Shelling the barrier islands of Ft. Myers Florida 

Landing the big ones along the North Captiva
and Cayo Costa island seashores

by Deborah Burst

Sitting in the sand, I take a break from skinned knees and sand-soaked elbows as the early morning sun warms my back from the swirling north winds. Since sunup, I have challenged the elements trying to get a seashell’s view of the world, my camera just inches from the ground, focused on thousands of shells casting blinding shards of light. I close my eyes and can still see them, waves of seashells, six inches high, piled on the glowing sand of Captiva Island, one of the most premier shelling destinations in the world.

Worshipped since ancient times, shells are considered exotic treasures, and for some early cultures, a means of currency. On nearby Sanibel Island, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum chronicles the history of seashells around the world in vibrant exhibits that appeal to all ages. If you can’t make it to Sanibel Island, visit their Website, guaranteed to deliver a good dose of shelling fever.

In planning your next shelling expedition, look for a bowed, protruding land mass or a barrier island, preferably one that is undeveloped, it provides a drop-off for shells before they roll on a crowded beach. Talk to a local park ranger or nature guide with knowledge of the area and who can suggest prime shelling spots. Study the tide charts and time your outing one hour before low tide and work the beaches until a good hour after the tide has reached its lowest point. Remember to take time to explore beyond the beaches.

Seashells are the remains of a cold-blooded animal called a mollusk, a soft bodied creature that builds its protective shell until it dies. Some Florida counties and state parks limit the number or prohibit the collection of live shellfish. Many naturalists and shelling experts like Captiva Island’s shelling charter captain, Mike Fuery, discourage live collections. It takes 10 to 12 years for mollusks to mature and with the help of experts you can learn how to harness your fair share of these priceless gifts.

Just as the sun begins to creep over the horizon, my husband and I head to Cayo Costa State Park aboard Captiva Island shelling charter captain Mike Fuery’s boat. Brisk frontal winds bring in choppy waves, and Mike explains how storms, cool fronts and even the red tides can deliver a fresh batch of shells.

“We’re okay, it’s only a couple of white caps,” he says, hand cupped over the bill of his cap, shading the glare, surveying the sky and water. “We have people who can’t wait for these storms, some couples come down from up north right after Hurricanes.”

We pass remote islands dotted with beautiful homes crowned with solar panels and make our way to Cayo Costa. As we walk through a shrouded trail of mangroves, a blue sky breaks through and streaks of light bounce across a creamy white beach laced with swaying palms and caramel-colored sea oats. With no one in sight and our shelling expert at our side, we find palm-sized sand dollars, sunray venus and fighting conchs. Mike explains that the absence of offshore reefs allows the shells to slowly roll onto the beach in one piece.

Shelling owns no season, and what better time to scour the empty beaches than a breezy day after a winter or springtime front. The rolling waves wash in the jeweled beauties along with some active wildlife. Sandpipers, herons and sand crabs chase the tasty morsels swept in from the open sea.

We head back to the beach for that parting shot of the sunset. Sanibel and Captiva Islands offer the romance of a European vacation and the raw beauty of an uncharted island. It’s a photographer’s paradise and the perfect couples or family getaway.

Shadow Box

Within the mollusk family there are three classifications. Gastropods, the largest class, are univalve shells such as the augers, conchs, olives, tulips, lightning whelks and periwinkles. The Pelecypods, bivalve mollusks with two shells held together by an elastic ligament, include clams, cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops, angel wings and pen shells. And the Scaphopods, the smallest group with only 1,000 species worldwide are shaped like an elephant’s tusk and open at both ends.

After a day of treasure hunting, take the driving tour down Wildlife Drive inside the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, known for its birding and abundant wildlife. December through March is the optimum birding season and during low tide birds feed on the exposed mud flats.

Premier spots for shelling

Captiva Island

Sanibel Island

Cayo Costa State Park (north of Captiva Island)

Bowman Beach on Sanibel Island

Before you go…

Lee County Visitor Convention Bureau, www.fortmyers-sanibel.com 

Florida State Parks, www.floridastateparks.org, 850-245-2157

J.N. Ding Darling NWR, www.fws.gov/dingdarling, 239-472-1100

Sanibel Sea School, www.sanibelseaschool.org , 239-472-8585

Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, www.shellmuseum.org , 1-888-679-6450

Mike Fuery Tours, 239-466-3649

Cleaning shells,  www.goflorida.about.com/od/beaches/a/shells_cleaning.htm

Decorating ideas, www.goflorida.about.com/od/allaboutflorida/ss/shells_decor.htm

Accommodations

Tween Waters Resort/Captiva Island, www.tween-waters.com, 800-223-5865