A some miles walk along the beaches of Sanibel and its
sister Captiva islands will get you a glimpse of people stopping down, looking
for amazing among the sands and occasionally picking them up, examining,
frowning and throwing them away. Sometimes, you will too get to see them
smiling cheerfully as if they have found a few treasure along the shores. If
you are latest to the islands, you may discover it all very confusing. But,
there is nothing weird regarding these activities. These public are sea shell
collectors, who have come from all over the globe to the islands to collect
some rare species. And with a small bit of guidance, you can be one of them
too. You can book a correctly organized Sanibel and Captiva
shelling tours to experience the fun.
Why is Sanibel island shelling such a delight for travelers?
The Sanibel and Captiva islands in the south west coast of
Florida is the home for a diversity of species similar to mollusks and
echinoderms. They built good-looking shells in their lifetime to serve as their
home and after their die or are eaten away, the blank shells are washed up
ashore by the tide. The shape of the islands and their orientation from east to
west instead of north-south scoops up those shells for sand combing. Shelling
is such a wonderful activity in the Sanibel islands that people from all over
the world come to experience it along with their family and friends. Moreover
the rich ecological surroundings also serve as a most important tourist
attraction.
What kind of shells are found along the coast of Sanibel
Islands?
It will be better to ask what kind of shells are not found
along the coast of Sanibel islands, because is undoubtedly the shelling
paradise. Even if you know a lot regarding shells and their inhabitants, you
are likely to be surprised with the unique species that you will discover along
the shores of Sanibel and its sister Captiva islands. However, some of the most
common kinds of shells found in the beaches have been categorized as follows:
Cockle: One of the most common kinds of shells found along
the beaches of Sanibel island are these wonderfully patterned heart shaped
shells that serve a variety of household purposes. While few are crafted into
ornaments, the big ones are used as soap dishes.
Junonia: It will be a enjoyment for you to find Junonia shells
on a casual visit to the Sanibel islands because they are quite rarely found
and if found, are covered in the local newspapers for definite. It is good-looking
with the outer shell being white with pretty brown dots over its surface. Even
the organism that lives within is dotted likewise.
Conch Shells: The conch shells are not that greatly rare, in
fact these univalves are simply found on the beaches of Sanibel islands. In
shades of faded orange, these shells are generally used for ornamental
purposes.
Lightning whelk: Unlike its sisters and brothers of the
Busycon Gastropod family unit, the lighting whelk spirals to the left instead
of right. That is how you can differentiate the lightning whelk from others.
And if you find it with an organism, do not pick it up, please. It is illegal
to pick up some shell with the organism still alive and inside.
Sand dollar: Yes, these are quite good-looking and you are
lucky if you find one that is unoccupied. The whitish, flat and textured sand
dollar shells are one of those that you can keep for show or hang in Christmas
trees. Whatever you do, just keep in mind not to pick them up when they are
still very much alive.
Tulip: The name implies that these shells look alike to the
flower in some way and yes, they do. Any shell collector would be pleased to
add these wonderfully patterned species to their collection.
Olive shells: They are glossy and normally white or
off-white in color. simple olive shaped, these shells are used for a variety of
purposes apart from being a non-functional part of your collection.
Coquinas: These butterfly shaped shells are not that simple
to find. They are generally alive when they are dug out by shell collectors.
The Coquinas are one of the some species in the Sanibel and Captiva islands
that are taken out alive to eat.
Shelling is such a prominent movement in these islands that
hotels and guests houses have special arrangement similar to sinks and wash
basins to clean the shells that you have collected in the whole day. In short,
the tourism of the place is mainly influenced by shelling activities. So if you
are preparation for a weekend trip in the Captiva and Sanibel islands, do not not
remember to bring your shelling basket along. Who knows, you may the first one
among your friends to locate a Junonia variety?
