Oh Yes The Shelling Is Wonderful

Shelling on Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island is a barrier island located off the southwest coast of Florida by Fort Myers. It has a population of 5,600 that quadruples during the winter which is prime tourist season. Sanibel Island is twelve miles long and four miles wide. Thousands of visitors flock to this island yearly to enjoy its beaches and to hunt for seashells. People come from all over the world to collect these renowned shells. Sanibel Island is considered to have the best shelling in North America. In fact, when Ponce De Leon arrived, he named this area “Costa de Carocles” which translates to Coast of Seashells.

It is not unusual to see both the young and old with buckets, bags and nets, bending down in the “Sanibel Stoop” position to carefully search for the perfect shell. Sanibel Island lies east to west and is a large plateau that acts like a shelf for seashells from the Gulf of Mexico to gather. They are “scooped up” by this shelf.

The best time to go shelling is during the winter from December through April. Shells are also easier to locate in the low tide. At this time more of the beach is exposed and it is possible to search more of the ground because the tide recedes and leaves shells at different levels along the coastline. The shells may also be found in the sandbar which is accessible during a low tide. Other optimal shelling times are in a new or full moon phase and when the weather is windy and stormy. The winds disrupt the seashells in the Gulf of Mexico, giving them a tendency to wash along the beaches.

There is a scarcity of larger shells on the island such as the big Horse Conch. This and other rare, native shells such as the Sundial, Junonia, Nutmeg, Lion’s Paw and Scotch Bonnet can be purchased in local gift shops along the island. The smaller shells can be found towards the east end of the island near the lighthouse. The larger shells are near Captiva. A good method to use is to drag your feet to avoid stumbling upon the buried shells. Also, stingrays will swim away if they are gently nudged. You want to avoid stepping on these and being stung. When finding shells, all live shells must be thrown back into the ocean.

Sanibel Island is home to over 400 varieties of seashells. Visiting this island during prime shelling time is sure to please any avid shell collector.

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