying to make the animal go back in the shell. So I explain that I want this slide of this animal out. Then here comes a little old man and says pardon me and while I am bent over taking the photo picks up the little orange horseconch. I could tell many other stories but you are probably tired of reading this one. Later. Just remember shelling on Sanibel is an experience. Any other questions feel free to E-Mail me [log in to unmask] Ardeth Hardin, Carrollton, Tx On Tue, 18 Aug 1998 22:23:26 -0400 mark <[log in to unmask]> writes: >When in sanibel, stop in at larry stranges on fitzhugh st, you won't >be >sorry ......Mark & Peta Bethke >Hollywood, Florida >-----Original Message----- >From: Sarah R. Watson <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1998 9:09 PM >Subject: Re: Specifically, where to shell in Sanibel/Captiva? > > >> My Favorite guides for shells of that region are: "The Peterson >Field >>Guide to Shells of the East Coast, Gulf Coast and the West Indies" >>Collectable Florida Seashells by Abbott ( a simple but good one) and >>Florida's Fabulous Seashells by Pete Carmichael. The latter one has >fantastic >>pictures of shells and other invertabrates ( and few fish) in it. >The one >I >>use the most is the peterson guide. >> >>My favorite place to shell in that region is the state park on North >Captiva >>Island. This island is inhabited on the north side. Another good >place >around >>Pine Island Sound is Caya Costa which is uninhabited and rarely >visited. >>Many shelling trips take you there or North Captiva. >> >>On Sanibel the best place that I know of ( I can't believe I am >sharing >this >>info) is >>on the Bowman Beach stretch about a mile past the Snook motel. Its >smack in >>the middle of the island and everytime I have gone there I have come >back >>with incredible shells. The Beach is pretty narrow in there ( at >least it >is >>in December I don't know what the beach migration patterns for the >rest of >the >>year) Pretty much anywhere in the middle of the island is a great >shelling >>place. You just have to walk and search. You can walk down there from >the >>Bowman public beach but its about 2 miles. Some rare shells that can >be >found >>on Sanibel is the Famous Junonia ( Scaphella junonia) other Scaphella >volutes, >>Lion paws (Lyropecten nodosus ) and Golden Olives ( Oliva citrine) >Last >>year I found one half to the Lyropecten in the masses of rubble on >the >>stretch of Bowman. The best time is at the crack of dawn, low tide >after a >>good storm from the northwest ( the usual shelling conditions) >>Another good place is Blind pass on the Captiva side. That is where >the >>islands seperate. There are tons and tons of huge piles of shells, >most are >in >>good condition you just have to sift through it. My favorite time to >go >there >>is sunset. You could probably dock just off shore where the water is >about >3 >>ft deep. By the way you will find wearing shoes on the beach on >Sanibel >>very helpful >> I hope this helps you out. I wish I were going, but my plane ticket >is on >>Christmas Day. Have a blast. >> >>Sarah >> >>http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Tidepool/8845 >> > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]