Shelling Along Florida's Coast

One hundred barrier islands hugging more than 50 miles of Southwest Florida beach shelter one of the world's top shelling areas. If avid shellers cannot journey to such spots as India, South Africa, the Philippines or Australia, then the much closer Sanibel and Captiva islands provide just as many shelling opportunities.

These islands, situated near Fort Myers, are certainly the United States' premier shelling sites - they yield more than 400 species of multi-colored seashells as common as the scallop and the clam. Sanibel Island's curved boomerang shape encourages shelling because Sanibel runs in a more east-west direction.

The shape slows down the shells and brings them onto the beach in one piece. Low tides produce the best shelling, and the winter weather stirs up shells and washes them to shore. Shelling is available year-round.

The prominence of rare shells, like tulips, olives, fragile paper fig and, the rarest of them all, the brown-speckled junonia causes residents and visitors alike to scan the shorelines with scrutiny. Some have been known to don miner's hats with lights and hit the beaches at sunrise.

Although coveted shells are waiting to be discovered, more than one local sheller will be quick to recount that there's not a huge monetary value on most of the shells visitors now uncover. Even so, veteran local collectors call the most promising and productive shell stance the "Captiva crawl" or the "Sanibel stoop" as it is the best way to move along the beach and inspect the shells simultaneously.

Although Sanibel and Captiva generally are best-known, less populated areas, like North Captiva and Cayo Costa islands, may produce starfish, conches and sand dollars. Because they are accessible by boat, an outing is recommended.

This is one of the few areas, where people, like longtime shell expert Capt. Mike Fuery (CQ), can make their livings with a shelling charter service. On his charters, Fuery walks the beaches pointing out good shell finds. While his charters are not cheap (about $200 or so for up to six persons), they are worth the experience. Reservations can be made at 941-423-4179.

Novices and those who choose not to swim can stand in water two- to three-feet deep right along the mainland's shores to experience plentiful shelling. Fuery recommends the use of a tide chart and heading for a beach at low tide, which allows more beach area on which to shell. The most productive beach sites are the points at which the waves stop as they come upon the beach. It is there that groups of shells appear and are reshuffled by each wave.

Many seashell creatures hide beneath the surface of the sand where the surf breaks. Other shells never make it over this point and can be collected by wading or snorkeling along the surf line and sifting through the numerous shells deposited by the waves. A close monitoring of the feeding of shorebirds, such as terns, might also help to locate shells.

Lee County's leaders have taken measures to protect the shells from endangerment and over-harvesting. In 1993, the area's county commission enacted a law that limited the collection of live seashells to two shells per species per day from the waters off unincorporated Lee County. The collection of dead shells, ones where the animals or mollusks have already died, is unlimited.

Shell identification brochures and material about shelling is available from most island hostelries. But, aside from a charter, the best place to learn about shells is at the Bailey Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel. Instigated by the late actor Raymond Burr, the museum thematically groups shells in ecological habitats and is a rare find in itself.

Another is the annual Sanibel Shell Fair held the first full weekend in March.

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