There is no better place to find shells than Florida. Consisting of gastropod shells, conch shells, banded tulip, pen shells, cockleshells, Venus clams, lightening whelk and bivalves, these beaches are key spots to find shells and widely considered to be the best beaches for shells in Florida.
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Though all you need is a small shovel and a bucket, it is highly advised that you put some planning into your trip. After deciding on what beach you would like to go to, it is good to find out what time will work best for your shell finding.
Tips For Beginners
Believe it or not, there are actually tips for how to be a better shell catcher. These include watching the moon phase, looking at the tide and making sure to keep in mind that the beaches change every day.
This does also depend heavily on the date and location and experts say that the best time for shell finding is low tide, after a cold front or right after a large storm, especially if the storm was very windy. This is when the shells tend to all wash up on the shore, and they usually stay there until the tide or weather changes again.
Additionally, it helps to look at the wind directions since Northwest winds are great for Captiva shelling and Southwest winds are great for the Sanibel area.
The Types Of Shells You Find Are Always A Surprise
Since the shell type does vary slightly from beach to beach (even though they are all Florida based), it is good to figure out what specific type of shell you’re looking for. While you might get a handful of pen shells one day, venues clams could show up the next. Regardless of which one of these beaches you travel to, when you travel to it or what your shell finding strategy is, you will always be surprised with what shells you find.
However, if you’re like most people and are just looking to find some beautiful shells, then all of the beaches below will work, which is why they are considered to be the best beaches for shells in Florida.
The Best Beaches For Shells In Florida
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island – Look at all those shells!
There is no better beach in Florida (for shells) than Sanibel Island. Many shell lovers travel long distances just to come here, and it was recently named the best shelling spot in North American by Travel & Leisure Magazine. Since this island lies east and west (rather than north and south like most islands do), the Gulf Of Mexico is able to bring an above average amount of shells ashore.
The beaches throughout Sanibel Island are as beautiful as they are shell filled and it does not go unnoticed. The beach has an incredible shell over-abundance of all kinds and many individuals throughout the Island have their own Sanibel shell collection.
Where is it?
While Sanibel Island-based shell collecting is a lot of fun, there are still certain laws against Preservation, since the shells are considered important to the islands chain of life. The shells of Sanibel Island actually help to keep the sand in place after being crushed by waves, storms and beach-goers. According to the Sanibell Captiva website, they are also a main source of food for a lot of the birds and fish located throughout the Islands.
One of the other additional activities that can be found on Sanibel Island is the Annual Sanibel Fair And Show. This fair takes place every March and provides a showcase of amazing shell collections and art. The Captiva Island also helps by presenting a large shell display across the beach’s entirety during the Fair. This allows tourists to get a glimpses of what shelling is like in Florida at Sanibel Island. These are just a few reasons as to why Sanibel Island is considered by many people all over the world to be one of the best beaches for shells in Florida.
The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Another great benefit which is located on Sanibel Island, is the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum. This museum is a local favorite and has a lot of great memorabilia for visitors and tourists to bring home with them.
Where is it?
While many of the regulars throughout this museum are highly educated on different shell types, even those with little to no education on the subject enjoy going due to the beauty of the shells that can be found inside.
Fernandina Beach
Fernandina Beach stretches from the Gulf Coast all the way to the Atlantic Coast and includes many shell-happy locals. While Fernandina Beach is rather un-popular, it is great for shark’s teeth, and many locals find these on a regular basis.
Where is it?
There is definitely no shell-shortage here either, beach-goers should not only plan on finding loads of shark-teeth, but they should prepare for sorting through large piles to find the ones they want.
Even though this beach is fairly unfamiliar to tourists, it becomes obvious to them as to why many consider it to be one of the best beaches for shells in Florida after visiting.
Honeymoon Island Beach
While many dislike the fact that beach-goers are allowed to bring their dogs, Honeymoon Island Beach is still without a doubt one of the best beaches for shells in Florida and a favorite among locals.
According to the Beach Hunter website, Honeymoon Island hosts more than 700,000 people each year and consists of more than 3.5 miles of beautiful white sand.
Where is it?
In addition to the high shell demand throughout Honeymoon Island Beach, it also plays host to many weddings, hiking trips, mountain bikers, and joggers. For any individuals looking to bring their dogs, this area is separate for obvious reasons and requires an 850 foot sandy trail hike in order to enter.
While there are no hotels directly on the beach, many accommodations are nearby for vacationers or tourists.
Bonita Beach
Surrounded by luxury home developments, this upscale island is a great shell catching target and certainly one of the best beaches for shells in Florida. Fortunately for vacationers and tourists, many hotel chains are nearby and a boat is even offered to take you there!
Where is it?
Marco Island
In addition to being one of the best beaches for shells in Florida, Marco Island has weather almost as warm as the Keys and Miami, even in the winter time.
Surrounded by Everglades and nature attractions, Marco Island is home to many shell collectors year round. It is important to note that since a lot of major development is going on throughout Marco Island, people interested in going should do so quickly!
Where is it?
Another gem on Marco is Tiger Island, it’s a huge favorite among the locals. People enjoy the fact that you are able to take a break from shell finding to swim in the lagoon or even to take a nice romantic walk. Sand Dollar Island is not far from Tiger Island and many people walk back and forth between the two.
Wrap Up
For any Florida-based shell finders, there are a must. While there are numerous other beaches located throughout the state, those listed above are most definitely the best beaches for shells in Florida due to the large amount that they carry and their beautiful locations. With the large array of shells and shell types that show up on these beaches, it is truly no wonder why so many people travel across the world just to find shells in locations like Sanibel Island, Bonita Beach and Marco Island.
Whether you are an expert shell finder or someone just looking for a fun hobby, visiting the best beaches for shells in Florida will be to your benefit and will also be something you’ll remember for years to come.
I love this article. You sure got me interested in taking this up as a hobby. When I was a child my grandparents gave me so many beautiful shells they had gathered from their travels. Thank you Jim for the suggestions on where to start.