Gorgeous huge welk! Love Shell island. This is where I found the Junonia in Feb on my tour during a negative low tide. You found some fantastic shells. Thanks for another great video.
Thank you so much for your videos! I watched several before we went to southwest Florida. I was able to really impress my daughter with my shell identifications. We went to Fort Myers beach and Bowman’s beach. Found lots of great shells including Florida fighting conchs, turkey wings, sand dollar, apple murex, pear whelk, lightning whelk, spiny jewel box, rose petals lots of baby feet, calico scallop, cats paws, augers, slipper shells and even 2 bubbles. Thanks again!
It sounds like you found all sorts of goodies - that's awesome! I hope you enjoyed your time here and I'm so glad you found some good souvenirs to bring home!
“Did I mention that I found a large lightning welk?” 😆 I thought that was so cute and funny, I and I’m so glad you kept putting it up in the video. Always love your videos!
As a lifetime beach comber born & bred right on the bluffs above Lake Michigan I think these virtual shelling,/beach combing trips Area the best posts on FB!! Let's keep em going and if you're going on a beach anywhere in the world, shoot it & post em!!!
What a day!! I loved your video! The reminders through the video of the huge Lightning Welk you found made me laugh out loud. Your videos are better and better each week. I love that you show maps of where you go, and I love how you now stop the video to point out things you see or specifics about a shell. I’ve learned so much. I went on a tour with Reel Kind a year ago and had a marvelous time too. They are an excellent company. Thank you for what you do! ❤️
I thank you for taking the time to come along and enjoy the beach with me, as well as taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! I don't know how I got this lucky, but I love where I live and I love sharing all the things I get to experience and the things I'm learning along the way. Thank you so much for coming along for the ride!
My school's geology club held a specimen sale the other day, and there were few seashells mixed in there - I'm proud to say that I recognized all of them thanks to your videos! Among them were a florida fighting conch, a spiny jewel box, a massive pear whelk (sadly, it was broken), a few lightning whelks, and a small banded tulip shell that I wound up buying because it had such nice colors!
That is awesome!!! Isn't it exciting to see things like that and you know what they are? I love this! Thanks so much for coming along with me on my beach walks!
You had me cracking up by the time you were done! Your giant lightning whelk was fantastic find. I'm getting better at identifying the shells too. Thanks for a great time!
I just came upon your channel and subscribed right away. Ft. Myers Beach was the first video I saw. I had such a huge collection of shells from yearly vacations in Florida and couldn't wait to hit the beach when I retired 2017. Unbeknownst to me life had different plans so I love getting my "beach fix" from channels like yours. Stay out there collecting shells you are so enjoyable to listen to and I love seeing the shells. Thank you for sharing it means the world to bedridden people like myself. God's Blessings to you❤
I'm sorry my response had taken so long - your comment was flagged as maybe spam. Terrible! I'm glad you found my channel and have chosen to come along with me on my beach walks. I am so very fortunate to be able to live here and even more fortunate that I get to go out and share my discoveries with others. Thank you for coming along for the ride!
I just love your vlogs! Newbie to “serious” shelling since new move to the gulf coast. I am learning so much. Could you please make a video on what you take with you when you shell? I.e. equipment you use, bags, storage and any other tips you have learned. When I go, I look ridiculous with my bag, scoop, shell bags, plastic container for fragile shells and sand dollars, plastic bag for random trash 😆😆😆 Any hints would help! Thank you for your awesomeness 👍🏼
Since I'm always on the move I travel light. Here's my shell bag and my delicates container: ua-cam.com/video/gI8tavKdqSg/v-deo.html I just got a small folding shovel to carry around with me (we'll see if I actually use it) and if I bring my sand flea scoop, I sling it across my back through my backpack straps horizontally. Then I have my big floppy hat, sunglasses - I'm an absolutely fright when I go to the beach 😅 I put the trash in my shell bag too and just throw it away when I leave the beach. So basically I have my backpack and my shell bag because I have to keep both hands free. I will try to remember to give a run down in an upcoming video!
Sounds to me like you're not ridiculous...sounds like you are prepared !. Girl, would you rather be thirsty, burned, bagless, scoopless and shell less *GASP* and take no trash away ?. I always bring what I need, so People come up to me for all the "stuff" they didn't want to be "bothered" to bring. "CAN YOU SPARE...?" LOL!. Shell like you're on a mission ! ❤😎
I absolutely love all the different shots of the giant lightning welk! And those leopard crabs are just so sunning! I took a screan shot so I can use it as a phone background. I hope you don't mind. I couldn't resist. I like that you still do the beach time. I was born and raised around the beach of California but I plan on not always living here. I plan on moving inland at some point. I will miss the beach and I know I'll always have videos to look back on like this when I'm feeling home sick. Yes, Florida beaches are very different from the beaches in California but it's similar enough. Thank you for being you and staying true to your videos.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come along with me on my beach walks! I found a bunch of those calico box crab shells today so I'll be showing you more in an upcoming video. ☺️
Your sense of humor and sheer joy (with a tinge of tee-hee-hee over great finds) makes watching your videos so fun. I am learning lots and can't wait to head south to get some shells. Kentucky just does not have an ocean....
Well when you do get here - I hope you know what you're finding and you find everything you're looking for. Hunting these beauties on the beach is really so much fun!
Was just watching an old video waiting for this moment. I usually watch on my phone but the past few times have watched on the big flat screen and what a joy it was!! Woohooo hello beach friend! 💜
Some of these beaches are too beautiful to only see on your phone! I have another Kice Island video coming up and I would definitely recommend watching on the big screen!
Yep! I can almost see it in flashing lights: RESERVED FOR SHARMON!!! Congrats! It's almost like getting an Emmy or Oscar - "Now for our top Lightning Whelk Collector, famed SWF Beach Life Videographer, we, the oceanic waves and such, present this lovely Whelkie!!!!" And how about those Alphabet Cones? I counted 10!! What a cool (literally) day! Hugs from Virginia
Now why didn't I think of an intro like that?! 😅It was so much fun and there were so many goodies! It's definitely worth the discomfort when the treasures are everywhere! Thank you SO MUCH for watching! ❤️
Oh I’m so excited for this beach time!! Thank you sweet friend for letting this mountain mermaid tag along with you on your shelling journeys 🧜🏼♀️🐚💕 Lots of love your way!
Thank you so much Sharmon! Such a pleasure to watch your videos and I love being a Patreon. Sorry you were cold. What an incredible haul. My favorites were the horse conchs and the gaudy nauticas. What a beautiful place and wow the beach time is always soo soothing . Thanks so much!
You are so welcome! I find some neat things in Captiva but I also took a trip to Kice and oh boy was the shelling good! I'll be sharing in a few weeks. Thank you so much for your support!!!
That lighting whelk is a monster!! I could feel the 🥶. Definitely some awesome scores. Love that 🦀, how cool are they! The price seemed really high compared to other tours you've been on!? Was happy to be shelling with you on a nice sunny day😉
The tour was a bit on the pricey side, however we were the only people on Shell Island, so I have to give the tour company extra props for getting us somewhere that no one else was. Our other choice was Kice and I know there would have been many more people there so I was really happy overall with the tour.
Now that's a shelling day to be remembered! Definitely worth the time and money when you find a giant shell like that plus all the other wonderful shells! For a moment there, I thought you found a second giant lightning whelk shell! I was like "you go, Sharmon!" 😆 Definitely keeping Shell Island on my future places to go to! Thanks for taking us along!
I "only" found that one monster shell and I was so happy with it! Not to mention all the other treasures. It was such a fun day and so worth braving the cold!
You keep inspiring me to shell every time I watch your videos lol. I wanted to share with you that yesterday I was in the water at Stump Pass for about 2 hours and found a few amazing things. First I found a gigantic banded tulip in perfect shape which is about 7 inches and my most amazing find was a Junonia. It is blue with tan spots and is about 4 inches long. It does have a small hole on the underside but it’s absolutely amazing. Thank you for all your inspiration! I live to shell and beach-comb 😂
You’re hilarious…love your giant lightening whelk! I was hoping you would find a junonia! I love going to Shell Island! The shells are abundant there. I also found lots of alphabet cones when I went on that tour in January. Thank you for the beach walk!!
@@SWFBeachLife I was 10’ away from a “J” when another person coming at me began to jump for joy in October then another scream of excitement 50’ from me in January. Both times on Shell Island! I think it’s my turn on my next tour! Keep hoping and searching!!!
@@chrystalthorson3442 TBH I was really hoping for a J, but I'll take that consolation whelk any day! I hope you hit the jackpot next time you're there!
I absolutely love your videos, my husband and I have gone every 5 years on our Anniversary and now we are well on our 15th this June. I can’t wait. Thank you so much I will continue to learn from your videos.
OMG, your giant Lightening Whelk! It reminded me of my daughter finding one on Cayo Costa many years ago. It is still one of our best finds ever, second only to my Junonia from Marco Island! I’m so excited for you, and all those Alphabet Cones and Horse Conchs would have made me giddy. I did enjoy seeing the live Top Snail, I’ve never seen the actual critter before. You may want to check online for some neoprene waders with the boot attached for winter shelling, I doubt you’d find them locally, but they would work great for staying warm AND dry.
Someone turned me onto boot-like contraptions I can fold up and keep in my backpack. Boy I wish I had known about them before my trip! It's not that the water is cold, but if the temp is low and it's windy no matter what you do it's cold. Dry feet would have been a big bonus but I certainly can't complain. It was a fantastic day to be out there!
CONGRATULATIONS!! What an awesome find! Once again, thank you for taking us along on your adventure. I hope you warmed up quickly once you returned to the mainland, being cold is for the birds!
Being cold is what I wanted to escape by moving to Florida but those shells make me freeze my tail off anyway! I'll be ready next time - just ordered some different boots and hopefully they will work!
O my goodness love your hall on this shell trip! I just went to Sanibel island this week for the 1st time. I got so many wonderful shells that you describe in your videos. I also found a Giant Lightning Welk like the one in this video after looking down in knee deep in water on Sanibel, I was absolutely giddy with great joy! Being a new sheller I smiled all day!! We stared off at Again low tide, got there at sunrise, and Im sure I looked a hot mess with all my gear🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. Thank you again for sharing all your wonderful knowledge of the beaches and different varieties of shells with us views Absolutely had a Fantastic Birthday shelling week 😃🙏🙏🙏.
Happy birthday Pisces - I'm one too! I'm so glad you found yourself some good presents from the beach! Isn't finding that big one like hitting the lottery? It's like a shell-high and it's so fun!! I'm so glad you had a great week here and a belated happy birthday!
Can't believe you found those many cones. Just Wow And that giant of a lightning whelk 😍 Those dark coloured whelks and that pear whelk were really pretty too. And that yellow scallop is just so unique.. Today's shelling was awesome
You know it’s a good day of shelling when we see your pruny finger tips. You really need to introduce yourself to us someday. Love your vlogs. Makes this northerner really miss the beach. 🐚☀️
Thanks so much for tagging along with me! I will have to share the video that Beachcombing Magazine put together for me. I do actually introduce myself and it's a great overview of my channel. Thank you for the recommendation ❤️
Oh my gosh! That lightening whelk! Amazing! I went there on a tour in November and it was amazing. I don’t know that I could of handled those temps.🤣 maybe tho If I had a haul like you had. Shell motivation. So much fun. I love the horses conchs too. 🤗🐚🐚🐚🐚
When it's that cold and there's nothing to be found it's kind of miserable. However, soon as that big monster went in my shell bag I knew it was going to be a good day!
Fantastic find on that huge lightning welk shell! Nice on the alphabet cone shells. I think Shell island turned out to be great to go to. It is incredible to see all those shell piles. 51 degrees is very chilly but you found lots of good shells. Congrats on finding that huge lightning welk.
Thank you! It almost felt like cheating having it just sitting there on the beach waiting for me but I was quite pleased I got to bring that big beauty home with me!
Truly awesome finds! So many great shells and the sheer number is a fantastic sight to me. I had a feeling you were going to find something big with the lead-in to the video. But I was shocked it was that BIG. I laughed by the 3rd time you you reminded us😂. Thanks for my Sunday evening beach fix.
I have to tell you that I have watched a few videos by Salty Reflections and I enjoy your videos far more than any of theirs. You teach us about shells and I like the sound of your voice far better than theirs. Keep on doing what you are doing.
Congrats on the large lightning whelk. I love the smaller ones too. I think that is my favorite Shell. The apple murex are beautiful too. I have not found one of those yet.
I think that’s a place I’d love to go shelling!! It seemed to be chalk full of all kinds of shells, not to mention that huge Lightning Whelk!! Well done!! And it seemed to have bigger shells all round , like the cones. Great and beautiful walk, thanks!! Have a great week!!😊🐬
So I hear you found a gorgeous “ginormous” welk!!!! Yay so happy for you. Beautiful beach! Fantastic finds! Thank you for taking me along on this beautiful journey.
I have not been able to watch videos lately, but I’m so glad to see this one. I totally enjoyed your excitement at finding the large horse conch. Thank you for a nice, relaxing day at the beach! ❤️🐚
Wow, you found a ton of awesome stuff! Congrats on the huge lightning whelk, a well deserved find! That yellow Rough scallop is spectacular, and those mid-size horse conchs are awesome too, we rarely see them that size. What an awesome exploration!
I froze my tail off but it was worth it. It almost felt like cheating finding that lightning whelk just laying there but I'll take it! The cones cracked me up - I've never found so many in one beach visit. It was a fabulous morning to be out there for sure!
Wow! What a bonanza of a day! Congrats on your giant whelk! What an awesome haul, especially all the cones & horse conchs! And I just loved the beautiful yellow scallop - gorgeous color!
What an awesome trip! I love the little 'photo shoots' with the big shell... reminded me of the horse conch photo shoots when you found it. I love that chestnut horse conch and that yellow scallop was really something. A great shelling day for sure!
Excellent Video!!!❤️❤️❤️😊 I so look forward to your videos and watch them over and over!! They are so relaxing!! I watch a few every night before bed!! Thank you for making such wonderful videos!!
@@SWFBeachLife it's not cheating what you do, if you don't take, maybe another comes and take it. The sea gives, the sea takes..thats life. If lord would not let you find it, he never send it on shore So be happy, it looks wonderful ❤🙏👍
I really enjoy exploring the beaches with you! My husband and I go to Anna Maria Island at least once a week! I make shell crafts so pieces are ok too! Very inspired by all the different ones you find! We were supposed to visit Sanibel right before the hurricane so sad Mitchell’s Sand Castles is gone! Keep shelling love watching your channel so much!
Great trip with Reel Kind and Shell Island. I just booked trip for May with Reel Kind but I found out Shell Island is closed in May for bird nesting. I was wondering if you can suggest should I go on kayak tour to sandbars or another boat tour since we can only go to Kice Island. Thanks.
I would get in touch with SWFL Shell Guide - www.swflshellguide.com She kayaks to her destinations so she can go where she thinks the shells will be good!
Thanks for the tour. You had me laughing every time you mentioned the giant lighting whelk. When I'm on Marco Island next month I'm going to have to go to shell island. I'm planning on 2-3 shelling tours. Then in July I'll be on Captiva island for a week all by myself. Sometimes you just need to get away.
Captiva in July must be heaven! You'll pretty much have the beach to yourself! I hope you have a great time while you're here and find lots of great souvenirs to bring home!
I found an inhabited where 3 times the size of your find about 15 years ago at Lido Key after a storm. I was thrilled ! Foolishly I showed it to 2 women near me. They were enthusiastic to keep it ! I adamantly said NO !!! it needs to live and grow ! They said they were going to take it if I put it back.! I purposely walked out as far as I could. They followed me chiding me all the way ! I ran placed it in the sand and ran in crazy patterns trying to lead them astray. BUT THEY FOUND IT ! I ASKED IF THEY WERE GOING TO USE IT FOR FOOD WITH A DEFINITE NO RETORT ! TO THIS DAY I STILL FEEL BADLY THESE WOMEN DIDN'T RESPECT THE LIFE OF THAT CREATURE ! SO GLAD YOU DO !
I am so sorry that you had that horrible experience. And I'm very sorry for the poor lightning whelk. I hope my videos help educate people that the shells come from living creatures and they deserve our respect. Thank you for trying!! 🙏🏼
Another beautiful adventure on a ridiculously shell-full beach! By the way....did you find any giant shells, lol? Thanks for taking us along to experience a little bit of Shell Island!
* After you found the large Lightning Welk, I saw one on the beach above the line of shells.. Surprised you didn't check it out to see if it was whole. That was an amazing Beach & Lots of shells . . But, not any "Paws" or other fun shells..
Just found your videos, and I love them!!!! I've learned so much from what you share. I'm thinking of Shell Island for a trip with my kids, but also considering Egmont Key, on our next Orlando trip. Is Shell Island more worth the longer drive it would take us than Egmont Key?
Shell Island is now closed for the migrating birds so if you want to go you'll have to wait until September. I've never been up to the other more northern islandsnear Tampa, but soon as season is over (we get really crowded in SW Florida in the winter) I'm going to take a trip up there and see what those beaches look like and what kind of goodies they might have. Sorry I don't have better info for you!
I am so glad I found your videos. I live in Montana and have been able to stay on Sanibel and Captiva several times. We will be there in a week. So excited. Last year God provided a lions paw for me to find. I usually come home with bags and bags. It is like a treasure hunt. I can look for hours and hours and miles and miles! Thank you for your videos and all the wonderful information. Especially the cleaning one. It will help me a lot.
Isn't the hunt so much fun? There are days that I HATE leaving the beach because I just want to search all day. I hope you have a great time when you're here and find lots of great souvenirs to bring home! 🐚
Oh your so funny…randomly just “throwing that lightening whelk” here n there thru out the vid….classic. I burst out actual laughing when the shell blew out of your hand…oh my god it cracked me up. What a shelling trip you had. There’s some awesome finds, oh did I mention that COOL GIANT LIGHTENING WHELK…..🐚😂💙
I didn't even get a chance to build up to finding that big honking shell - it was right there waiting for me so of course I wanted to feature it more than once 😅 Thank you so much for coming along with me on my half-frozen, totally-awesome walk!
I turn 50 next week and guess where I will be spending my day? Captiva and Sanibel!!! I have been planning this trip for awhile now and I'm so glad I came across your channel. I love your videos! You do such a wonderful job explaining the difference between shells. Thank you for the tips on weather, parking, etc. Next week, while you're out shelling, if you happen to see a giddy "old" lady with a pink pixie cut, it just might be me! Come say hi 😃
I absolutely love your shell finding videos. I’ve watched several and will continue to watch! Wondering if you have tips for me I’m going to be visiting ft. Myers, FL area May 2023. I’m driving so I’m able to venture out to various beaches to search for shells. What do you use to create your videos? I have a go pro and iPhone I’m going to use. Do you just hold the camera in your hand or do you strap it to something? Also, what clothing/shoes should I bring when out searching for shells in early May. Thanks for any info! 😊 ~ Natalie
If you're driving I would visit all the beaches! Turner on Captiva, Bowman's and Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Lovers Key, Tigertail and if you're not finding what your're looking for take a tour. And I carry my iPhone to shoot everything except the underwater shots, in which case I carry an Oslo Action camera. I have a new pair of water shoes I'm going to be trying out, but currently these are my favorite: amzn.to/3wIwanv Happy planning!
I can't find where or if you sell shells so I ordered some from Amazon. I haven't gotten them yet but I can't wait.? I got 3 different bags and spent about $60.00 I don't know if they're good deals or not. So do you sell seashells by the seashore or anywhere else like home LoL? I'm learning the names from you and some display ideas. Yours are so beautiful. Ok, I got distracted from the video to write this. Gonna watch some more. Thanks for sharing all the beauty and knowledge. ❤️
I do sell my shells but I don't have the time to put them on my website so I just do it through email. If you decide you need a few more for your collection by all means email me at swfbeachlife@gmail.com. Thanks so much for watching my beach walks!
What a fantastic trip!!! 10 alphabet cones… jackpot . Really a wonderful haul!!! The Welk is absolutely beautiful!!! It looked cold in the video. Glad you had fun 🤩
I'm doing a tour Tuesday. I went to Captiva today it was obsolutely beautiful but No shells were to be found so I headed to Bowmans,not much luck there either. Yesterday, I went to sanibel , lighthouse Beach. Found several there and hundreds with critters. . I did find a nice big shark eye and a huge olive. 😳 Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I have told so many people about you & your channel this week They wondered how I became so knowledgeable on so I told them!
Gooood Morning!! What awesome treasures!! I was in Naples:Marco 2 weeks ago. Found a couple nice horse conch. About the size of yours. Found a couple alphabet cones as well. I keep ALL the alphabet cones no matter what shape and trust me one was in bad shape. Imagine where that cone has rolled. I was fortunate to find a couple dark chocolate Fighting conchs. If you could only see how we pack them to get them on the plane ✈️ Shells can become very heavy!! Hopefully, we can try shell island next visit. Funny, I got my friend hooked on shelling (she found a bonnet with treasure seekers). But I had her look for shells on the beach and put in the work (like walk through the lagoon at tiger beach low tide when we went high tide when we left) before I took her to Kice. 🤪😜. She appreciates it. Thank you for all your wisdom!!
That's a good way to put it - walking through that lagoon at TT is not for the faint! Just wait until I show you an absolutely fantastic cone I found last week on Kice. I've never seen anything like it. Shoot, there are so many shells that are just too gorgeous to leave behind. I tried to go to the beach without my shell bag last weekend so I wouldn't take shells and it's no use. I'm addicted to the hunt!
What a find that big lightning Whelk ! Congrats 🎉. Wonderful day for horse and alphabets ! Woohoo. I have a feeling you will return sometime in the future to that island even though It was on the pricey side ! Thanks for taking us along ! Stay safe
What a great day you had ! Is the shelling down there as good as this during the fall or early spring ? Everyone on the island would have heard me squeal from excitement if I had found that large one. Haha. I would still be ecstatic over all of the other ones. Thanks for letting us tag along.
The best shelling is during the winter when the winds help push the shells up onto the beach. The rest of the year you have to really hunt in the water and hope a good storm blows through to help churn up some of those goodies and get them to the beach. That being said I happen to find at least something all year long 😀
What an amazing day on Shell Island! It's so wonderful to find so many beautiful shells that the bounty is nearly overwhelming. This reminds me of the day when I found so many shells of different varieties that I had no more room in my bag! I wasn't about to stop, so I took off my t-shirt and tied the arms together to make a bag. I was shivering in only my bikini, as it was a cold day, but I made a great haul that day! My favorite shell is a Scotch Bonnet that I found on one cold day. I was very sad that day and sort of feeling sorry for myself. I asked God for a sign that things would get better and as I walked along at the water's edge, I saw something white. I reached in the foamy waves and pulled up a perfect white Scoth Bonnet as big as my palm! Though that shell and I parted ways long ago, I will always remember how my loving Father sent it to me as a reminder of His reassuring love for me.
OMG - making a bag out of your shirt to carry more shells is THE BEST! Where there is a will, there is a way. And I love your scotch bonnet story. What a wonderful shell/sign to receive! Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm moving that way the end of July if I can find the house I want. Do you think Panama Beach or Ft Myers is the best area? I used to live in Wilmington NC and Carolina Beach NC and the shelling was pretty good but not as good as the ones that you have there. Shelling, Cruising and Rock hounding is my life😊👍🏻 I so can't wait to get down there. I'm in Georgia now but it's just not warm enough for me and I love the beach/ not so much the sun.🤣😂
I'm not sure about Panama Beach - I have not been up that way, but the Fort Myers area is a great place and is so accessible to so many beaches. I was out this morning in the 40 degree temps - brrrr.
Thank you for sharing all the info and places for shelling Sharmon! Im definitely going to this place too!! ❤ And that is one AWSOME lightening whelk!! I laughed every time you mentioned it 🤣
What a wonderful day you had. Oh the variety..and the gorgeous whelk..so big how exciting to find that. That is a great place to go. Boy u have a great variety. How fun to be there..
Is that a giant whelk in your pocket or are you just super happy to see me...Lol! Wow what a find! I hated to see the video end! I've never been to Shell Island and now I have a new destination in mind next time I find myself in SWF. Thanks and congrats!
@@SWFBeachLife I agree. I actually re-watched this video with a friend. She and I are plotting and planning to do a proper vacation within the next few years. Funny out the cold...I've lived in Wisconsin for enough years that 51 degrees is like a nice heat wave...Lol! Our temps hit in the low 40's the other day and I was so excited to not wear a winter coat. We actually got a little over three inches of snow last night. I can't wait for spring. :)
Congrats on the big LW!😊 The bad thing about finding one of those early is you have to carry it for 4 hours!😁 And 2 pretty nice HCs! It must have gotten pretty boring after awhile finding all those ACs! Not! Sometimes numb feet are worth it, right?😊 Beautiful TT! Yes! You found a yellow RS almost identical to mine! That was a huge GN at 23min! Well, Sharmon, you set a record: 24 minutes into the video before you picked up your first FFC!😂 And ANOTHER huge GN! What a darling crab! So hanging on to that massive LW have you multiple photo ops!😁 What a shell picnic you had! Thanks, Sharmon! xxoo
LOL! Yes, I knew I was going to have to lug that shell around the whole time but it was kind of like carrying a trophy so it was worth it. I literally couldn't feel my feet half the time and my hands were SO COLD - not much can be done about that except keep moving and stay warm by putting shells in the bag! It was such a beautiful place and with no one else there it was just perfect. So many fabulous goodies to be found! I am getting much better about those heavy fighting conchs. I really try to not pay them all that much attention until I'm leaving the beach. And of course I thought of you when I found that yellow scallop! ❤️❤️❤️
Wow! Just wow! How early in the morning was this trip. We are coming to the gulf side first week of May and I told my husband we are shelling…..he runs, I will shell. I need all the help I can get about low tide, Shell Island seems amazing, where is it located.
I took the 7am tour, so it was a very early morning. Shell Island closed in the Spring through Summer for nesting migrating birds. It opens again in September if the birds are gone. There are a lot of shelling tours that go out of Goodland as well as Marco Island that will get you down to that area. The shelling is better during the winter, but I always seem to find something no matter what time of year I visit the beach.
Gorgeous huge welk! Love Shell island. This is where I found the Junonia in Feb on my tour during a negative low tide. You found some fantastic shells. Thanks for another great video.
I was really hoping for a "J" but the lightning whelk was a nice consolation prize 🐚
What is a negative low tide, if I may ask ?
Oh...what an outstanding Sunday walk!!! Thank you so much for taking us along!!!
Thank you so much for your videos! I watched several before we went to southwest Florida. I was able to really impress my daughter with my shell identifications. We went to Fort Myers beach and Bowman’s beach. Found lots of great shells including Florida fighting conchs, turkey wings, sand dollar, apple murex, pear whelk, lightning whelk, spiny jewel box, rose petals lots of baby feet, calico scallop, cats paws, augers, slipper shells and even 2 bubbles. Thanks again!
It sounds like you found all sorts of goodies - that's awesome! I hope you enjoyed your time here and I'm so glad you found some good souvenirs to bring home!
“Did I mention that I found a large lightning welk?” 😆 I thought that was so cute and funny, I and I’m so glad you kept putting it up in the video. Always love your videos!
Thank you so much for watching!
Nice haul, unbelievable so many cones and don’t forget about that huge whelk! Must be hard to sleep after all that excitement!!
As a lifetime beach comber born & bred right on the bluffs above Lake Michigan I think these virtual shelling,/beach combing trips Area the best posts on FB!! Let's keep em going and if you're going on a beach anywhere in the world, shoot it & post em!!!
What a day!! I loved your video! The reminders through the video of the huge Lightning Welk you found made me laugh out loud. Your videos are better and better each week. I love that you show maps of where you go, and I love how you now stop the video to point out things you see or specifics about a shell. I’ve learned so much. I went on a tour with Reel Kind a year ago and had a marvelous time too. They are an excellent company. Thank you for what you do! ❤️
I thank you for taking the time to come along and enjoy the beach with me, as well as taking the time to leave such a lovely comment! I don't know how I got this lucky, but I love where I live and I love sharing all the things I get to experience and the things I'm learning along the way. Thank you so much for coming along for the ride!
My school's geology club held a specimen sale the other day, and there were few seashells mixed in there - I'm proud to say that I recognized all of them thanks to your videos! Among them were a florida fighting conch, a spiny jewel box, a massive pear whelk (sadly, it was broken), a few lightning whelks, and a small banded tulip shell that I wound up buying because it had such nice colors!
That is awesome!!! Isn't it exciting to see things like that and you know what they are? I love this! Thanks so much for coming along with me on my beach walks!
I'm late to the party, but What a neat comment !.
Wow what a brilliant time you had. Fantastic shells including that huge lightening whelk. So envious! Stay safe x
It was a bit cold, but it was worth it! ❤️
I loved it Sharman. Thank you so much for taking me along. Love Terri Simmers.
Hope you have a great week Terri! ❤️
I’m so happy for you! Congratulations on that big lightning whelk! Thanks for taking me shell hunting again! Also really cool finding all those cones!
You had me cracking up by the time you were done! Your giant lightning whelk was fantastic find. I'm getting better at identifying the shells too. Thanks for a great time!
Thanks for tagging along with me!
I just came upon your channel and subscribed right away. Ft. Myers Beach was the first video I saw. I had such a huge collection of shells from yearly vacations in Florida and couldn't wait to hit the beach when I retired 2017. Unbeknownst to me life had different plans so I love getting my "beach fix" from channels like yours. Stay out there collecting shells you are so enjoyable to listen to and I love seeing the shells. Thank you for sharing it means the world to bedridden people like myself. God's Blessings to you❤
I'm sorry my response had taken so long - your comment was flagged as maybe spam. Terrible! I'm glad you found my channel and have chosen to come along with me on my beach walks. I am so very fortunate to be able to live here and even more fortunate that I get to go out and share my discoveries with others. Thank you for coming along for the ride!
I just love your vlogs! Newbie to “serious” shelling since new move to the gulf coast. I am learning so much. Could you please make a video on what you take with you when you shell? I.e. equipment you use, bags, storage and any other tips you have learned. When I go, I look ridiculous with my bag, scoop, shell bags, plastic container for fragile shells and sand dollars, plastic bag for random trash 😆😆😆
Any hints would help! Thank you for your awesomeness 👍🏼
Since I'm always on the move I travel light. Here's my shell bag and my delicates container: ua-cam.com/video/gI8tavKdqSg/v-deo.html
I just got a small folding shovel to carry around with me (we'll see if I actually use it) and if I bring my sand flea scoop, I sling it across my back through my backpack straps horizontally. Then I have my big floppy hat, sunglasses - I'm an absolutely fright when I go to the beach 😅 I put the trash in my shell bag too and just throw it away when I leave the beach. So basically I have my backpack and my shell bag because I have to keep both hands free. I will try to remember to give a run down in an upcoming video!
@@SWFBeachLife would love to see what you do with the shells.
Sounds to me like you're not ridiculous...sounds like you are prepared !. Girl, would you rather be thirsty, burned, bagless, scoopless and shell less *GASP* and take no trash away ?. I always bring what I need, so People come up to me for all the "stuff" they didn't want to be "bothered" to bring. "CAN YOU SPARE...?" LOL!. Shell like you're on a mission ! ❤😎
I absolutely love all the different shots of the giant lightning welk! And those leopard crabs are just so sunning! I took a screan shot so I can use it as a phone background. I hope you don't mind. I couldn't resist. I like that you still do the beach time. I was born and raised around the beach of California but I plan on not always living here. I plan on moving inland at some point. I will miss the beach and I know I'll always have videos to look back on like this when I'm feeling home sick. Yes, Florida beaches are very different from the beaches in California but it's similar enough. Thank you for being you and staying true to your videos.
Thank you so much for taking the time to come along with me on my beach walks! I found a bunch of those calico box crab shells today so I'll be showing you more in an upcoming video. ☺️
@@SWFBeachLife yay! Aww i look forward to it! Also the tiny baby shells from the shell casings. I think they're so cute!
Outstanding shelling day! And, did I mention, that is a great giant Lightning Welk 😆 All the shells are fantastic. Thank You for taking us along.
Your sense of humor and sheer joy (with a tinge of tee-hee-hee over great finds) makes watching your videos so fun. I am learning lots and can't wait to head south to get some shells. Kentucky just does not have an ocean....
Well when you do get here - I hope you know what you're finding and you find everything you're looking for. Hunting these beauties on the beach is really so much fun!
I look forward to your videos every Sunday! Wow, some fantastic finds! Thanks for sharing your shelling and shell education!!
Was just watching an old video waiting for this moment. I usually watch on my phone but the past few times have watched on the big flat screen and what a joy it was!! Woohooo hello beach friend! 💜
Some of these beaches are too beautiful to only see on your phone! I have another Kice Island video coming up and I would definitely recommend watching on the big screen!
@@SWFBeachLife so many people look forward to your videos. I am definitely one of them!! Thank you for everything you do!!
@@brittanyriker9976 ❤️
Yep! I can almost see it in flashing lights: RESERVED FOR SHARMON!!! Congrats! It's almost like getting an Emmy or Oscar - "Now for our top Lightning Whelk Collector, famed SWF Beach Life Videographer, we, the oceanic waves and such, present this lovely Whelkie!!!!" And how about those Alphabet Cones? I counted 10!! What a cool (literally) day! Hugs from Virginia
Now why didn't I think of an intro like that?! 😅It was so much fun and there were so many goodies! It's definitely worth the discomfort when the treasures are everywhere! Thank you SO MUCH for watching! ❤️
@@SWFBeachLife Thank you Sharmon for taking me along!
Oh I’m so excited for this beach time!! Thank you sweet friend for letting this mountain mermaid tag along with you on your shelling journeys 🧜🏼♀️🐚💕 Lots of love your way!
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Thank you so much Sharmon! Such a pleasure to watch your videos and I love being a Patreon. Sorry you were cold. What an incredible haul. My favorites were the horse conchs and the gaudy nauticas. What a beautiful place and wow the beach time is always soo soothing . Thanks so much!
You are so welcome! I find some neat things in Captiva but I also took a trip to Kice and oh boy was the shelling good! I'll be sharing in a few weeks. Thank you so much for your support!!!
Congratulations on that giant lightning whelk. And all those cones. Always nice to go shelling with you. 🐚😊
Amazing haul, especially all of those alphabet cones and the giant Whelk! As always, loved every minute!
Thanks so much!!
Was great to see all the shells today!Shell island tour was worth it!
That lighting whelk is a monster!! I could feel the 🥶. Definitely some awesome scores. Love that 🦀, how cool are they! The price seemed really high compared to other tours you've been on!? Was happy to be shelling with you on a nice sunny day😉
The tour was a bit on the pricey side, however we were the only people on Shell Island, so I have to give the tour company extra props for getting us somewhere that no one else was. Our other choice was Kice and I know there would have been many more people there so I was really happy overall with the tour.
Now that's a shelling day to be remembered! Definitely worth the time and money when you find a giant shell like that plus all the other wonderful shells! For a moment there, I thought you found a second giant lightning whelk shell! I was like "you go, Sharmon!" 😆 Definitely keeping Shell Island on my future places to go to! Thanks for taking us along!
I "only" found that one monster shell and I was so happy with it! Not to mention all the other treasures. It was such a fun day and so worth braving the cold!
You keep inspiring me to shell every time I watch your videos lol. I wanted to share with you that yesterday I was in the water at Stump Pass for about 2 hours and found a few amazing things. First I found a gigantic banded tulip in perfect shape which is about 7 inches and my most amazing find was a Junonia. It is blue with tan spots and is about 4 inches long. It does have a small hole on the underside but it’s absolutely amazing. Thank you for all your inspiration! I live to shell and beach-comb 😂
You should post a picture of your Junonia. I'm sure we'd all like to see!
It cracked me up every time you brought out the big whelk 🤣 Great find! Your videos make me want to visit Florida some day!
Everyone should visit Florida at least once! 🌴🌊🐚
You’re hilarious…love your giant lightening whelk! I was hoping you would find a junonia! I love going to Shell Island! The shells are abundant there. I also found lots of alphabet cones when I went on that tour in January. Thank you for the beach walk!!
I was really hoping for a "J" but I'll go ahead and take a giant lightning whelk! 🐚
@@SWFBeachLife I was 10’ away from a “J” when another person coming at me began to jump for joy in October then another scream of excitement 50’ from me in January. Both times on Shell Island! I think it’s my turn on my next tour! Keep hoping and searching!!!
@@chrystalthorson3442 TBH I was really hoping for a J, but I'll take that consolation whelk any day! I hope you hit the jackpot next time you're there!
Good for you for finding a large shell! I also love the alphabet cone shells. Thanks for taking us along with YOU!
I absolutely love your videos, my husband and I have gone every 5 years on our Anniversary and now we are well on our 15th this June. I can’t wait. Thank you so much I will continue to learn from your videos.
My anniversary is in June too! I hope you have another fabulous trip when you're here!
OMG, your giant Lightening Whelk! It reminded me of my daughter finding one on Cayo Costa many years ago. It is still one of our best finds ever, second only to my Junonia from Marco Island! I’m so excited for you, and all those Alphabet Cones and Horse Conchs would have made me giddy. I did enjoy seeing the live Top Snail, I’ve never seen the actual critter before. You may want to check online for some neoprene waders with the boot attached for winter shelling, I doubt you’d find them locally, but they would work great for staying warm AND dry.
Someone turned me onto boot-like contraptions I can fold up and keep in my backpack. Boy I wish I had known about them before my trip! It's not that the water is cold, but if the temp is low and it's windy no matter what you do it's cold. Dry feet would have been a big bonus but I certainly can't complain. It was a fantastic day to be out there!
CONGRATULATIONS!! What an awesome find! Once again, thank you for taking us along on your adventure. I hope you warmed up quickly once you returned to the mainland, being cold is for the birds!
Being cold is what I wanted to escape by moving to Florida but those shells make me freeze my tail off anyway! I'll be ready next time - just ordered some different boots and hopefully they will work!
O my goodness love your hall on this shell trip! I just went to Sanibel island this week for the 1st time. I got so many wonderful shells that you describe in your videos. I also found a Giant Lightning Welk like the one in this video after looking down in knee deep in water on Sanibel, I was absolutely giddy with great joy! Being a new sheller I smiled all day!!
We stared off at Again low tide, got there at sunrise, and Im sure I looked a hot mess with all my gear🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
Thank you again for sharing all your wonderful knowledge of the beaches and different varieties of shells with us views
Absolutely had a Fantastic Birthday shelling week 😃🙏🙏🙏.
Happy birthday Pisces - I'm one too! I'm so glad you found yourself some good presents from the beach! Isn't finding that big one like hitting the lottery? It's like a shell-high and it's so fun!! I'm so glad you had a great week here and a belated happy birthday!
@@SWFBeachLife it is completely addictive for sure. Love ocean water very fitting for us Pisces ♓️. Hope you Night is wonderful 🤩🙌🤩🙌
Great finds! Thanks for taking us along.
Can't believe you found those many cones. Just Wow
And that giant of a lightning whelk 😍
Those dark coloured whelks and that pear whelk were really pretty too.
And that yellow scallop is just so unique..
Today's shelling was awesome
It really was! Thanks so much for watching!
You know it’s a good day of shelling when we see your pruny finger tips. You really need to introduce yourself to us someday. Love your vlogs. Makes this northerner really miss the beach. 🐚☀️
Thanks so much for tagging along with me! I will have to share the video that Beachcombing Magazine put together for me. I do actually introduce myself and it's a great overview of my channel. Thank you for the recommendation ❤️
@@SWFBeachLife yes , yes. Please do.
Oh my gosh! That lightening whelk! Amazing! I went there on a tour in November and it was amazing. I don’t know that I could of handled those temps.🤣 maybe tho If I had a haul like you had. Shell motivation. So much fun. I love the horses conchs too. 🤗🐚🐚🐚🐚
When it's that cold and there's nothing to be found it's kind of miserable. However, soon as that big monster went in my shell bag I knew it was going to be a good day!
Fantastic find on that huge lightning welk shell! Nice on the alphabet cone shells. I think Shell island turned out to be great to go to. It is incredible to see all those shell piles. 51 degrees is very chilly but you found lots of good shells. Congrats on finding that huge lightning welk.
Thank you! It almost felt like cheating having it just sitting there on the beach waiting for me but I was quite pleased I got to bring that big beauty home with me!
Truly awesome finds! So many great shells and the sheer number is a fantastic sight to me. I had a feeling you were going to find something big with the lead-in to the video. But I was shocked it was that BIG. I laughed by the 3rd time you you reminded us😂. Thanks for my Sunday evening beach fix.
The weather could have been a bit warmer but what a fantastic day to be out there! Thank you so much for watching!
I have to tell you that I have watched a few videos by Salty Reflections and I enjoy your videos far more than any of theirs. You teach us about shells and I like the sound of your voice far better than theirs. Keep on doing what you are doing.
Thank you so much! We all have our own style 😃
Congrats on the large lightning whelk. I love the smaller ones too. I think that is my favorite Shell. The apple murex are beautiful too. I have not found one of those yet.
I love lightning Welks there really fun to find
Love your enthusiasm! You found a large welk!! Too cool. I enjoyed being on this journey with you. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing! I am in awe all of those cones!!!! Happy you found some true tulips they are a favorite of mine!
I think that’s a place I’d love to go shelling!! It seemed to be chalk full of all kinds of shells, not to mention that huge Lightning Whelk!! Well done!! And it seemed to have bigger shells all round , like the cones.
Great and beautiful walk, thanks!! Have a great week!!😊🐬
Thank you Pam! I hope you have a great week too!
So I hear you found a gorgeous “ginormous” welk!!!! Yay so happy for you. Beautiful beach! Fantastic finds! Thank you for taking me along on this beautiful journey.
I wasn't going to let you forget about that big monster 😅 Thank you so much for tagging along!
I have not been able to watch videos lately, but I’m so glad to see this one. I totally enjoyed your excitement at finding the large horse conch. Thank you for a nice, relaxing day at the beach! ❤️🐚
You are so very welcome! Thanks for coming along on my beach walk with me!
Shell island definitely on my bucket list. Great day at the beach. Thank you!! You really scored this trip. Congratulations!!
Thank you so much!
Wow, you found a ton of awesome stuff! Congrats on the huge lightning whelk, a well deserved find! That yellow Rough scallop is spectacular, and those mid-size horse conchs are awesome too, we rarely see them that size. What an awesome exploration!
I froze my tail off but it was worth it. It almost felt like cheating finding that lightning whelk just laying there but I'll take it! The cones cracked me up - I've never found so many in one beach visit. It was a fabulous morning to be out there for sure!
Wow! What a bonanza of a day! Congrats on your giant whelk! What an awesome haul, especially all the cones & horse conchs! And I just loved the beautiful yellow scallop - gorgeous color!
There were SO MANY great shells! It was such a fun day!
What an awesome trip! I love the little 'photo shoots' with the big shell... reminded me of the horse conch photo shoots when you found it. I love that chestnut horse conch and that yellow scallop was really something. A great shelling day for sure!
I worked a lot harder for that horse conch so the lightning whelk only got a little cameo 😅
Excellent Video!!!❤️❤️❤️😊 I so look forward to your videos and watch them over and over!! They are so relaxing!! I watch a few every night before bed!! Thank you for making such wonderful videos!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch my beach walks! I love sharing all the things I'm learning and these gorgeous beaches!
Gorgeous, this shell is the greatest of that kind I ever have seen. Your other shells are great too. Congrats..👍🥰❤🙏🖐
Thank you so much! It almost felt like cheating just finding it on the beach like that but I'll take it!
@@SWFBeachLife it's not cheating what you do, if you don't take, maybe another comes and take it.
The sea gives, the sea takes..thats life.
If lord would not let you find it, he never send it on shore
So be happy, it looks wonderful ❤🙏👍
@@annemariemayr3576 ❤️
3 feet of snow here so I really appreciate a walk on the beach and I love finding shells of any type. Thank you for the walk.
I hope Spring comes for your soon!!
Fantastic video!!!! I was so excited for you. I've never seen anything like that island. Thanks for taking us along. 🥰🐕🇺🇸
Thank you so much for watching and coming along with me on my beach walk!
I really enjoy exploring the beaches with you! My husband and I go to Anna Maria Island at least once a week! I make shell crafts so pieces are ok too! Very inspired by all the different ones you find! We were supposed to visit Sanibel right before the hurricane so sad Mitchell’s Sand Castles is gone! Keep shelling love watching your channel so much!
Thank you!!!
Great trip with Reel Kind and Shell Island. I just booked trip for May with Reel Kind but I found out Shell Island is closed in May for bird nesting. I was wondering if you can suggest should I go on kayak tour to sandbars or another boat tour since we can only go to Kice Island. Thanks.
I would get in touch with SWFL Shell Guide - www.swflshellguide.com
She kayaks to her destinations so she can go where she thinks the shells will be good!
Thanks for the tour. You had me laughing every time you mentioned the giant lighting whelk. When I'm on Marco Island next month I'm going to have to go to shell island. I'm planning on 2-3 shelling tours. Then in July I'll be on Captiva island for a week all by myself. Sometimes you just need to get away.
Captiva in July must be heaven! You'll pretty much have the beach to yourself! I hope you have a great time while you're here and find lots of great souvenirs to bring home!
I found an inhabited where 3 times the size of your find about 15 years ago at Lido Key after a storm. I was thrilled ! Foolishly I showed it to 2 women near me. They were enthusiastic to keep it ! I adamantly said NO !!! it needs to live and grow ! They said they were going to take it if I put it back.! I purposely walked out as far as I could. They followed me chiding me all the way ! I ran placed it in the sand and ran in crazy patterns trying to lead them astray. BUT THEY FOUND IT ! I ASKED IF THEY WERE GOING TO USE IT FOR FOOD WITH A DEFINITE NO RETORT ! TO THIS DAY I STILL FEEL BADLY THESE WOMEN DIDN'T RESPECT THE LIFE OF THAT CREATURE !
SO GLAD YOU DO !
I am so sorry that you had that horrible experience. And I'm very sorry for the poor lightning whelk. I hope my videos help educate people that the shells come from living creatures and they deserve our respect. Thank you for trying!! 🙏🏼
Great finds! Enjoyed the walk. Thanks
Thanks so much for sharing!! Always look forward to your Sunday videos.
You are so welcome! Thank you so much for watching!
Another beautiful adventure on a ridiculously shell-full beach! By the way....did you find any giant shells, lol? Thanks for taking us along to experience a little bit of Shell Island!
* After you found the large Lightning Welk, I saw one on the beach above the line of shells.. Surprised you didn't check it out to see if it was whole. That was an amazing Beach & Lots of shells . . But, not any "Paws" or other fun shells..
EVERY SHELL - GEM ! JUST BEAUTIFUL, LOVE IT ALL. THANKS FOR THE AWESOME TIME !!!
It was wonderful to watch your excitement when you found your giant whelk. Thank you for sharing. Really enjoyed the video!!!
Just found your videos, and I love them!!!! I've learned so much from what you share. I'm thinking of Shell Island for a trip with my kids, but also considering Egmont Key, on our next Orlando trip. Is Shell Island more worth the longer drive it would take us than Egmont Key?
Shell Island is now closed for the migrating birds so if you want to go you'll have to wait until September. I've never been up to the other more northern islandsnear Tampa, but soon as season is over (we get really crowded in SW Florida in the winter) I'm going to take a trip up there and see what those beaches look like and what kind of goodies they might have. Sorry I don't have better info for you!
I am so glad I found your videos. I live in Montana and have been able to stay on Sanibel and Captiva several times. We will be there in a week. So excited. Last year God provided a lions paw for me to find. I usually come home with bags and bags. It is like a treasure hunt. I can look for hours and hours and miles and miles! Thank you for your videos and all the wonderful information. Especially the cleaning one. It will help me a lot.
Isn't the hunt so much fun? There are days that I HATE leaving the beach because I just want to search all day. I hope you have a great time when you're here and find lots of great souvenirs to bring home! 🐚
Thank you so much.😊
Oh your so funny…randomly just “throwing that lightening whelk” here n there thru out the vid….classic.
I burst out actual laughing when the shell blew out of your hand…oh my god it cracked me up.
What a shelling trip you had. There’s some awesome finds, oh did I mention that COOL GIANT LIGHTENING WHELK…..🐚😂💙
I didn't even get a chance to build up to finding that big honking shell - it was right there waiting for me so of course I wanted to feature it more than once 😅 Thank you so much for coming along with me on my half-frozen, totally-awesome walk!
Watching from cold, snowy Pennsylvania. Thanks for sharing!! Peace & Prayers.
Congrats...you found a lot of gorgeous shells. The big i a amazing great one 👍🙏❤
Thank you!
My Grandma took me there when I was about 18. LOVED it! Have so many souvenirs from there!!
I turn 50 next week and guess where I will be spending my day? Captiva and Sanibel!!! I have been planning this trip for awhile now and I'm so glad I came across your channel. I love your videos! You do such a wonderful job explaining the difference between shells. Thank you for the tips on weather, parking, etc. Next week, while you're out shelling, if you happen to see a giddy "old" lady with a pink pixie cut, it just might be me! Come say hi 😃
Well a happy early birthday to you! My BD is this week too - Pisces unite! I hope you have a fantastic day and I promise to say hi if I see you!
@@SWFBeachLife Really!?! How about that. Well, happy birthday wishes to you, too! Have a beautiful day!
I absolutely love your shell finding videos. I’ve watched several and will continue to watch! Wondering if you have tips for me I’m going to be visiting ft. Myers, FL area May 2023. I’m driving so I’m able to venture out to various beaches to search for shells. What do you use to create your videos? I have a go pro and iPhone I’m going to use. Do you just hold the camera in your hand or do you strap it to something? Also, what clothing/shoes should I bring when out searching for shells in early May.
Thanks for any info! 😊 ~ Natalie
If you're driving I would visit all the beaches! Turner on Captiva, Bowman's and Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Lovers Key, Tigertail and if you're not finding what your're looking for take a tour. And I carry my iPhone to shoot everything except the underwater shots, in which case I carry an Oslo Action camera. I have a new pair of water shoes I'm going to be trying out, but currently these are my favorite: amzn.to/3wIwanv
Happy planning!
Your lightning whelk "centerfold " photo shoot was excellent. Lol
And all those alphabet cones!!! 😯
Great finds!!😊
Your videos truly bring me happiness! Hope you find more awesome shells and have an awesome year!
I hope you have an awesome year too!!!
I can't find where or if you sell shells so I ordered some from Amazon. I haven't gotten them yet but I can't wait.? I got 3 different bags and spent about $60.00 I don't know if they're good deals or not. So do you sell seashells by the seashore or anywhere else like home LoL? I'm learning the names from you and some display ideas. Yours are so beautiful. Ok, I got distracted from the video to write this. Gonna watch some more. Thanks for sharing all the beauty and knowledge. ❤️
I do sell my shells but I don't have the time to put them on my website so I just do it through email. If you decide you need a few more for your collection by all means email me at swfbeachlife@gmail.com. Thanks so much for watching my beach walks!
What a fantastic trip!!! 10 alphabet cones… jackpot . Really a wonderful haul!!! The Welk is absolutely beautiful!!! It looked cold in the video. Glad you had fun 🤩
I'm doing a tour Tuesday. I went to Captiva today it was obsolutely beautiful but No shells were to be found so I headed to Bowmans,not much luck there either. Yesterday, I went to sanibel , lighthouse Beach. Found several there and hundreds with critters. . I did find a nice big shark eye and a huge olive. 😳 Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I have told so many people about you & your channel this week They wondered how I became so knowledgeable on so I told them!
You are so very welcome and thank you for telling other people about my channel! I hope you find lots of great stuff on your shell tour!
Gooood Morning!!
What awesome treasures!! I was in Naples:Marco 2 weeks ago. Found a couple nice horse conch. About the size of yours. Found a couple alphabet cones as well. I keep ALL the alphabet cones no matter what shape and trust me one was in bad shape.
Imagine where that cone has rolled. I was fortunate to find a couple dark chocolate Fighting conchs. If you could only see how we pack them to get them on the plane ✈️ Shells can become very heavy!! Hopefully, we can try shell island next visit. Funny, I got my friend hooked on shelling (she found a bonnet with treasure seekers). But I had her look for shells on the beach and put in the work (like walk through the lagoon at tiger beach low tide when we went high tide when we left) before I took her to Kice. 🤪😜. She appreciates it.
Thank you for all your wisdom!!
That's a good way to put it - walking through that lagoon at TT is not for the faint! Just wait until I show you an absolutely fantastic cone I found last week on Kice. I've never seen anything like it. Shoot, there are so many shells that are just too gorgeous to leave behind. I tried to go to the beach without my shell bag last weekend so I wouldn't take shells and it's no use. I'm addicted to the hunt!
I tell myself no FFC. I can’t help myself.
I can’t wait to see what you found. 👏🏻
You make it seem so fun. I wish I lived near a beach. Beautiful find!
Awesome Welk 🤩 have a great week and will see you next week. Can’t wait🐚🐚
What a find that big lightning Whelk ! Congrats 🎉. Wonderful day for horse and alphabets ! Woohoo. I have a feeling you will return sometime in the future to that island even though It was on the pricey side ! Thanks for taking us along ! Stay safe
You are right on the $$ - a bit pricey but honestly being out there almost by myself was worth it. Thank you for coming along!
@@SWFBeachLife true having the place to myself for the price and good shelling I’m all in for that !
Fun beautiful shells. Thanks for taking us along with you. ❤️ Love your channel. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you Artie!!
What a great day you had ! Is the shelling down there as good as this during the fall or early spring ? Everyone on the island would have heard me squeal from excitement if I had found that large one. Haha. I would still be ecstatic over all of the other ones. Thanks for letting us tag along.
The best shelling is during the winter when the winds help push the shells up onto the beach. The rest of the year you have to really hunt in the water and hope a good storm blows through to help churn up some of those goodies and get them to the beach. That being said I happen to find at least something all year long 😀
@@SWFBeachLife thanks for the information. I thought I remembered you saying that winter is best. Keep having fun.
Awesome find! You're so lucky you went that day!
SO lucky!
What an amazing day on Shell Island! It's so wonderful to find so many beautiful shells that the bounty is nearly overwhelming. This reminds me of the day when I found so many shells of different varieties that I had no more room in my bag! I wasn't about to stop, so I took off my t-shirt and tied the arms together to make a bag. I was shivering in only my bikini, as it was a cold day, but I made a great haul that day!
My favorite shell is a Scotch Bonnet that I found on one cold day. I was very sad that day and sort of feeling sorry for myself. I asked God for a sign that things would get better and as I walked along at the water's edge, I saw something white. I reached in the foamy waves and pulled up a perfect white Scoth Bonnet as big as my palm! Though that shell and I parted ways long ago, I will always remember how my loving Father sent it to me as a reminder of His reassuring love for me.
OMG - making a bag out of your shirt to carry more shells is THE BEST! Where there is a will, there is a way. And I love your scotch bonnet story. What a wonderful shell/sign to receive! Thank you so much for sharing!
I'm moving that way the end of July if I can find the house I want. Do you think Panama Beach or Ft Myers is the best area?
I used to live in Wilmington NC and Carolina Beach NC and the shelling was pretty good but not as good as the ones that you have there.
Shelling, Cruising and Rock hounding is my life😊👍🏻
I so can't wait to get down there. I'm in Georgia now but it's just not warm enough for me and I love the beach/ not so much the sun.🤣😂
I'm not sure about Panama Beach - I have not been up that way, but the Fort Myers area is a great place and is so accessible to so many beaches. I was out this morning in the 40 degree temps - brrrr.
Thank you for sharing all the info and places for shelling Sharmon! Im definitely going to this place too!! ❤ And that is one AWSOME lightening whelk!! I laughed every time you mentioned it 🤣
That shell was way too awesome to only show once! Thank you for coming along with me!
What a wonderful day you had. Oh the variety..and the gorgeous whelk..so big how exciting to find that. That is a great place to go. Boy u have a great variety. How fun to be there..
It was so fun! Could have been a wee bit warmer but I was pretty excited about all the goodies I got to find. Hope you have a wonderful week!
The shells Grow!? I had no idea...how amazing! I'm in my sixties and I've never heard this!
Debbie Parker, I too am in my 60's and also had no idea that shells grew! In my defense, I live in a land locked State in the Central U.S.! 😀
Crazy right? The animal gets larger (on some species) and keeps building it's shell as it grows. The beach is fascinating!
Is that a giant whelk in your pocket or are you just super happy to see me...Lol! Wow what a find! I hated to see the video end! I've never been to Shell Island and now I have a new destination in mind next time I find myself in SWF. Thanks and congrats!
I hope you do get to make it there - it's pretty awesome! I just hope it's warmer for you than it was for me! 🥶
@@SWFBeachLife I agree. I actually re-watched this video with a friend. She and I are plotting and planning to do a proper vacation within the next few years. Funny out the cold...I've lived in Wisconsin for enough years that 51 degrees is like a nice heat wave...Lol! Our temps hit in the low 40's the other day and I was so excited to not wear a winter coat. We actually got a little over three inches of snow last night. I can't wait for spring. :)
Congrats on the big LW!😊 The bad thing about finding one of those early is you have to carry it for 4 hours!😁 And 2 pretty nice HCs! It must have gotten pretty boring after awhile finding all those ACs! Not! Sometimes numb feet are worth it, right?😊 Beautiful TT! Yes! You found a yellow RS almost identical to mine! That was a huge GN at 23min! Well, Sharmon, you set a record: 24 minutes into the video before you picked up your first FFC!😂 And ANOTHER huge GN! What a darling crab! So hanging on to that massive LW have you multiple photo ops!😁 What a shell picnic you had! Thanks, Sharmon! xxoo
LOL! Yes, I knew I was going to have to lug that shell around the whole time but it was kind of like carrying a trophy so it was worth it. I literally couldn't feel my feet half the time and my hands were SO COLD - not much can be done about that except keep moving and stay warm by putting shells in the bag! It was such a beautiful place and with no one else there it was just perfect. So many fabulous goodies to be found! I am getting much better about those heavy fighting conchs. I really try to not pay them all that much attention until I'm leaving the beach. And of course I thought of you when I found that yellow scallop! ❤️❤️❤️
@@SWFBeachLife 🥰
Wow! What great finds. I was just in Sanibel but didn’t have great luck. But ended up with some of my favorite minis and a gorgeous larger Gaudy!
Sweet finds! I wish the shells were guaranteed to be out there for us but it makes the hunt that much more fun!
What a beautiful island! So many shells! 😍
Your greeting to us makes me happy!
What a fabulous haul! Spectacular 🤩
Thank you! 🤗
Super awesome! I was here Sunday too for the first time with Treasure seekers. Such a great time !!
I hope you found as many good things as I did!
Wow! Just wow! How early in the morning was this trip. We are coming to the gulf side first week of May and I told my husband we are shelling…..he runs, I will shell. I need all the help I can get about low tide, Shell Island seems amazing, where is it located.
I took the 7am tour, so it was a very early morning. Shell Island closed in the Spring through Summer for nesting migrating birds. It opens again in September if the birds are gone. There are a lot of shelling tours that go out of Goodland as well as Marco Island that will get you down to that area. The shelling is better during the winter, but I always seem to find something no matter what time of year I visit the beach.