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Where to Play |
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Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Shelling and
Seashells
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Seashell Ecology
Seashells
come in two major varieties. The gastropod has a
single shell and includes such species as conchs and
whelks. Bivalves, such as clams, cockles and
scallops, live within two hinged shells. The empty
seashells you find layered on the beach once were
home to soft-tissued animals called mollusks.
Mollusks build their shells by secreting a liquid
that eventually hardens around them. As the animals
grow, their shells grow with them. Special glands
create color pigments just before new layers of
shell harden.
Shells and their inhabitants play an important role
in Sanibel and Captiva islands ecology. They help
keep our sand neatly in place and restock it with
more as they're crushed by waves and other forces.
They provide food for birds and fish. The scavenging
and filtering performed by certain mollusks help
cleanse Gulf waters. |
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Florida Seashell Preservation
Because
seashells are important to the islands' chain of
life, and because Sanibel and Captiva are refuge
islands where all life is considered precious, the
State of Florida has outlawed the collecting of live
shells on the island. "Live shell" is defined as any
specimen containing an inhabitant, whether or not
the mollusk seems alive. The law also protects sand
dollars, starfish and sea urchins. All shelling is
prohibited in J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife
Refuge.
Shellers are urged to limit even their empty-shell
collection. Hauling away seashells by the bucketful
diminishes supplies and the value of a single shell.
For, as Anne Morrow Lindbergh in Gift From the Sea
wrote while visiting these islands, "One cannot
collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One
can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful
if they are few." |
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Conch Shells
Of the extensive conch family,
fighting conchs are those most commonly
found on Sanibel and Captiva
shelling beaches. Ironically,
contrary to its macho name, the fighting
conch is one of the few vegetarian
univalves. While alive, the seashell
flames brilliant orange, but fades under
tropical sunshine. It is a shrunken
version of the queen conch, which once
was fished in Florida for its meat.
Conch harvesting is now illegal in the
state. |
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Junonia Shells
The islands' most coveted seashell, it
belongs to the volute family. Its milky
chamber is covered with brown spots on
the outside, and the animal that
occupies the shell is likewise marked. Shellers who find a junonia on Sanibel
or Captiva get their pictures in the
local newspaper. |
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Lightning Whelk Shells
Unlike its cousin whelks, the lightning
variety is usually "left-handed." Thus,
its name: Busycon contrarium. It
lays its miniature shell eggs in papery
egg case streamers that wash up on the
beach. Lightning whelks grow up to 16
inches long and were used by early
island natives for tools. |
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Cockle Shells
The heart cockle is one the islands'
most common shells, though a rarity in
other parts of the world. The cockle
mollusk is a footed creature that can
jump several inches in a single leap.
Islanders often use its accommodatingly
large cockleshell for soap dishes. |
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Tulip Shells
Banded tulips and their larger, rarer
cousins, true tulips, frequently wash up
on island shores to the delight of
collectors who revel in their intriguing
patterns and delicately swirling form. |
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Sand dollar Shells
Technically classified as an echinoderm,
not a mollusk, its life is nonetheless
protected on Sanibel and Captiva. While
alive, the thin, flat sand dollar is
brown and bristled with tiny tubes that
permit it to breath, move and camouflage
itself. Unoccupied seashells bleach to a
beautifully white textured pattern,
perfect for hanging on Christmas tree
boughs with red satin ribbon. |
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Olive Shells
Named for its elongated oval shape,
the olive comes in a variety of colors
and variations, and often sports a
glossy finish. By the time it reaches
island beaches, it has usually been
sun-bleached white, however. Olives
seashells rarely grow beyond three
inches long |
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Coquinas Shells
The beach's most well-attired clams,
they dress in colorful stripes, solids,
and even plaids. Opened and flattened,
they look like tiny butterflies. Old
islanders used to dig them up at the
water's edge to boil for broth. Because
they are a food shellfish, coquinas are
one of few shells that can be collected
live on Sanibel and Captiva. They burrow
into shallow sand at the water's edge.
When exposed by a wave, they wriggle
back into dampness. If you've planted
your feet where they've washed up, you
get the sensation of a foot massage as
they burrow beneath you. |
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