How to Find Shells on Sanibel Island

• Assemble the useful tools of the trade: mesh collection bag, small shovel, magnifying glass, metal sieve, “shell scooper” net, small rake/claw, field notebook, waterproof pen, collection bottles for tiny specimens, small plastic bags for shell storage, insect spray, suntan lotion, water bottle, and lightweight backpack.

• Remember, the collection of live shells is prohibited and strictly enforced. If you are not sure if a shell is alive, place it in a tide pool or at the surf’s edge and quietly observe. After a few moments, if the critter feels safe, it will extend from the shell and begin moving around. If the animal is alive please return it to the same spot where it was originally collected.

• The best time to find shells is 1 ½ hours before low tide until 1 ½ hours after low tide. Tide charts are available at www.shellmuseum.org.

• Best days of the month are the new moon and the full moon.

• If you do not find shells on one beach try another area of the island.

• Start by zigzagging the beach, walking from the high tide line to the surf line and back until “hot spots” are identified.

• Many shells are found right below the surface of the sand. Telltale bubbles indicate that a creature waits below. Enjoy their color, structure, and habits and return them to their home.

• Tidal pools are a haven for marine life. Check under rocks, logs, driftwood, and in “clumps” of seaweed. Be sure to return the “habitat” to the state in which you found it.

• Intertidal mud flats are great for burrowing mollusks and sea snails.

• As a mollusk moves, a trail may be left behind. Look for tracks in the sand.

• Snorkeling during low tide is a great way to collect shells that haven’t been damaged by the surf.

• Examine the cliff-like ledge revealed as the tide recedes. Shells become trapped or buried there.

• Look along the tide line characterized by “shell grit.” Use the sieve to separate grit from small shells.

• Check out large piles of shells at the high tide line. Don’t assume they’ve already been “picked over.”

• The roots of mangrove trees provide safe harbor for many mollusks.

• Avoid the crowds and competition by shelling with a flashlight at low tides occurring after dark.

• Storms are a calling card for great shelling. Winds out of the northwest produce bountiful shelling. This is when serious shellers head for the beach.