Wow... Listening to the waves takes me back to my younger years. I would go with my grandmother and her friends from early 70s.That was my all time favorite vacation for many reasons.. We shared the love of shelling on Sanibel & Captive for 21 yrs Its unfortunately been many years since I've done the Sanibel stoop. I was paralyzed in a wreck 24 yrs ago, but I do hold out hope that one day Ill have a way to stroll those beautiful beaches. Till then, Ill enjoy your videos. Thank You!!! Oh yes... As to Blind Pass... I remember way back to when sand Closed off the water under the bridge. Considering we also fished there we sure were happy when they dredged it. Happy Shelling!!!!
Depending on how adventurous you are, you can rent a motorized wheelchair for the beach! Fort Myers Beach is a very hard packed beach and I have absolutely seen people in their chairs out there. Probably not in Sanibel or Captiva - the sand is too deep and soft but there are options if you're up to it. I wish I could have seen Sanibel back in the early 70's. I've heard stories about the amazing piles of shells that would pile up. Now there are so many shellers on the beach I'm not sure how long a pile would last 🤗 Thank you for coming along with me on my beach walk!
@@SWFBeachLife I'd love to do that. I'll have to check into it. I've rented the big balloon tire chairs..but I'm at someone's mercy to push..... I'd like the independence. Thanks for the info 😊
LOVE that leopard crab wish you got it to walk show itself off it's personality....... FAVORITE FIND piece of CORAL, nice SAND DOLLAR & GIANT CLAM SHELLS🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚 Really relaxing walk.....pretty! Thanks........ALWAYS look forward to SUNDAY BEACH SHELL HUNT with YOU🐚🦀🐳🐟🐬🐚🐚🐚🐚😄😍😘
@@SWFBeachLife Yep I never found a sharkeye when i first went to the beach i found a small snail, broken clams some pieces of tiny shells, and more clams
Definitely need a cart, there was soooo much to bring home. I think I would have collected every shell on the beach. Looked so peaceful as well. Stay safe x
This is what I call "Oh, God o'clock, Sharmon. I'm not even sure that shelling would get me up. Brave woman are you! Thought I'd check in. Still in a holding pattern here. Testing next Friday, surgeon's office visit a week later. Surgery should follow shortly thereafter. I'm at the point where I just want to be done with it. So I decided to spend some time with you to take my mind off it all. I am saving my new shell books for my quiet time that I know will be imposed upon me. They are amazing! If I can't get to the beach, at least I can study about shells. I just LOVE the calico scallops! Like people, all the same, all different and all so beautiful! The colors are so pretty and I really like the black ones! They are so richly colored! In my dearest dreams, I win some of your shells and there are lots of bay scallops and calico scallops. When I lived on Santa Rosa Island, you could almost always see people wading around in the shallows of the Sound or in Pensacola Bay. They'd have a little boat-shaped wading pool or even a galvanized metal tub floating alongside them, tethered to their waist by a line. (That's a rope, for you landlubbers!) 😊 These folks were feeling with their bare feet for live calico or bay scallops. I don't know if they were planning to eat them or if they were going to sell them. I never thought to ask. Perhaps, with pollution a growing problem, this type of "fishing" is not practiced any more or if you've seen it down there in SW FL. I guess it's just part of living beside the door of the sea. Interesting? That pinkish, peachy Florida Fighting Conch is simply gorgeous! I don't think there's such a thing as a bad shelling day. I can honestly say that because I was out at the beach in 1986 when Hurricane Juan (a rained-out storm with nothing but strong wind) came ashore at Pensacola Beach. At one point, I was literally crawling and dragging my shell bag, but I found some great shells! I only stayed out for about an hour before taking shelter behind a bath building to examine my shells. I sat there for a while until the eye came over, then I went on home. (We island dwellers didn't have to evacuate because the storm made landfall completely dry). "Just a lot of blow," one old-timer said. This was a great morning beach walk! So many interesting things to see! It was a shame about the sea star. Hope that calico crab wasn't on some bird's menu for lunch! Thanks so much for taking me along, Sharmon. I'll see you on Sunday! Keep on shelling!
Some of the most memorable shelling I've done is after big storms. It's unbelievable what can get kicked up onto the beach. That being said, I'm a little bit of a chicken too - or maybe I have a really strong sense of self preservation 😅 I saw the most incredible scallops after one of the storms that blew through here. I had never seen them alive. Oh the fun things we can discover at the beach. A wonderful place to visit when you want to take your mind off "things." I hope your waiting goes quickly 🙏🏼
Beautiful morning, beach and shells. Wowsers, I would LOVE to live down there in FL. I'm looking to get out of CA! No worries, my husband & I would fit right in! Love the beaches ⛱️ Thanks for taking us along, Sharmon 😎
I always look forward for my Sunday evening video, I wait for when it’s time to go to bed to watch it it’s the last thing I see before I close my eyes thank you for another wonderful video until next time and you as well have a great week.😴🐚🐚🐚
I used to have a show I really looked forward to watching on Sunday evenings. It was a bummer the weekend was over, but I liked that there was still something to look forward to. I like that I'm sort of giving people a reason to look forward to Sunday evenings too now 🤗 I hope you have a great week too!
Hi my beach friend, What a beautiful shells! Especially that sharp ribbed drill shell. Beautiful and cute at the same time. 😍 And all the colors of the Calico scallops continue to amaze me. Can totally understand that you didn't want to leave the beach, it's so gorgeous out there. Hope you have a wonderful week! Big hug and lots of love, xoxo ❤Ilona
Hi Beach Friend! Sanibel has the best scallops in the area for sure. I'm getting excited about the winter coming because that means...more shells! I hope you have a wonderful week too! 🐚❤️
@@SWFBeachLife Hi Sharmon, Yay, bring on the shells!!🤩 Today (11/11) is my birthday, but it's not a really happy one. Yesterday I heard that I'm severely ill. Next step is to talk about the type of treatment I will get. Thank God it isn't cancer, but it's still not good at all. The last few weeks were stressful, waiting for the tests and the test result. Your video's really were my escape to my favourite place: the beach and the sea. And almost feeling the warmth and sunshine. Every Sunday I'm looking forward to your video of beach goodness. Thank you for making this video's from the bottom of my heart! ❤
@@ilonamollema6467 You got this. You have such a kind soul and I look forward to reading your comments every week. I want to wish you a happy birthday, as well as send you peace and strength. I have a lot more videos to make, so you have a lot more comments to leave! ❤❤❤
Another great walk. I really appreciate how you are able to bring us along and the descriptions of the shells are amazing. I so wish I could get down in January or February and maybe bring my daughter down with me. We have such fun together. And my other wish is to hire you for a day or two. I think you make it so interesting. Thanks again for a wonderful time.🥰🌟
Oh the shells are definitely starting to come back! I found a few alphabet cones today - I can't wait to share that video! The shelling in January and February is pretty great so it would be an awesome time to come and visit!
I love your videos so much. It’s so peaceful and relaxing to watch. I bought a Drill press yesterday. So it will make it easier to drill holes in the shells I find for wind chime I make. Thanks so much for a wonderful walk on the beach. ❤️❤️❤️
Make sure you wear a mask when you drill! You don't want to be breathing in shell dust 😅Some of the shells make the most beautiful tinkling sound. Good luck with your project!
Thank you so much, I just found your channel! My family and I are from Wisconsin and we visited Sanibel for the first time in June 2021 and we fell in love. We found many shells and I have learned so much from your videos about identifying them. Keep up the awesome work!
I'm so happy you found my channel! And I hope after some time you'll be able to identify all the shells you found down here. There's so much to appreciate and learn from! Thanks so much for watching!
Just left Sanibel. We stayed on the lighthouse end. Tons of live cockles, sea urchins, scallops, and starfish on the beach. Found some lovely shells that were unoccupied though. ☺️ I’m partial to the littles; I keep them in a jar on my desk.
Thank you so much for your jewelrybox❣️ I thought that shark eye was fantastic and thank you for telling the difference between the bay scallops and the calico scallops, really nice find you had to day 🤗👍🏻
It was so hard to leave the beach! The weather was perfect, there were fun things to check out but winter is coming and that means even more shells! 🐚 Thank you for coming along with me!
Thank you and your supporters for sharing your beach walk. I LOVE beach time! If you hear noise in the background, it is me screaming, "Grab that one, no no, to the right, go up alittle, to the right"!
I never had a bucket list, but I do now: Go to Florida and go shelling on the beaches featured in your videos. I now know my favorite shell is called the Murex, thanks to you, but I am growing a fondness for the Florida Fighting Conch, the Tulip, and the Lightening Whelk. Will I still try to bring home the whole beach? Yes - yes I will 💖😁.
I don't have one favorite shell, because there are so many to love, but those Florida Fighting Conchs are definitely one of my favs. I hope you do make it down here one day and get to find all the goodies you're looking for 🌴🌊🐚
Such a pretty walk. Glad you found some keepers. Today I got the shells I won (for participating in the Beachcombing video) and they are so beautiful! Thank you! Have a great week. Until next Sunday... ❤🐚
Congrats on the shells! I chose ones that were featured in the video and the little bottle of tinies just for fun. I appreciate you participating and coming along with me on my beach walks!
Down in FM for the winter at our new “snowbird” house! Weather is perfect. Went to Wiggins Pass and found a variety of shells, including my first double Sunray Venus, a True Tulip, and lots of Florida fighting conchs. The best part was the numerous LIVE conchs, olives and a Venus sunray! It was low tide so everything I found was in the shallows. It’s great to be back at the beach, especially with my new knowledge from your videos. Thanks!
When we went to Sanibel this past July I had much better luck on Blind Pass than anywhere else. Murexes, whelks, and cones galore there. Loved it!!! I look forward to your videos every weekend because it takes me back to paradise if only for 30 minutes hahaha. Thx for the videos and much love from Lexington Ky.
Wow, looking forward to next weeks video and the 100 chestnut turbans. It was a beautiful shell haul this week. Lots of very pretty scallops. Loved the cut ribbed arc and the ponderous arcs and turkey wing shell you found.
I'm glad I found this video! We arrive on the island tomorrow and will be staying at Castaway Cottages! So I want to cover as much from Blind Pass to Bowman's as I can!
We are in Sanibel and went to bowman beach yesterday but only because we were on our way back from a 25 mile bike ride. The day before I did go shelling and after cleaning up my finds I realized that I had several tiny angel wings. Found all of what you just showed and will go out again tomorrow. I love the cat paws. Got a bag of them to take back cause we have a cat 🐈 lol . I did dig into the sand and found a olive that was 3 inches long. That was find of the day
I've been DYING to bike over there but just haven't found the time. All my extra time goes to shelling and UA-cam! The bike paths look really nice - I hope you had a lovely ride and congrats on the goodies you found!
@@SWFBeachLife It just so happened when I was looking for shells I came across a husband and wife that also follow you. It was so nice finding someone that has the same passion as you do . I just hope that I can get all these beautiful shells back with me to Oregon
@@SWFBeachLife I was appalled today when I was on the beach in the water and was next to a woman that was digging up sand dollars in the water and I told her that they were alive and should not be taking them but she said that she was making Christmas ornaments and they were dead cause there was some yellow stuff coming out of them 🤦🏻♀️ Omg I wish I had someone to of called cause she took like 10 of them 🥲
@@karenlivengood4027 There's no good way to put this - that sucks. We can feel relative confident that she was cleaning for DAYS! They will be stinky and really hard to clean as well as the beach does naturally.
I hope you do too! We took our very first trip here during Thanksgiving and that was my first introduction to finding amazing shells on the beach. It was awesome!! 🐚
My granddaughters are coming to Boynton. I asked them to look for some shells and Florida sand. I have somehow started collecting sand from different beaches. I have oregon, Puerto Rico, Virginia, I will have to get some from Florida also. My daughter travels.
The sand at Fort Myers Beach is a powdery white, soft sand. It's beautiful. Sanibel is a bit more grainy, and then just a bit more north the Captiva beaches have more grainy, dark sand. It's wild how it can change from beach to beach, even if it's only a few miles away!
I loved our walk!! Thank you for showing the difference between the scallops…I’ve often wondered how you tell the difference. I can’t wait for next week’s walk! Have a great week 😊🐚
Missed you!! As always I will watch now.. We had a crazy 🤪 Northeastern weekend here in Northeast Florida. Going to Matanzas Inlet to see 👀 what washed up here. Unfortunately, we usually get alot of live full conch shells..
So glad you shared the sharp-ribbed drill. I found one a while back and couldn't identify it. It's colors are more grey and white. Thanks again for the walk and info..
Such a pretty day! I love hearing the waves during the "beach time" part of your video. This week I found a mostly-intact sand dollar on the beach in NJ. I generally find a handful each year and am amazed that they survive as well as they do.
I've never even found a piece of a sand dollar until I got down here. Come to think of it - I never found anything good in NJ but I now know there are a few treasures up there. A mostly-intact sand dollar is a total treasure for NJ!!!
Thanks for telling the differences of the bay and calico scallops. Pretty scallops. Those starfishes are cute. Love the beach time moments. I think you did very well in finding some good shells. Looking forward to the next shell hunting adventure.🐚🌊
Those ruff scallops are gorgeous! If i remember correctly, that wooded area(Silver Key?) is where i found my first sea bean! I was so excited too! I always have luck at Turner and i can't wait to see the next beach walk and that chestnut turban haul!
Yes, Silver Key is right there! The sign used to be up on the beach quite a bit from the water but that area has changed so much. I can't wait to visit it over the next few months. The shells are coming back!
Got back from our yearly Fort Myers vacation, a couple of weeks ago. We had awesome weather, and found some great shells. I would love to see how you display your collections, and you mention using some shells in projects....would also love to hear more about them.
I am working on my shell collection video. I just need a little more time but maybe I can tackle it this week. I finally got around to make a shell mirror, which I had really been wanting to make: ua-cam.com/video/Mf5SVm8m5n8/v-deo.html I have other projects lined up but I haven't found the time to get to them! 🤗
I loved watching the interview that you gave and we got to see some of your favorite shells. Didn't know that you have only been doing this for 2 years because you have so much knowledge of the shells and wildlife.
I am a nerd at heart and I love researching and figuring things out. It's been wonderful learning about all the things I'm discovering but I have a lot more learning to do!
We were at Bowmans on Sanibel the last two weeks of October. 2-4 ft waves and hardly any shells to be found. Maybe another time. More successful at Marco Island Tigertail Beach. Lots of sand dollars and nice conch and smaller shells. My friend found a beat up but beautiful horse conch (I think). I mean…not to say no shells. Plenty of arcs, slippers, jungles, scallops. Just no olives or anything really special.
Most of the year it's actually quite tough to find anything good, but as winter approaches, the winds change and help drive the shells onto the beach. It's starting to get a little better, but these beaches can be tricky giving up their shells!
Great descriptions of the scallops!😊 Speaking of cross-barred Venus shells, we had a bunch of live ones on the beach this past week and they were beautiful! I'll have to send you a picture I took... LOVE those pretty rough scallops!! I usually have to go to Lido for those. The storm a week ago last Thursday brought tons of gac's in at Honeymoon. You could have carried them out in buckets! I really like the little brown-striped crown conchs too. Yes! Love those little drills! We get some really huge cut-ribbed arcs on Honeymoon. I kinda like them too. How long ago did you video this? I'm waiting for a post-storm one!😊 Thanks, Sharmon! xxoo
I saw the pics you sent - they were so cool! I went to Sanibel on 10/22 for this video. Next Sunday is the post storm video. I was so excited watching it the night before. I typically am behind about 2 weeks. I like to have a few "in the can" just in case something comes up and I can't get to the beach. Which hasn't happened, but I like contingencies. I can't believe I haven't made it up by you yet. I will get there one of these days!!! ❤️
I loved this walk!! You found quite a bit in the water this time. I love the design on the Calico Box Crab. Have you ever found one that was no longer alive? The sea sure does provide us with some really beautiful shells. Thank you for a beautiful morning walk and have a great week!!😊🐬
I have found the calico box crab carapaces, however I don't collect them. I should pick up at least one or two to add to my collection. My husband keeps the horse shoe crab shells if we find them and paints them metallic colors. They actually look pretty cool.
Can’t believe I found one I hadn’t seen-fun walk! The small fish always make me leery because they’re probably trying to avoid predators, which can be innocuous or a little more worrisome. I’m also wondering if y’all deal with stingrays down there. Been tagged before while shelling on the SC coast.
Yes, we do the "sting ray shuffle" from around May through October when the gulf waters are warm to warn to give them some warning. I've seen a whole bunch of cow rose rays "swim" by. They're beautiful but I give them plenty of space ☺️
As usual, another wonderful video. I have always had good luck at Ft meyers beach, but was wondering what is the absolute best month of the year to shell that area. I will be scheduling my vacations for the year, in the next two weeks and would like to schedule Ft Myers for the best possible week. And hoping to cross paths with you at some point. I believe I passed you when I was there this past april. God bless, and happy shelling!
The winter months are definitely the best for shelling. If I had to pick one month, I would probably say January is best. You might even get lucky with a little storm that rolls through. If you think you see me, definitely stop me to say hi!
Oh those little ones confuse me too! I suspect I'll be paying attention to the smaller shells this summer whilst the larger shells hide out in the sand beyond the beach.
Always looove your shelling adventures!! I’m coming down in the beginning of March, and staying at Castaways in Blind Pass. How long did it take you to walk from Bowman’s Beach to Blind Pass?
LUCKY DUCK!!! I might treat myself one day and stay there too! If I walked and didn't slow down to look for shells, its probably a 30-40 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk. It's maybe a little over 2 miles, so it's not THAT far, but the soft sand can make it a little bit harder to walk. The beginning of March should be awesome! The weather is great, the water is beautiful and the shells (in theory) should still be on the beaches!
I have always loved to collect shells from the beach just like you especially the Scallops.’ Do some shells come from different places in the 🌎 world . What do you do with these pretty shells at home.
Yes, the snails that make the shells live in different parts of the world, and different parts of the ocean, so depending on where you are, you will most likely find snails from that area. However, the east coast of Florida is lucky because some shells from the Caribbean will wash up that way as well. I just made a video about my shell collection - this is what I do with my shells: ua-cam.com/video/Afy0jl0smpE/v-deo.html
Im so happy for my discovery about my natica Vitellus i was curious i wanted to find out more about my 10 naticas I then noticed my natica was part of the family nicknamed Moon snails! Yay! I always wanted a moon shell
@@SWFBeachLife Yep! I've always wanted to have moon shells and i never knew until i researched my 10 nautica vitelluses! My favourite one the small one with a white spiral
I've only found the time to make one project (shell mirror) but I do have others I'd like to get to in the near future! ua-cam.com/video/Mf5SVm8m5n8/v-deo.html
have you ever shelled at Melbourne, FL? I want to go there for college next year and I'll be 10 mins away! id just like to know if its good for shelling
I have not shelled in that area but I have shelled a little bit south of there and I found really neat shells. I don't know if it's going to be a great shelling area, but I bet you'll still find something out there!
Hello thanks for sharing your beach walks. Could you talk a bit more about your cold weather gear? What type of "scuba pants"material, shoes, etc. If you could suggest brands, sources? I am finding scuba pants appear to be a fashion option, not so practical, when I search for them! :)
I will do just that! I'm going out tomorrow morning and it's going to be cold. I will indeed show you my gear! You'll have to wait a few weeks for the video though - sorry!
@@SWFBeachLife thanks! I think maybe "Macy's or Nordstrom's Scuba Pants" weren't what you were talking about! I have bundled up and worn actual waders for beach fossil hunting in Jan in Maryland (temps in 30s or lower) but that's a different scale, getting wet at all is more serious then. Take care, be safe
I have never taken a boat from Cape Coral, however I did take one from Captiva (Captiva Cruises) and I went to Cayo Costa. I also took one from Fort Myers (Adventures in Paradise) and went to North Captiva. Hope this helps!
I always love to go with you on the beach walk, naturely with my eyes. A real walk would be better, but till relocated it will take few month more...in my ❤ I am always with you on the beach, fun we have both...with all other that look your wonderful videos..❤🙏👍🥰😃😀🖐🌹🍀
Wow... Listening to the waves takes me back to my younger years. I would go with my grandmother and her friends from early 70s.That was my all time favorite vacation for many reasons.. We shared the love of shelling on Sanibel & Captive for 21 yrs Its unfortunately been many years since I've done the Sanibel stoop. I was paralyzed in a wreck 24 yrs ago, but I do hold out hope that one day Ill have a way to stroll those beautiful beaches. Till then, Ill enjoy your videos. Thank You!!! Oh yes... As to Blind Pass... I remember way back to when sand Closed off the water under the bridge. Considering we also fished there we sure were happy when they dredged it. Happy Shelling!!!!
Depending on how adventurous you are, you can rent a motorized wheelchair for the beach! Fort Myers Beach is a very hard packed beach and I have absolutely seen people in their chairs out there. Probably not in Sanibel or Captiva - the sand is too deep and soft but there are options if you're up to it.
I wish I could have seen Sanibel back in the early 70's. I've heard stories about the amazing piles of shells that would pile up. Now there are so many shellers on the beach I'm not sure how long a pile would last 🤗 Thank you for coming along with me on my beach walk!
@@SWFBeachLife I'd love to do that. I'll have to check into it. I've rented the big balloon tire chairs..but I'm at someone's mercy to push..... I'd like the independence. Thanks for the info 😊
You find again few wonderful shells. 👍🙏🥰❤🍀🖐
Love the sharp edge drill. Thanks
Just spent two weeks there. Paradise!!!
LOVE that leopard crab wish you got it to walk show itself off it's personality.......
FAVORITE FIND piece of CORAL, nice SAND DOLLAR & GIANT CLAM SHELLS🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚
Really relaxing walk.....pretty!
Thanks........ALWAYS look forward to SUNDAY BEACH SHELL HUNT with YOU🐚🦀🐳🐟🐬🐚🐚🐚🐚😄😍😘
I love sharing this area and a good beach exploration walk. Thank YOU for taking the time to come along with me! 🌴🌊🐚
I silently screamed when you put back that Calico with the orange on it! Grab the Calicos, I'll buy them!!
Ok, next great patterns calico I will keep for you 🤗
Thank you for our weekly beachy goodness Sharmon!!!
You are so very welcome! ❤️
Thanks for taking me along again this week!
thats alot of clams! wow and those lightning whelks! Gorgeous! my favourite from here was that shark eye
I found a SUPER cool shark eye today. It tricked me and I thought it was just a piece but most of it ended up buried!
@@SWFBeachLife Yep
I never found a sharkeye when i first went to the beach i found a small snail, broken clams some pieces of tiny shells, and more clams
@@Enzi_Meteori_902 Sounds like what I used to find but not any more. The beaches down here are really quite amazing!
Definitely need a cart, there was soooo much to bring home. I think I would have collected every shell on the beach. Looked so peaceful as well. Stay safe x
If I brought a cart to the beach I'd need to buy another house just to keep all my shells in!
When your half way over the causeway you know your headed to somewhere really special. Sanibel is the best!
I think it might start when you can start to see the water to the left before the tolls. That first overpass is a pretty spectacular view for sure!
This is what I call "Oh, God o'clock, Sharmon. I'm not even sure that shelling would get me up. Brave woman are you!
Thought I'd check in. Still in a holding pattern here. Testing next Friday, surgeon's office visit a week later. Surgery should follow shortly thereafter. I'm at the point where I just want to be done with it.
So I decided to spend some time with you to take my mind off it all. I am saving my new shell books for my quiet time that I know will be imposed upon me. They are amazing! If I can't get to the beach, at least I can study about shells.
I just LOVE the calico scallops! Like people, all the same, all different and all so beautiful! The colors are so pretty and I really like the black ones! They are so richly colored!
In my dearest dreams, I win some of your shells and there are lots of bay scallops and calico scallops.
When I lived on Santa Rosa Island, you could almost always see people wading around in the shallows of the Sound or in Pensacola Bay. They'd have a little boat-shaped wading pool or even a galvanized metal tub floating alongside them, tethered to their waist by a line. (That's a rope, for you landlubbers!) 😊 These folks were feeling with their bare feet for live calico or bay scallops. I don't know if they were planning to eat them or if they were going to sell them. I never thought to ask.
Perhaps, with pollution a growing problem, this type of "fishing" is not practiced any more or if you've seen it down there in SW FL. I guess it's just part of living beside the door of the sea. Interesting?
That pinkish, peachy Florida Fighting Conch is simply gorgeous!
I don't think there's such a thing as a bad shelling day. I can honestly say that because I was out at the beach in 1986 when Hurricane Juan (a rained-out storm with nothing but strong wind) came ashore at Pensacola Beach.
At one point, I was literally crawling and dragging my shell bag, but I found some great shells! I only stayed out for about an hour before taking shelter behind a bath building to examine my shells. I sat there for a while until the eye came over, then I went on home. (We island dwellers didn't have to evacuate because the storm made landfall completely dry). "Just a lot of blow," one old-timer said.
This was a great morning beach walk! So many interesting things to see! It was a shame about the sea star. Hope that calico crab wasn't on some bird's menu for lunch!
Thanks so much for taking me along, Sharmon. I'll see you on Sunday! Keep on shelling!
Some of the most memorable shelling I've done is after big storms. It's unbelievable what can get kicked up onto the beach. That being said, I'm a little bit of a chicken too - or maybe I have a really strong sense of self preservation 😅 I saw the most incredible scallops after one of the storms that blew through here. I had never seen them alive. Oh the fun things we can discover at the beach. A wonderful place to visit when you want to take your mind off "things." I hope your waiting goes quickly 🙏🏼
Beautiful morning, beach and shells. Wowsers, I would LOVE to live down there in FL. I'm looking to get out of CA! No worries, my husband & I would fit right in! Love the beaches ⛱️ Thanks for taking us along, Sharmon 😎
Thank you for another great shelling video!
Very beautiful early morning ! Nice day at the beach! Thanks again for taking us along !
Love learning the names of the shells and the difference. Thanks so much.
Not a bad morning walk! Thank you for letting us tag along.
morning! just watching now im excited ti see the shells you find
I love SWF they have taught me a lot like I thought crown conch was a Florida fighting conch.
Holy moly I saw a Starbucks shell!
"Silly, early o'clock" ... sounds like shell time to me! 😃
Hey, us shellers gotta do what we gotta do to find those beauties right?
Love Sanibel. We use to spend many vacations every Summer there. It’s worth visiting
I always look forward for my Sunday evening video, I wait for when it’s time to go to bed to watch it it’s the last thing I see before I close my eyes thank you for another wonderful video until next time and you as well have a great week.😴🐚🐚🐚
I used to have a show I really looked forward to watching on Sunday evenings. It was a bummer the weekend was over, but I liked that there was still something to look forward to. I like that I'm sort of giving people a reason to look forward to Sunday evenings too now 🤗 I hope you have a great week too!
What a week I've had, it felt like it had been weeks since I'd seen a beach video. Finally! Thanks
Oh I can't wait for the day when all I have to worry about is SWF Beach Life. But until then, at least I can get you a new beach walk each week! 🌴🌊🐚
I was at bowman’s shelling today for negative low tide! I wish it had been that calm!
The waters were a little rough today! I went out for negative low tide too and it was awesome! Can't wait to share in a few weeks. 🌴🌊🐚
I love the littles!!
always amazed at the end when you show what you all found, so satisfying :)
Hi my beach friend,
What a beautiful shells! Especially that sharp ribbed drill shell. Beautiful and cute at the same time. 😍
And all the colors of the Calico scallops continue to amaze me.
Can totally understand that you didn't want to leave the beach, it's so gorgeous out there.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Big hug and lots of love, xoxo ❤Ilona
Hi Beach Friend! Sanibel has the best scallops in the area for sure. I'm getting excited about the winter coming because that means...more shells! I hope you have a wonderful week too! 🐚❤️
@@SWFBeachLife Hi Sharmon, Yay, bring on the shells!!🤩
Today (11/11) is my birthday, but it's not a really happy one. Yesterday I heard that I'm severely ill. Next step is to talk about the type of treatment I will get. Thank God it isn't cancer, but it's still not good at all.
The last few weeks were stressful, waiting for the tests and the test result. Your video's really were my escape to my favourite place: the beach and the sea. And almost feeling the warmth and sunshine.
Every Sunday I'm looking forward to your video of beach goodness. Thank you for making this video's from the bottom of my heart! ❤
@@ilonamollema6467 You got this. You have such a kind soul and I look forward to reading your comments every week. I want to wish you a happy birthday, as well as send you peace and strength. I have a lot more videos to make, so you have a lot more comments to leave! ❤❤❤
Another great walk. I really appreciate how you are able to bring us along and the descriptions of the shells are amazing. I so wish I could get down in January or February and maybe bring my daughter down with me. We have such fun together. And my other wish is to hire you for a day or two. I think you make it so interesting. Thanks again for a wonderful time.🥰🌟
Oh the shells are definitely starting to come back! I found a few alphabet cones today - I can't wait to share that video! The shelling in January and February is pretty great so it would be an awesome time to come and visit!
I love your videos so much. It’s so peaceful and relaxing to watch. I bought a Drill press yesterday. So it will make it easier to drill holes in the shells I find for wind chime I make. Thanks so much for a wonderful walk on the beach. ❤️❤️❤️
Make sure you wear a mask when you drill! You don't want to be breathing in shell dust 😅Some of the shells make the most beautiful tinkling sound. Good luck with your project!
Thank you so much, I just found your channel! My family and I are from Wisconsin and we visited Sanibel for the first time in June 2021 and we fell in love. We found many shells and I have learned so much from your videos about identifying them. Keep up the awesome work!
I'm so happy you found my channel! And I hope after some time you'll be able to identify all the shells you found down here. There's so much to appreciate and learn from! Thanks so much for watching!
Just left Sanibel. We stayed on the lighthouse end. Tons of live cockles, sea urchins, scallops, and starfish on the beach. Found some lovely shells that were unoccupied though. ☺️ I’m partial to the littles; I keep them in a jar on my desk.
Well I hope you found a whole bunch of new tinies to add to your desk collection. I actually have quite a few shells on my desk too! 🐚
I really love your videos. After a really stressful day, I find a new video from you and I relax. Thank you
You are so very welcome! Thank you for coming along and exploring the beach with me!
I love scallops, they come in so many different colors
Thank you so much for your jewelrybox❣️ I thought that shark eye was fantastic and thank you for telling the difference between the bay scallops and the calico scallops, really nice find you had to day 🤗👍🏻
It was so hard to leave the beach! The weather was perfect, there were fun things to check out but winter is coming and that means even more shells! 🐚 Thank you for coming along with me!
Thank you and your supporters for sharing your beach walk. I LOVE beach time! If you hear noise in the background, it is me screaming, "Grab that one, no no, to the right, go up alittle, to the right"!
LOL - if only I could keep them all! 🐚
Thank you very much for the wonderful beach walk I enjoyed doing it with ya
Thanks for coming along!
Love your videos. I want to go to Sanibel so badly! Thanks for sharing!
I never had a bucket list, but I do now: Go to Florida and go shelling on the beaches featured in your videos. I now know my favorite shell is called the Murex, thanks to you, but I am growing a fondness for the Florida Fighting Conch, the Tulip, and the Lightening Whelk. Will I still try to bring home the whole beach? Yes - yes I will 💖😁.
I don't have one favorite shell, because there are so many to love, but those Florida Fighting Conchs are definitely one of my favs. I hope you do make it down here one day and get to find all the goodies you're looking for 🌴🌊🐚
@@SWFBeachLife Thanks! I hope so too 😉👍❤
Such a pretty walk. Glad you found some keepers. Today I got the shells I won (for participating in the Beachcombing video) and they are so beautiful! Thank you! Have a great week. Until next Sunday... ❤🐚
Congrats on the shells! I chose ones that were featured in the video and the little bottle of tinies just for fun. I appreciate you participating and coming along with me on my beach walks!
The intro music makes me so happy 😊
Sharp-rib drills are super cool. The contrast on the perfect specimens can be amazing! Thanks for sharing!!
Whohoo! It's Sunday Night!
Down in FM for the winter at our new “snowbird” house! Weather is perfect. Went to Wiggins Pass and found a variety of shells, including my first double Sunray Venus, a True Tulip, and lots of Florida fighting conchs. The best part was the numerous LIVE conchs, olives and a Venus sunray! It was low tide so everything I found was in the shallows. It’s great to be back at the beach, especially with my new knowledge from your videos. Thanks!
Welcome back! I hope you find a bunch of great stuff this winter. It's much more exciting now that the shells are starting to come back! 🐚
Such a nice find, and day!! Thanks!!😎👍
When we went to Sanibel this past July I had much better luck on Blind Pass than anywhere else. Murexes, whelks, and cones galore there. Loved it!!! I look forward to your videos every weekend because it takes me back to paradise if only for 30 minutes hahaha. Thx for the videos and much love from Lexington Ky.
Wow! You did better than I ever had over at Blind Pass - especially in July. That's awesome! I'm glad I can bring you back to your happy place. 🌴🌊🐚
Wow, looking forward to next weeks video and the 100 chestnut turbans. It was a beautiful shell haul this week. Lots of very pretty scallops. Loved the cut ribbed arc and the ponderous arcs and turkey wing shell you found.
Thanks so much!
I'm glad I found this video! We arrive on the island tomorrow and will be staying at Castaway Cottages! So I want to cover as much from Blind Pass to Bowman's as I can!
Best of luck to you! The lot at Blind Pass is closed so foot traffic should be a minimum! Good shell luck to you!!!
Watching this during me time 12am...love it!😁👍
I LOVE the wee hours of the morning when there is no one else awake. Hope you enjoyed the beach walk!
We just love your walks. Your top of the lineup for Sunday night shows! 🐚
Awwww. Well thank you for allowing me to come into your home every Sunday! ❤️🐚
Thank you for sharing Sharmon!!
Thanks for watching
We are in Sanibel and went to bowman beach yesterday but only because we were on our way back from a 25 mile bike ride. The day before I did go shelling and after cleaning up my finds I realized that I had several tiny angel wings. Found all of what you just showed and will go out again tomorrow. I love the cat paws. Got a bag of them to take back cause we have a cat 🐈 lol . I did dig into the sand and found a olive that was 3 inches long. That was find of the day
I've been DYING to bike over there but just haven't found the time. All my extra time goes to shelling and UA-cam! The bike paths look really nice - I hope you had a lovely ride and congrats on the goodies you found!
@@SWFBeachLife
It just so happened when I was looking for shells I came across a husband and wife that also follow you. It was so nice finding someone that has the same passion as you do . I just hope that I can get all these beautiful shells back with me to Oregon
@@karenlivengood4027 You can always mail them to yourself if you can’t bear to leave them behind 😄
@@SWFBeachLife
I was appalled today when I was on the beach in the water and was next to a woman that was digging up sand dollars in the water and I told her that they were alive and should not be taking them but she said that she was making Christmas ornaments and they were dead cause there was some yellow stuff coming out of them 🤦🏻♀️
Omg I wish I had someone to of called cause she took like 10 of them 🥲
@@karenlivengood4027 There's no good way to put this - that sucks. We can feel relative confident that she was cleaning for DAYS! They will be stinky and really hard to clean as well as the beach does naturally.
Very pretty shells. I love to see the trees decorated with shells, it is so pretty. Thank you for a lovely beach walk x
Thank you for coming along with me! 🌴🌊🐚
@@SWFBeachLife Thankyou. I am currently recovering from major surgery and am not going out at all so it’s lovely to watch the beach walks x
@@trishcook1857 I had surgery earlier this year and it was not fun. I wish you a speedy recovery!
Heading to Sanibel 12th-16th!
Yay!!! I hope you find lots of goodies!
I will be there over thanksgiving week. I’m so excited! Hoping to find some great shells 😁
I hope you do too! We took our very first trip here during Thanksgiving and that was my first introduction to finding amazing shells on the beach. It was awesome!! 🐚
Just beautiful!!!
Love the beach time!🌅
Beautiful day for you. How are the temps that early in the morning? Thanks so much for beach time. I close my eyes and listen…..
Temps were in the 70's so not bad at all. Today was a little chilly. In the 60's, but still tolerable. I'm glad I wore a coat though!
My granddaughters are coming to Boynton. I asked them to look for some shells and Florida sand. I have somehow started collecting sand from different beaches. I have oregon, Puerto Rico, Virginia, I will have to get some from Florida also. My daughter travels.
The sand at Fort Myers Beach is a powdery white, soft sand. It's beautiful. Sanibel is a bit more grainy, and then just a bit more north the Captiva beaches have more grainy, dark sand. It's wild how it can change from beach to beach, even if it's only a few miles away!
I loved our walk!! Thank you for showing the difference between the scallops…I’ve often wondered how you tell the difference. I can’t wait for next week’s walk! Have a great week 😊🐚
I hope you have a great week too!
So much fun! Hope I can find all the neat shells when I go there in January! Thanks for another awesome video!
I can't wait to go there in January! There's going to be so many shells and plenty to go around!
@@SWFBeachLife Awesome! I can't wait either! We've found the giant horse conch shells at blind pass the last two times we were there!
@@trenttan3779 Really??? I had to snorkel to find the one I found!
@@SWFBeachLife Yes. But I did have to go into the water though.
@@trenttan3779 I have discovered that's where they all hide in the summer!
Live that sharp rib drill!
Missed you!! As always I will watch now.. We had a crazy 🤪 Northeastern weekend here in Northeast Florida. Going to Matanzas Inlet to see 👀 what washed up here. Unfortunately, we usually get alot of live full conch shells..
Well I hope you ended up finding a bunch of keepers. What is the shelling typically like in NE Florida?
So glad you shared the sharp-ribbed drill. I found one a while back and couldn't identify it.
It's colors are more grey and white. Thanks again for the walk and info..
Glad I could help!
Such a pretty day! I love hearing the waves during the "beach time" part of your video. This week I found a mostly-intact sand dollar on the beach in NJ. I generally find a handful each year and am amazed that they survive as well as they do.
I've never even found a piece of a sand dollar until I got down here. Come to think of it - I never found anything good in NJ but I now know there are a few treasures up there. A mostly-intact sand dollar is a total treasure for NJ!!!
Loved this adventure! I needed the serenity today. Sanibel is my favorite! Thanks for the beautiful distraction❤️
You are so very welcome. Sanibel hold a special place in my heart too! ❤️
Thanks for telling the differences of the bay and calico scallops. Pretty scallops. Those starfishes are cute. Love the beach time moments. I think you did very well in finding some good shells. Looking forward to the next shell hunting adventure.🐚🌊
Those ruff scallops are gorgeous! If i remember correctly, that wooded area(Silver Key?) is where i found my first sea bean! I was so excited too! I always have luck at Turner and i can't wait to see the next beach walk and that chestnut turban haul!
Yes, Silver Key is right there! The sign used to be up on the beach quite a bit from the water but that area has changed so much. I can't wait to visit it over the next few months. The shells are coming back!
@@SWFBeachLife winters are great for shells 🐚
Got back from our yearly Fort Myers vacation, a couple of weeks ago. We had awesome weather, and found some great shells.
I would love to see how you display your collections, and you mention using some shells in projects....would also love to hear more about them.
I am working on my shell collection video. I just need a little more time but maybe I can tackle it this week.
I finally got around to make a shell mirror, which I had really been wanting to make: ua-cam.com/video/Mf5SVm8m5n8/v-deo.html
I have other projects lined up but I haven't found the time to get to them! 🤗
@@SWFBeachLife thank you for that link, I must have missed that video. Love it, I now need to make one myself.
Very relaxing! Thanks for the tour through the types of shells - I learned something!
Yay!!! Thank you so much for watching!
I loved watching the interview that you gave and we got to see some of your favorite shells. Didn't know that you have only been doing this for 2 years because you have so much knowledge of the shells and wildlife.
I am a nerd at heart and I love researching and figuring things out. It's been wonderful learning about all the things I'm discovering but I have a lot more learning to do!
I’m headed for Sanibel in December. This was cool video to hone my sea shell hunting skills …
Good shelling luck to you! 🐚
We were at Bowmans on Sanibel the last two weeks of October. 2-4 ft waves and hardly any shells to be found. Maybe another time.
More successful at Marco Island Tigertail Beach. Lots of sand dollars and nice conch and smaller shells. My friend found a beat up but beautiful horse conch (I think).
I mean…not to say no shells. Plenty of arcs, slippers, jungles, scallops. Just no olives or anything really special.
Most of the year it's actually quite tough to find anything good, but as winter approaches, the winds change and help drive the shells onto the beach. It's starting to get a little better, but these beaches can be tricky giving up their shells!
Sanibel/Captiva is my heaven ❤️
I can certainly see why - it's beautiful there!
Great descriptions of the scallops!😊 Speaking of cross-barred Venus shells, we had a bunch of live ones on the beach this past week and they were beautiful! I'll have to send you a picture I took... LOVE those pretty rough scallops!! I usually have to go to Lido for those. The storm a week ago last Thursday brought tons of gac's in at Honeymoon. You could have carried them out in buckets! I really like the little brown-striped crown conchs too. Yes! Love those little drills! We get some really huge cut-ribbed arcs on Honeymoon. I kinda like them too. How long ago did you video this? I'm waiting for a post-storm one!😊 Thanks, Sharmon! xxoo
I saw the pics you sent - they were so cool! I went to Sanibel on 10/22 for this video. Next Sunday is the post storm video. I was so excited watching it the night before. I typically am behind about 2 weeks. I like to have a few "in the can" just in case something comes up and I can't get to the beach. Which hasn't happened, but I like contingencies. I can't believe I haven't made it up by you yet. I will get there one of these days!!! ❤️
@@SWFBeachLife I know you will!😘
kitten paw? cute!
Absolutely beautiful! I am so jealous, love the ocean, but very landlocked in Wyoming.
You are welcome to come along to the beach with me anytime you like!
I loved this walk!! You found quite a bit in the water this time. I love the design on the Calico Box Crab. Have you ever found one that was no longer alive?
The sea sure does provide us with some really beautiful shells.
Thank you for a beautiful morning walk and have a great week!!😊🐬
I have found the calico box crab carapaces, however I don't collect them. I should pick up at least one or two to add to my collection. My husband keeps the horse shoe crab shells if we find them and paints them metallic colors. They actually look pretty cool.
I'm one of those weird ones that really like the ark shells because they aren't symmetrical. I love how they swish to the side.
I love the cut ribbed arcs! There's just something about them. Shoot, Florida Fighting Conchs are everywhere down here and I just love them too!
Love collecting shells and shark teeth.
Yay, I finally spotted an upside down Limpet at 2:04! 😊
I pick up garbage on the beach too.. Picking up garbage glass is a double edged sword. No more beach glass for anyone down the road. Lol
I know, but down here I think the chances of glass actually turning into legitimate sea glass is tough. Not enough rough surf to beat it up!
Can’t believe I found one I hadn’t seen-fun walk! The small fish always make me leery because they’re probably trying to avoid predators, which can be innocuous or a little more worrisome. I’m also wondering if y’all deal with stingrays down there. Been tagged before while shelling on the SC coast.
Yes, we do the "sting ray shuffle" from around May through October when the gulf waters are warm to warn to give them some warning. I've seen a whole bunch of cow rose rays "swim" by. They're beautiful but I give them plenty of space ☺️
As usual, another wonderful video. I have always had good luck at Ft meyers beach, but was wondering what is the absolute best month of the year to shell that area. I will be scheduling my vacations for the year, in the next two weeks and would like to schedule Ft Myers for the best possible week. And hoping to cross paths with you at some point. I believe I passed you when I was there this past april. God bless, and happy shelling!
The winter months are definitely the best for shelling. If I had to pick one month, I would probably say January is best. You might even get lucky with a little storm that rolls through. If you think you see me, definitely stop me to say hi!
The white shells with black on them, does the black come off when you clean them. Than you
You know I'm not sure. They are so common I don't collect them. Maybe if you dipped them in acid it would come off but I don't know for sure 🤔
Your videos play on repeat most nights here lol looking at this, I think my one mini was a sharp rib drill! Still confused about the other one lol
Oh those little ones confuse me too! I suspect I'll be paying attention to the smaller shells this summer whilst the larger shells hide out in the sand beyond the beach.
I need to win the lottery so I can move closer to the beach😜
It’s defintely like hunting for treasure every day
It really is!
Always looove your shelling adventures!! I’m coming down in the beginning of March, and staying at Castaways in Blind Pass. How long did it take you to walk from Bowman’s Beach to Blind Pass?
LUCKY DUCK!!! I might treat myself one day and stay there too! If I walked and didn't slow down to look for shells, its probably a 30-40 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk. It's maybe a little over 2 miles, so it's not THAT far, but the soft sand can make it a little bit harder to walk. The beginning of March should be awesome! The weather is great, the water is beautiful and the shells (in theory) should still be on the beaches!
I have always loved to collect shells from the beach just like you especially the Scallops.’ Do some shells come from different places in the 🌎 world . What do you do with these pretty shells at home.
Yes, the snails that make the shells live in different parts of the world, and different parts of the ocean, so depending on where you are, you will most likely find snails from that area. However, the east coast of Florida is lucky because some shells from the Caribbean will wash up that way as well.
I just made a video about my shell collection - this is what I do with my shells: ua-cam.com/video/Afy0jl0smpE/v-deo.html
What’s good haul!
Many of the calico scallops look like birds in flight at sunrise 🌄 or sunset 🌇 so 😎🆒
They are like beach snowflakes. Each one is beautiful and unique 🥰
I also have 2 calico scallops but white and brownish-red
Im so happy for my discovery about my natica Vitellus
i was curious i wanted to find out more about my 10 naticas
I then noticed my natica was part of the family nicknamed Moon snails! Yay! I always wanted a moon shell
Yes, the gaudy naticas are indeed a type of moon snail so you have yourself a few! When the colors are bright they are absolutely stunning 🐚
@@SWFBeachLife Yep! I've always wanted to have moon shells and i never knew until i researched my 10 nautica vitelluses!
My favourite one the small one with a white spiral
oh and they're so tiny and cute
Could you show us a project or two that you make with your shells?
I've only found the time to make one project (shell mirror) but I do have others I'd like to get to in the near future! ua-cam.com/video/Mf5SVm8m5n8/v-deo.html
have you ever shelled at Melbourne, FL? I want to go there for college next year and I'll be 10 mins away! id just like to know if its good for shelling
I have not shelled in that area but I have shelled a little bit south of there and I found really neat shells. I don't know if it's going to be a great shelling area, but I bet you'll still find something out there!
@@SWFBeachLife thanks!!!
Hello thanks for sharing your beach walks. Could you talk a bit more about your cold weather gear? What type of "scuba pants"material, shoes, etc. If you could suggest brands, sources? I am finding scuba pants appear to be a fashion option, not so practical, when I search for them! :)
I will do just that! I'm going out tomorrow morning and it's going to be cold. I will indeed show you my gear! You'll have to wait a few weeks for the video though - sorry!
@@SWFBeachLife thanks! I think maybe "Macy's or Nordstrom's Scuba Pants" weren't what you were talking about! I have bundled up and worn actual waders for beach fossil hunting in Jan in Maryland (temps in 30s or lower) but that's a different scale, getting wet at all is more serious then. Take care, be safe
Love all the shells you found . Which you could send me one of all color's of the scallops both kind
Which shells have the most colorful shells, the bay scalloped or the calico scallop?
The calico scallops come in a wider variety of colors than the bay scallops do. ☺️
What was the shelling boat you took from Cape Coral? Been a few weeks ago. Thank you..
I have never taken a boat from Cape Coral, however I did take one from Captiva (Captiva Cruises) and I went to Cayo Costa. I also took one from Fort Myers (Adventures in Paradise) and went to North Captiva. Hope this helps!
@@SWFBeachLife was it the 4 hour trip?
We will be coming back next Sept again. Had a good time this last Sept. at Ft Myers Red Coconut.
@@brendalea2339 That place looks like so much fun to stay at!
@@brendalea2339 The Captiva one was 3 hours and I believe the one from Fort Myers was 4 hours.
I always love to go with you on the beach walk, naturely with my eyes.
A real walk would be better, but till relocated it will take few month more...in my ❤ I am always with you on the beach, fun we have both...with all other that look your wonderful videos..❤🙏👍🥰😃😀🖐🌹🍀
Thank you so much for letting me share these Florida beaches with you!