By Beach Bliss Living

 

I think it’s safe to say, Sanibel Island, FL, has the world’s best shelling beaches. There are a few other shell beaches that make the top list, such as the one on St. Bart (Caribbean) and at Shark Bay (Australia), but none come close to Sanibel’s variety of shells. So let’s shellebrate Sanibel, a lush shell hunting paradise where waves and currents funnel hundreds of species of shells right onto the beaches!  Photo by Anne McKinnell.

 

 

 

Sanibel island has 15 miles of beaches, 22 miles of bike paths, abundant wildlife and the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the country. So there’s more to Sanibel island than just shells! Well, not technically. The island is actually made of shells.

Sanibel fishing pier and lighthouse beach, is one of the six public beaches on the island. You can bike to this beach on the Periwinkle pathway. Lighthouse beach, along with Blind Pass (between Sanibel and Captiva) are the two top destinations for shelling.

And here are some Sanibel shelling facts and tips you want to know:

• The east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end acts like a shovel scooping up all the seashells travelling from the Caribbean and other southern seas.
• The types of shells on the beaches can vary according to the time of year.
• Seashells are important to the island’s chain of life and it is against the law to collect live shells, same is true for neighboring Captiva island.
• The best shelling is during the winter, at low tide, preferably after a storm.
• Up to 30,000 visitors come to Sanibel and its neighbor island Captiva each week at peak season (December to April).
• While on the hunt for shells, chances are that you will see dolphins and manatees.
• Sanibel island has an annual Shell Fair and Show that is held every March.
• Since Sanibel is made out of shells, created by nature over thousands of years, when locals dig in the backyard they often find perfectly intact conchs, whelks, scallops and clam shells.

 

Much, much more to see and read at the author’s web site:

https://beachblissliving.com/sanibel-island-worlds-best-shelling-beaches/