Things You'll Need:
- Something to put your shells in. A mesh bag (like a laundry bag) is probably best, but anything that will hold the shells while leaving your hands free will do.
- Your hands. Tools might help a little, but you can get a lot just with your hands.
- Patience. Sure the shells on Sanibel are so plentiful you can just scoop up a handful and be done with it. But if you are looking for that perfect specimen, you're going to have to look for it.
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Step 1
Get to Sanibel. Whether you fly into the Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) or just drive across the causeway from Fort Myers, you need to get there one way or another.
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Step 2
Go at low tide. Full and new moons bring the lowest tides. Get a tide schedule in the local paper or at the Sanibel Chamber of Commerce (2nd driveway after you come across the causeway).
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Step 3
Go early in the morning. The waves don't quit bringing shells in at night but most people aren't shelling in the wee hours, so you never know what the day's first light will find on the beach.
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Step 4
Go in the off-season. Less people picking over the shells on the beach means more for you. But don't worry, there are plenty to go around regardless of when you visit.
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Step 5
Storms can bring more shells to the shore.Go after a storm. The waves churn up the bottom and can bring bigger shells in closer.
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Step 6
Pay attention to the sea bottom just off shore. There's usually a sand bar not too far out. In some places there may be two or more. The troughs between the sandbars tend to collect shells. The sandbars themselves are usually pretty sandy (less shells) but might be shallow enough that you can just walk along them and spot anything that might be resting there (if the water is clear enough).
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Step 7
These shells were all collected in a couple of hours in a small area around an underwater obstruction.Look for underwater obstructions. The best shells we ever found were all around an abandoned crab trap that was partially buried in the sand just beyond the sand bar. The wooden frame of the trap had stopped the larger shells from washing in further, so we just kept picking up one big shell after another.
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Step 8
Use your sense of touch. You can sit in shallow water a foot or two deep and just feel around. If you walk over a rough patch where you can feel shells under your feet, bend down and feel around with your hands. Bivalves (clams, scallops, etc.) will be mostly rounded and smooth. Anything pointy is bound to be interesting - whether it's a lightning whelk, a Florida fighting conch, a banded tulip or a junonia.
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Step 9
Get a snorkel and a mask. If the water is clear enough, spending some time floating in the shallow water (close enough to reach the bottom from the surface) can get you some great finds.
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Step 10
Go to one of the many shell shops on the island. If all else fails, or if the steps above are just more than you want to do, there are a bunch of great shell shops on the island (mostly on Periwinkle Way) that will be happy to sell you whatever you're looking for. But trust me, finding them yourself is way more fun (and cheaper)!
