Whether you are starting your collection or adding to your current one, make the trip past all the other astounding beaches. When you visit Sanibel Island beaches, you can find shells almost anytime if you look hard enough. Blind Pass beach also has an online rating thats almost as good as Turner beach. I would definitely do this cruise again or try the full day cruise to Northern Cayo Costa where you get four hours of shelling time (youd definitely want to pack a cooler for that one). When unsure, it is best to admire it and then leave it behind so that living animals on the beach are not disturbed. GULF ISLANDS FL So that our beaches keep pristine we have a few rules: In order to perform this action you have to login. Well, not technically. Grab a delicious beverage and curl up in a cozy spot and read about our favorite beaches. This is the beach at the farthest west end of Sanibel Island, just before the bridge to Captiva Island. Leashing your dog on Sanibel beaches in Florida also helps protect the areas wildlife. WebThe most valuable shell by most is the Junonia shell, which we have found more than any company in Southwest Florida. At $45/adult for 3-3.5 hours, thats a pretty good value. C.R.O.W. The Best Shelling Beach on Sanibel and Captiva Beaches: 2021 I booked the half day morning trip (9AM-12PM) to Southern Cayo Costa. A remarkable area with rare shells but few people. For example, if you are taking a sand dollar, make sure it is a bleach white color with no hairs. Find your Sanibel Home and Learn About Life on Our Island. 14. The parking area was easy to find and there was a crew member there to direct us to the marina and they also had a golf cart if you needed a ride (but it was a pretty close walk). Its relatively low number of visitors and rare variety of seashells make it a haven for all shellers. I found shells in Florida in April 2022. 10 Best U.S. Shelling Beaches - Travel + Leisure It stretches far into the water, which is great for fishing or taking photos even surfing when wind conditions are right. This is a Florida shell identification guide for Paradise Coast that was posted near Marco Island shelling beaches. MICHIGAN LANAI This is the Captiva Island beach thats just across from bridge from Sanibel Island. And I was very happy with the amount and kind of shells I found. Via Sanibel Arts & Crafts Fair. IDAHO Best Waterfront Places to Stay on Sanibel Island and Captiva Island 1159 Causeway BlvdSanibel Island, FL 33957, Copyright 2019 Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce | All Rights Reserved Worldwide. This post was written before Sanibel, Captiva, and parts of the surrounding area were absolutely blasted by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Her top-selling Sarasota, Sanibel Island, Up to 30,000 visitors come to Sanibel and its neighbor island Captiva each week at peak season (December to April). You can make it a multi-day Florida shelling trip by tent camping at Cayo Costa State Park! Just awesome. Its not unusual at some Florida beaches to see people bending over in shallow water in search of shells! Sanibel Island Finding seashells requires patience and effort. You can bike to this beach on the Periwinkle pathway (you can see it on the map). When it comes to seashells, remember that an open shell does not mean there is no life. The 7 Best Beaches for Shelling on Sanibel Island | Contact Us. If collectors are found taking live shells from the shore, they may be subject to a costly fine, not to mention doing so can have negative effects on the environment. Best Sanibel Island shelling beaches (so many shells!) I was wearing shorts and strap-on sandals so that helped, but if I went again I wouldve worn some kind of athletic quick drying shorts instead of denim. Shell collectors should dive since Sanibel's water clarity is not the finest, especially at the surface, where it will be difficult to spot any shells. At the easternmost tip of Sanibel Island, Lighthouse Beach is the first island beach roadblock for seashells washing ashore from southern seas, resulting in large quantities. The fishing and shelling combination makes the perfect formula for beach lovers. Although Sanibel property values for single-family homes and condos will dip in the immediate future, they ultimately will appreciate above pre-hurricane levels, Royal Shell Real Estate and Royal Shell Vacations President and Managing Partner Michael Polly told members of the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce on April 12 at Turner Beach is often considered one of the best shelling beaches on Captiva Island. For instance, what are the rules or laws in the area for taking shells? For instance, what are the rules or laws in the area for taking shells? A spectacular Sanibel Island sunset captured by Nature Study. Sanibel Island I hear the shell exhibits at the museum are fabulous! This beach is toward the middle of the island along Algiers Lane off Casa Ybel Road. FOOD Fresh seafood with a waterfront view. The larger shells tend to wash ashore more frequently as you work your way along the coast toward the west end. Blind Pass, Bowmans Beach, and Lighthouse Beach, Sanibel Island. But the area is very popular with beachgoers and shellers because the beach is close to the causeway and because it has a large parking lot and a fishing pier. This rule is strictly enforced, and if you are caught taking a live shell from the beach, you could be hit with a $500 fine. Our guide to Sanibels public beach parks includes information about: Pets are allowed on Sanibel beaches, but they must follow the rules and be leashed, and owners must clean up after them. There are so many options to help make your next beach vacation one of your best trips yet! With so many beaches to choose from, it can be difficult to know which is best for collecting seashells. After collecting your seashells, take a fun and educational trip to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum to learn more and compare your finds. Susan was exposed to real estate while young with her parent's 8 Re/MAX offices in Connecticut! Explore the map. Vote- Best Beach in the South Nominees: 2023 10Best Readers' Its not unusual at the best shelling beaches in Florida to see people walking into the water with their shelling stick! Logo and Sandalfoot are Service Marks of: Sandalfoot Employee Relief Go Fund Me Page, Website There were 20 or so people lined up waiting to get on the boat when we got back to the dock and well, you know what they say about shellingthe early bird gets the worm. BADLANDS SD Although it should go without saying that low tide is usually ideal for discovering and finding the best and largest shells, the incoming tide can also be fruitful. You may collect sand dollars but first check to make sure that the sand dollar is not alive - turn it over - there are little centipede feet up and down the backside - gently touch them with your finger to see if they move, if they do it's alive and you should gently place it back into the water. Finding fossils can also be done during the off-season, which is during the colder months because the beaches will be less crowded and there will be fewer UV rays. The crew gave us some tips about which direction to head depending on what we were looking for and I decided to head to the right since it was more common to find sand dollars down that way. Blind Pass Beach is also popular with shellers, but be aware that there are no restrooms on the Sanibel side. You may also be interested in shelling at Caladesi Island State Park. Your support really helps me keep this blog running! Sanibel beaches parking at public beaches costs $5 an hour. Bowmans Beach Park. We boarded right on time and were off pretty quickly. WHAT TO WEAR SNORKELING Located at the western end of Sanibel, Bowman's Beach is one of the premier beaches to find good For the best finds, adventurers set out at sunrise, particularly after a significant storm. WebThere is only Turner's Beach, a very small lot of the Captiva side of Blind Pass and the north parking area at the north end of Captiva Dr past the Village where the road ends several What actually wouldve helped was having one of those scooper/strainers to grab them up with instead of having to reach down (thats when I usually got wet). There are several public beaches on Sanibel Island and you can find shells at all Sanibel Island beaches. If the aperture of the shell discovered has a hardcover, then there is a creature inside. The best shelling is during the winter, at low tide, preferably after a storm. If it is brown with spikes, it is most likely alive.