And Another Six Months Later . . .

Rather than trying to play catch-up as I've been doing, I'm just going to share my latest trip to Sanibel Island, on the Gulf side of Florida. Sanibel is one of the top shelling places in the US; the best time to go is after a storm that is blowing NW, in the winter. When it's low tide at sunrise. No problem, right?! Hahaha. I arrived on the island at lunchtime on Sunday, the 5th, and left Tues. morning after a visit to Ft. Myers Beach. Sanibel Island is reached by a causeway that begins at Ft. Myers.

After having lunch at the Blue Giraffe, I found Algiers Beach, which I hadn't been to before in my past three visits . . . the shells were already well picked over by then.  :(

Sunrise at Sanibel Lighthouse Beach Monday (a week ago) morning . . .

Even though I got to the beach right before sunrise, there were already a handful of shell seekers scouring the shoreline. But I managed to find a few nice shells! Below, L to R: Apple Murex and a Pear Whelk.

L to R: Sunray Venus, Lace Murex, and a Florida Fighting Conch . . .

A Banded Tulip! I have a few of these but they're still an exciting find to me . . . especially the orange ones. The gray ones are easier to find, and not as pretty.

L to R: A small common nutmeg and a chestnut turban. I have a few of both.

My first full-size Colorful Moonsnail (top); I found two that day. Bottom: A piece of finger coral.

Sanibel Lighthouse Beach

The orchid hanging outside my hotel room . . .

Back home, a couple days ago, I cleaned most the shells I'd found . . . here's the two moonsnails . . .

And half of the shells I'd found in all . . . including sand dollars from Ft. Myers Beach.