How to Safely Transport Shells

• Pack sturdy shells in small zip-lock bags.

• Fill plastic bottles with delicate shells, using sand to cushion the shells. Small shells can be placed in plastic medicine containers.

• To protect hinged bivalves, stuff them with cotton and use scotch tape to secure them in a closed position. Remove the tape when you return home or it will permanently adhere to the shell.

• Save coffee cans and plastic peanut butter or mayonnaise containers. Wrap shells in toilet paper or bubble wrap. Use rice or wheat puffs as a protective filler in metal /plastic containers or zip-lock bags. Coffee cans can be placed in checked luggage but shouldn’t be packed in carry-on bags or mailed in corrugated boxes.

• Styrofoam peanuts, sawdust or puffed wheat cereal work well as filler for packing shells.

• For sand dollars or other delicate specimens, buy a loaf of bread. Put each specimen in-between two pieces of bread and repack.

• To mail packages use heavy corrugated boxes, reinforce boxes on the corners and line with corrugated material. Reinforce the sides with crisscrossed pieces. Place box inside another box, with crumpled up newspaper serving as a shock absorber between the two boxes.

Enjoy Your Sanibel Shells