The Dry Tortugas. Beachcombing, snorkeling and finding seaglass!
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- The dry tortugas is quite an adventure, and is literally an all-day event. We left Key West at 7am and returned back from the dry tortugas around 5:30pm. It's not cheap, but it was a bucket list trip and we made some awesome memories for our future selves!
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So glad you were able to collect something from this trip. I would keep ALL that glass as a momento of all your hard work 🪣
You can soak some of the sharp glass in an etching solution that will make it frosted. I’d drill holes in all first and wire them into a wooden frame made from drift wood and hang where it would catch the sun. On a porch or something. You can integrate holey shells in there as well. Love your channel forever!
Well that is a delightful idea! I still have all the glass so who knows! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Thats a cool change of pace❤Very beautiful
What a gorgeous day to go beachcombing!! I'm glad you weren't on the S.S. Minnow for that 3 hour tour. I have the utmost respect for you not taking or tucking ANY tinies or others in your bathing suit. It was another FAN-tastic day at the beach with the Fan coral, and that tiny little turtle??.... How cute was he, Shar?? Thanks for taking me along. It was so much fun! See you next Sunday, Beach Friend. ❤
I absolutely had a few shells in my bathing suit but I took them out for us all to see and I left them all there at the island. It was hard, but I got a bunch of seaglass so all is well!
@@SWFBeachLife BUT you didn't keep them!! That's what I was saying.... You are a tough act to follow, not many that go there could have had that restraint. Kudos, girlie!! Love your videos! ❤
@@janiebennett5645 🙏🏼
What a great adventure!
Sea glass, beach glass especially the green is my favorite thing to find but I don’t find very much. That trip is too expensive for my pocket book. lol. But it looks wonderful
Some people charter a private airplane to get there! 😳
I enjoyed this so much.
You are so ethical and honest and considerate❤
Yes, she is. It's very special to watch.
❤️
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19:31 found HUNDREDS of these tiny shells in the Bahamas- called Dove snails
Thank you very much for the ID help!
Yep. Brain coral. It was stunning!
Thanks!
LORI YOU ARE THE BEST! Thanks for being so good to me!
I think it’s a Dr. Pepper bottle! 24:12 thanks for sharing the trip! Your videos have helped me know where to go and what to expect. Great job on the camera work underwater!
You are way too kind! Thank you 🙏🏼
The little sea turtle is adoreable ❤great sea glass finds and those shells were great. Living the architecture that was a great view !! Wow exciting trip. Thankyou for sharing
Wonderful chance to collect frosty sea glass! Glad you took us along 💕
Love seeing that coral. So beautiful! ❤
What an amazing place. That Turtle was so adorable.
I have a former Park Ranger in my extended family, she was a temp there for 2 weeks and loved it. At her other parks, her mom would always try to sneak a stone, but she was always caught.
I would feel very foolish taking the shells and getting caught! Being a temp there for 2 weeks must have been amazing! I can imagine star gazing there would be incredible.
The unknown tiny gastropod is a dove snail. We find them all the time here in Ft. Lauderdale!
I've seen them in my book but never found one - well, one that I could keep anyway. Thank you for the ID help!
My heart squeezed to see all that bleached coral. 🥺
I know 🥲 There are people trying to replant coral so all is not lost!!
Lovely! ❤ The white gaudy nautica I believe is a Milk moonsnail 👍🏼
Thank you for the ID help!!
I loved this video! As a former Girl Scout and Girl Scout leader, there is something to be said in leaving only your footprints and taking only a picture. Of course, I love a great shell haul, but I did enjoy the "catch and release" vibe of this video. Also, it was such a gorgeous location!
It was crazy beautiful out there. Shoot, a lot of Florida and the Keys are. I need to do more exploring down there!
Loved seeing your trip. Bummer about not taking any of the shells.
You could get a tumbler to finish ‘baking’ that glass. It is lovely when all the edges are polished smooth and it has a lovely frosted patina.
I was thinking the same thing about tumbling the glass that isn't "finished" yet. ♥
I still have all the glass - maybe I will try to finish "baking" it!
What a great sea glass video!
First shell, milk moon snail, second is a dove shell. My best guesses. What a beautiful place!
You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself that it’s okay to leave the shells. 😂. Another great video, thank you!
I am! 🤣
What a great adventure!! Thank you for taking us along with you! ❤
❤
What a bummer. All those little ones were neat.
I would have grabbed all the sea glass like you did.
What an absolutely Awesome Adventure. Thanks for taking us along. The Tiny unidentifiable ones were Fun!
Loggerheads also use the surrounding area for nesting, so that's closed another time of the year.
Yep. One of the islands of the Dry Tortugas is even named Loggerhead Key. It’s the one with the lighthouse
Thank you for the additional heads up! It probably would have been perfect in the winter - maybe next time 😅
Well that was a cool trip , thanks for sharing 😊
Great trip thank you 🤩🤩🤩💖💖
Thanks for coming with me! 💜
19:30 is is maybe a dove shell…?
The last two hurricanes really destroyed so much of the coral around the fort. There are old UA-cam videos of the reefs from around 9 years ago and it was thriving back then….and looked so different.
Oh that's so sad. I would have loved to have seen more coral and critters. I hope it eventually comes back. I got your package today - thank you!!! ❤️
way cool!! Loved it!
Yes, tiger lucines! So cool
Something different and lots of fun. Next time, be sure to look for "black glass". This is from very thick, dark green glass bottles mostly made before 1880.. If you look at it on the beach, it looks like a black beach pebble, but if you hold it up to the light, it will be translucent and usually a dark olive green. Thank you for sharing.
Well this is a great little nugget of info for the future. Thank you so very much!
The story was that there used to be a crocodile in that moat and they captured it several years ago and moved it to the mainland.
I've also always wanted to explore around Bush Key but have always found it closed. I think they don't open it until late spring, when it's going to be even HOTTER!
I seriously can't imagine it being any hotter than it was when we were there. It was pretty brutal but it was beautiful, it didn't rain and I got lots of sea glass!
Hey ! Please don't apologize for one arm swimming . Your shots were fantastic! You do an excellent job of filming. Also, at the 20:35 minute mark you were holding a wental trap!!! Normally they're a creme white, but that one had some brown accent on it. It was soooo cute! And I'm a serious sea glass hunter and we believe in throwing the un baked and half baked sea glass back into the ocean to tumble to maturity. To us it's not trash, but you did what you thought was wright, so no worries. But, it sounded like you had a really nice time. God bless you! Thanks 👍 for sharing your adventure
Thanks for the shell ID help! I just can't fathom mixing bare feet with broken glass. My brain says, "nope" so I always pick up the glass down here. Thanks for understanding!
That second little tiny was a Columbella, a dove shell!
Thank you for the shell ID help!
Such a cool experience!! I especially love that adorable, perfect little Turkey Wing! And the sea glass!! 😍 so cool! I’ve only ever found one piece, and in Panama City Beach, too, of all places. Hope to find more one day, especially a gorgeous cobalt blue piece.
I hope you do find your glass! 💙
Love the dry Tortugas!
I am not happy you can't take some cool shell home but that Moat was AWSOME😊
Fantastic trip ! Beautiful views of the Coral and fish ! Thank you !!
Looks like a very cool place! So glad you got to enjoy that and take us along! So disappointing you didn’t get to take any of those adorable tinies.. the sea glass is cool though, that white is really pretty ❤
We’ve been out to Dry Tortugas but you gave us a whole different view. We mostly were exploring the fort.
My husband wanted to see the fort. I wanted to explore the surroundings 😃
Gorgeous place 😍
So jealous how clear the water was for you. We went mid-December and the water was so cloudy you couldn't see anything! The shells and coral on the floors of the fort were really cool!
And here I was thinking that winter would be great, as it wouldn't be "Africa hot" there, but I do feel so lucky the water and clouds cooperated for me!
I remember visiting that park when I was about five. I remember the boat ride seemed to take forever so I took a nap...Lol! And my dad had a doctorate in history and a masters in biology so he was telling us all about Fort Jefferson and all the marine life. It was wonderful to revisit it all. Thanks! On that vacation my dad and uncle went deep sea fishing and caught a swordfish! I still have the photo. I love those memories.
Wow what memories! Your dad must have been so informative about everything that was going on there. Lucky you!
Oh my gosh...yes. Lol! I have to say we kids got quite the education even while on vacation. @@SWFBeachLife
When I lived by Lake Michigan, I found a few keepers of sea glass. It's so pretty. I wished I had more. It was unusual since I lived on the Pacific Ocean coast. The beaches and shells are very different, and I never found sea glass.
Interesting video! And interesting place! This proves you're just a treasure hunter - doesn't matter what it is! 😂 Me too. ❤ Thanks, Sharmon, and congrats again (you know what I mean 😊)! xxoo
Thank you Ginger! I know EXACTLY what you mean! 🐚❤️
Great video! I had the privilege of taking a trip out to the Dry Tortugas way back in 1994. It was a birding trip and was actually on the Yankee Freedom. I don't know if it's the same boat, but the boat we actually "lived" on for several days was in a fishing fleet. We got to take small skiffs around the smaller islands where the birds are nesting so we got to get up close to see them! And I walked around the moat as well! Fort Jefferson was so rich in history. This video brought back wonderful memories. I'd love to be able to go again. Thank you for sharing it!
I was going on a shell tour and there was a BIG boat at the marina getting ready for an extended fishing trip. They were all going to live on the boat for a while and fish for a few days. I could "get on board" with something like that for shelling!
Ahhh! All those tiny branch coral! I want to take the Ft. Myers ferry!
Love the sound of the of the water and bubbling of the snorkeling. Cool video.
One of my favorite places I’ve visited!!
a few id's for you....a common dove snail and a milk moon snail . These are more common in the caribbean
Thank you for the ID help! I'm out of my element when I'm not on my regular beaches!
I love sea glass. Found lots in St Croix. How hard not to take shells!? Don't know if I would have done it lol. Great video. Have a great week. See you next Sunday! XOXO
VERY hard to not take the shells. But I got to hunt and come home with a bunch of seaglass!! 😌
We so to St Croix multiple times a year and sea glass hunting is one of our fav activities!
Sorry I'm late, guys! Got wrapped up in a crochet project and wanted to finish before bedtime!
What a fun day you had! Shelling (that you couldn't keep), snorkeling and sea glass collecting! Such fun!
Oh those tinies are so cute! I used to have a necklace made of the little white shark eyes! Hadn't thought of that in years!
This was a great adventure for you! I'm so glad you get to make so many wonderful memories! You are truly blessed!
So happy to see you all again! Hope you have a richly blessed week and until I see you all again, here's much love from
Rebecca, The Lost Mermaid 🌹🐚🧜🏝️
I learned that "the hunt" is what is so fun apparently. How do other people go to the beach and not go looking for things? I was so excited when I finally found something I was able to keep! I'm quite glad I didn't find anything spectacular. It might have been harder to leave then behind! ❤️
Thanks for this awesome video of your trip. I can say I prefer your voiceover videos.
Thank you!!
Key west express to key west then another boat to the tortugas 😅
Thanks for taking us along. Love the video
We visited there in 2021. It was so hard knowing i couldn't bring anything from the island but i took lots of pictures of the shells and coral i found. It is definitely somewhere i want to go back to again!! I'd love to stay overnight camping.
Can you imagine the star gazing at night?
If you go back to the lower. Keys to go snorkeling, be sure to take the snorkel boat from Bahia Honda state park. they go the Looe Key and it is a great value (costs less than $35 each last time we went!)
We try to go on it every time we visit the keys since Looe Key is. A special place to me (where we spread my father’s ashes)
I just looked up Looe Key and I want to go! Thank you for this recommendation. I was going to try John Pennekamp but if I'm there, I might as well give this place a try too. Thank you so much!
Pennekamp snorkel trip is OK but the trip to Looe key from Bahia Honda is much better IMHO
@@bobpatterson5402 Good to know! Thank you again for the tip!
Thanks for taking me back! Great trips we had out there previously! It was sad leaving shells, but snorkeling was so fun! Also took lots of pics of shells we put back! ❤ Another wonderful video, thank you!🤗
What a lovely trip! Boat ride and all! Thank goodness you didn’t find a Junonia, imagine having to leave it behind!
OMG that would have been awful 🤣🤣🤣
Awesome!
Nice change of pace. Thx for sharing!
Hi Sharmon,
Being Dutch, I had to look up Fort Jefferson. Didn't know of its existence.
But what a wonderful place! 😍
I can totally understand that you were tempted to take some shells and coral. Who would know? But I'm proud of you that you left it on the beach. It must have been hard.
(But I do wonder why it is prohibited. There are so many shells on that beach. Which will go into shreds and later dust. Why isn't it allowed? I'm genuinely asking)
Thank goodness you could have your "fix" by collecting seaglass. And you found some great pieces!💚🤍
When I see underwater snorkelling footage, it always makes me try to catch my breath. I've tried snorkelling myself a few times, and being asthmatic, it wasn't a great success with that tube in my mouth. Maybe a full facemask would be better. But I also wear glasses and my eyesight is really bad. So it isn't an option for me.
But I loved seeing you film all the fish and the different types of coral. Gods' creations are gorgeous. ❤
And I can't wait to see your next video!
That particular piece of beach is one of my favourite ones! So I can't wait to see what you've found.
My love, I hope you have a wonderful week, filled with joy, warmth, and beautiful finds!
Sending you lots of love and a big hug, xoxo ❤, Ilona
I guess the National Parks want to maintain their current condition as close as possible, so keeping all the rocks and sticks and shells in the park for everyone to enjoy makes sense. I know some other countries also do not allow you to remove shells from their islands.
I had to use the snorkeling equipment they gave us but I now know there is a HUGE difference in good equipment and the junk. I've clearly been using junk my whole life - LOL!
The winter hasn't been giving me the shells I expected and it just goes to show I never know what's going to be out there. I hope you are well and have more good days than bad! ❤️
I hope you had an opportunity to snorkel Key West, beautiful stuff in the waters there..👍❤️
I did not! I did check out one of the beaches on a different trip, but there wasn't much to see. I am going to look into a snorkeling trip though!
So excited for you!
Goodness, you did good! I don’t want to go if I can’t pickup shells!🤪
I knew that going into it but the hubby wanted to go. At least I still got to look for shells!
@@SWFBeachLife heading to SC for a week to beachcomb in the cold! Wish me luck!🤪
@@cindyrowland5030 Get some helmets for me!
So beautiful, put a black light on the green sea glass looks like some of it may glow
If it glows does that mean something specific about the glass, age or source or collectability etc?
@@LeonaLinscott-cy6dz could be what the call Uranium Glass it is so cool
@@carriewestvasil Very cool! Thanks for the info.
Ohhhhh, pretty.
I lost my UV light! I just had it a few weeks ago. I'll find it and check the glass out.
That is so cool! I love how you care so deeply for your surroundings! Do you use the glass for anything?
I do not use the glass for anything currently. I still have the 3 little piles. I am still deciding what to do with it. The fully cooked glass I'll likely add to my sea glass collection but the other stuff I'm not sure yet.
Ha! My initials are PEP... and the tty looks like the Betty Crocker tty 🙌
Woo hoo Marco special spot!!
I’m really enjoying this I can’t swim and I have always wanted to learn how so I could snorkel. But I’m unable to do anything with my heart condition I pass out a lot. I miss the beach and your videos help me when I get missing it. I learn about seashells I have never seen before. When I was able to go to the beach I went to Myrtle Beach because my husband is handicapped and it is closer to us. I’m hoping that I will get to go back but it is not looking like I’ll ever get to see the beach again. 😢 I love the beach so much my bedroom is decorated in a beach themed.
I'm glad you're able to at least come to the beach with me through UA-cam!
I live in Ontario, Canada and I decorated my whole apartment with a beachy, shelly, south Florida theme.
Cool, Thank you
I am happy you are having a good time and sharing. Regarding the white coral I was to understand that the white coral is coral that is dying. I could be wrong so please let me know. Snorkel on.
Some coral is white, so that coral we saw wasn't "bleached."
Thanks ..❤always love ur videos
My pleasure 😊
BEAUTIFUL ..I LOL WHEN YOU SAID YOU HAD A 3 HR TRIP..I WAS THINKING ..A 3 HR TOUR.. SONG FROM GILLIGAN ISLAND ..TV SHOW..😂NOT YELLING EASYER FOR ME TO SEE ON MY 📱
LOL! Every boat ride I take that is 3 hours I think the same thing!
The sea turtle hospital was my favorite trip ever !!! To be able to “ adopt “ a turtle makes me feel so good 😃😃😃
My father in the early 70s used to man a Navy radio site on that location. They few him out in helicopters. I think when dignitaries would visit.
That is so cool!!! And a way quicker trip by helicopter I would imagine. The boat is nice, but the ride is LONG!
I went to a national park when I was very young and i knew I couldn't keep anything but for some reason i decided to sneak home a common pinecone. I felt so guilty i hid it in my room for years!
LOL! You rebel! I'm quite sure the park was fine minus one pinecone. I get it though. If everyone took home shells there would be nothing there for anyone else to enjoy.
@@SWFBeachLife It's literally the only thing I've ever "stolen," in my life! No idea what came over me.
@@Snowfallspink123 😂
So excited to see this. Will be there mid February for my first time. What kind of camera did you use? Thank you for sharing!
I record in 4K with my iPhone 😃
Padre Island National Seashore allows each person to take 1 gallon of uninhabited seashells and sea beans.
Well look at that! I thought for sure you don' have your info correct but you are right! Anyone else that would like info can find it here: www.nps.gov/pais/faqs.htm
❤😊
Love your videos. We’re coming to Marco April 27th. Would you give me the names of shelling tour operators that you have confidence in? This is my present to myself for my April 5th retirement. Thank you and keep up your great videos.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Ali from SWFL Shell Guide: www.swflshellguide.com
I go out with her often - she's the best! Happy Early Retirement to you!
All those tiny shells are common in Cuba
Love all your videos. Trying to plan trip to SWFL & go on a shelling tour. Are you scheduled to be a guide on SWFL SHELLING TOUR. Your Patreon, Shelli
Hi Shelli!! I do not have any tours scheduled right now - I'm so sorry! But I do hop on the tours of SWFL Shell Guide all the time. www.swflshellguide.com
You never know when I'm going to pop on a boat!
Hi Shelli!!! Thank you, thank you!! I do not have any guided tours scheduled right now. I'm so sorry! But that being said, I do pop on her tours all the time.
www.swflshellguide.com
I just found your channel recently, and I was wondering what do you do with all the shells you find and keep? Do you just keep collecting them? Do you give them away? Just curious, because I notice that you do collect a lot of them
I get that question a lot - understandably, so I made a whole video about my collection: ua-cam.com/video/GZQVCKCJQZk/v-deo.html
You are in 100+ I am in -27 Fahrenheit…yes that is correct!!!
That's not right. Not even a little bit 😳 Stay warm beach friend!
Sure looked like a Tiger Lucine!
Nice video
Thanks!
I think those are milk moon snails
Someone else said that too - thanks for the ID help!
Just found your channel and loving it! BUT, can I ask what is making your hands so glowy?! Is it a sunscreen? If so, I must know which one it is 🤣
I am all oily from sunscreen! I don't use anything special - just whatever is reef safe above 50 SPF 😌
What was wrong with the baby turtle that it had to be taken to the rehab place?
The captain thought it best to have it checked out for dehydration.
I know this was posted recently but when did you go. You mentioned it was a 100°. Was it 100° + in January 2024?
I visited July 2023. At one point during our visit, the ocean water got up to 105 😳
Is collecting shells rule for just there
Yes, just in the National Park. You can collect as many empty Florida seashells as you'd like!
I am surprised there is so much beach glass at a national park. What are they hiding????
I'll have to ask my brother. He's the conspiracy guy in the family 😃
Hi Sharmon. Thanks for sharing your fun trip with us. Have you ever snorkeled in Hawaii? Some very colorful coral and fish there too. My favorite of tonight's video was the baby turtle. He was so stinking cute! Have yourself a great week.
I have never been to Hawaii, but if I go I'll see all the good shelling areas for sure!
What month was this.
July 2023.