Sanibel Island and Captiva Island have earned their reputation as the Shell Islands honestly. They are actually made out of shells, like some magnificent work of shell art created over thousands of years. When islanders dig gardens in their backyards, they find conchs, whelks, scallops and clam shells often perfectly intact.
The best shelling is found on the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The islands rank tops in the world for shelling because of geography. Sanibel Island does the twist as it parades along the coastline among a string of other more orderly, straight-and-narrow islands. The east-west torque of Sanibel's south end acts like a shovel scooping up all the seashells that the Gulf imports from The Caribbean and other southern seas.
The abundance and variety of shells have made Sanibel and Captiva Islands shell-obsessed. People come from all over the world, drawn by the song of the seashell. They parade along the sands doubled over in a stance that's been dubbed the Sanibel Stoop. Every March, they gather to compare and appreciate shell collections and shell art at the annual Sanibel Shell Fair & Show. Throughout the year, shell shops sell seashells by the seashore (and by the thousands). Shells are the dominant motif in island decor and boutique gifts. You'll find everything from finely crafted "shell-igrams" to lucite toilet seats with seashells lacquered in. (No home should be without one!)
Where to Shell
All of the Gulf-side shelling beaches from the Lighthouse to North Captiva.
When to Shell
At low tide when the seashells are more exposed, especially at low spring tides (at full and new moons) and after Gulf storms have driven the shells up the Gulf onto our shelling beaches.
How to Shell
Bring bucket or net bag and scoop. Wear shoes and shuffle to expose partially hidden mollusks and to scare away fish.
What to Expect
Shells of many types and sizes are found on our shelling beaches. As a general rule the smaller seashells are found on the Lighthouse end of the island chain and the larger ones nearer Captiva and North Captiva. Conch, Junonia, Lightning Whelk, Cockle, Scallops, Murex, Tulip, Olive, Coquina, are among the species you may expect to find.
Guide to Sanibel & Captiva Shelling and Seashells
Seashell Ecology Seashells come in two major varieties. The gastropod has a single shell and includes such species as conchs and whelks. Bivalves, such as clams, cockles and scallops, live within two hinged shells. The empty seashells you find layered on the beach once were home to soft-tissued animals called mollusks. Mollusks build their shells by secreting a liquid that eventually hardens around them. As the animals grow, their shells grow with them. Special glands create color pigments just before new layers of shell harden.
Shells and their inhabitants play an important role in Sanibel and Captiva islands ecology. They help keep our sand neatly in place and restock it with more as they're crushed by waves and other forces. They provide food for birds and fish. The scavenging and filtering performed by certain mollusks help cleanse Gulf waters.
Shelling Law & Florida Seashell Preservation - No Collecting Live Shells
Because seashells are important to the islands' chain of life, and because Sanibel and Captiva are refuge islands where all life is considered precious, the State of Florida has outlawed the collecting of live shells on the island. "Live shell" is defined as any specimen containing an inhabitant, whether or not the mollusk seems alive. The law also protects sand dollars, starfish and sea urchins. All shelling is prohibited in J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.
