Sanibel Island Shelling Center
SANIBEL & CAPTIVA - THE SHELLACIOUS ISLANDS
What
you need to know about Florida seashells on Sanibel
and Captiva Islands
The Sanibel "Stoop"
Sanibel
and Captiva have earned their reputation as the
Shell Islands honestly. They are actually made
out of shells, like some magnificent work of
shell art created over thousands of years. When
islanders dig gardens in their backyards, they
find conchs, whelks, scallops and clam shells
often perfectly intact.
 The
best
shelling, of course, is found on the beaches
of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The islands rank
tops in the world for their shelling because of
geography. Sanibel does the twist as it parades
along the coastline among a string of other more
orderly, straight-and-narrow islands. The
east-west torque of Sanibel's south end acts
like a shovel scooping up all the sea shells
that the Gulf imports from Caribbean and other
southern seas. The abundance and variety of
shells have made Sanibel and Captiva Islands
shell -obsessed. People come from all over the
world, drawn by the song of the seashell. They
parade along the sands doubled over in a stance
that's been dubbed the Sanibel Stoop. Every
March, they gather to compare and appreciate
shell collections and shell art at the annual
Sanibel Shell Fair & Show. Throughout the year,
shell shops sell seashells by the seashore (and
by the thousands). Shells are the dominant motif
in island decor and boutique gifts. You'll find
everything from finely crafted "shell igrams" to
lucite toilet seats with seashells lacquered in.
(No home should be without one!)
Learn more about Seashell Ecology and
Seashell preservation in our
Guide to Florida Seashells.
Where to Shell
All of the Gulf-side
shelling beaches from the Lighthouse
to North Captiva
When to Shell
At low tide when the seashells are more exposed,
especially at low spring tides (at full and new
moons) and after Gulf storms have driven the
shells up the Gulf onto our
shelling beaches.
How to Shell
Bring bucket or net bag and scoop. Wear shoes
and shuffle to expose partially hidden mollusks
and to scare away rays. Stingrays are easily
frightened and rarely sting "shellers" if they
follow the simple "shuffle rule."
What to Expect
Shells of many types and sizes are found on our
shelling beaches. As a general rule the
smaller seashells are found on the
Lighthouse end of the island chain
and the larger ones nearer Captiva and North
Captiva. Conch, Junonia, Lightning Whelk,
Cockle, Scallops, Murex, Tulip, Olive, Coquina,
are among the species you may expect to find.
Shelling Tips
It is illegal to take live shells on Sanibel and
Captiva. Respect the privacy of non-public
shelling beaches. Use your scoop to
dredge deeper sections and drop-offs.
Shelling Links
There are
many sources of shelling information on the web,
but we list several of the better websites. Note
that because these links take you off of our
website we have instructed your browser to open
them up in a new "window". Just close that
window to return to this page.
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