Sanibel Island, FL

Sanibel Island in Florida, shell capitol of the world, this is where we went on a little vacation this past week.  Sanibel beaches attract visitors from all around the world, mainly because of the large quantities of seashells. One of the reasons for the many shells is the fact that Sanibel is a barrier island which has an east-west orientation when most islands are north-south. Because of this the island has great sandy beaches and an abundance of shells.  It is also due to the fact that Sanibel is part of a large plateau that extends out into the Gulf of Mexico for miles. This plateau acts like a shelf for seashells to gather on..  Throughout the year, many people come to the beaches of Sanibel to gather up beautiful shells. People are often seen bending down as they look for seashells, and this posture is known as the "Sanibel Stoop." :D

Sisters!!! <3

We got in to Miami late Monday night and drove over to the island to spend the night. 

Early Tuesday morning we were out on the beach hunting for shells.



As mommy says, "Shell hunting is like yard saling, you have to go early to get the best deals (or shells)."

Shelling is best during the hour before and the hour after low tide.

There are soooo many shells all over the beach!

A shell's color is determind by their diet.



Many shells found on Sanibel's beaches have come from far-away Caribbean and Gulf waters, churned up and transported by strong tides and currents.

These live Fighting Conches were all over the beach at low tide.

I've never seen that many Fighting Conches in one spot and they were all alive! Pretty neat!





These are Rough Pen Shells, named so because of their likeness to a quill pen...



We went shelling Wednesday morning as well...



It is illegal to collect live shells so it is always dissapointing to think you've found a treasure and it turns out something slimy is still on board!!



I found a starfish washed up on shore and I thought it was dead. Turns out he was still alive!



The two best places to look for shells is the Surf Line or Drop Line and the Trash Line.

The Surf Line is the small lip of sand formed where waves are breaking.

The Trash Line is the high-tide line where seaweed and shells are deposited.

Shells found on the beach are the outer skeletons of mollusks, animals without backbones.

A univavle is a one piece shell and a bivalve is two shells hinged together.

Enjoying the water...



Elainah and David burying their feet in the sand.



Lillia and David

David wanted to catch a bird...it was so funny to watch him!!!

Here's a short video clip.

...a few of the shells we found...

Seashore treasures we found after two days of beachcombing!