Day Four...We can Always Wentle!

We decided to head up to Blind Pass, as most of you know, it's where Sanibel and Captiva Island connect. It was a NW wind and let me tell you....the Red Tide was so bad there that Cheri and I couldn't take it! It normally doesn't bother either of us too bad, but this was unbearable! We did walk down the beach, and the erosion was crazy....much of the beach was gone, and it has all changed in the month since I was last there! 

We were there about 30 minutes and had to leave....the wind was blowing toward the shore and the Red Tide was choking us both!....and there was still a lot of death on the beach so the smell was bad too...

I did pick up a piece of Sea Glass, which is very unusual on Sanibel!

Back to the Lighthouse....

Neither of us noticed any Red tide here, it was very calm, though the dark water and dead wildlife is a constant reminder....We did see a pelican there that actually landed on the beach....not in the water.

We went searching for minis....In case you don't know this, Cheri, in our little group, is known as the Wentle whisperer or Queen....she has constant radar running for them and can really find those little guys....see what I mean?

I can find them if they're like this....

But that is rarely the case....you have to be diligent and look very closely! I ended up with these for the evening....not too bad!

With the current state, with so many dead and dying fish....you have to be so careful.....so many tiny bones....(click on the pic to make it larger, then click the x to return) It becomes very difficult to pick up the tiny Wentletraps and Rice Olives.....see the bones in there? By the Billions!

Wentling is one of my favorite things to do....and it is very therapeutic! Cheri and I do it very often!

I was rewarded on the way back to the car with a BEAUTIFUL, Huge Shark's eye! Sadly half of him was still in there, another reminder....

I left a little bit early....but did manage to snap a picture on my way back home! Always gotta have a little sunshine!

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Hundreds of Hermits and A Perfect End to the Day!

There were tons of minis in the water at Sanibel Lighthouse yesterday morning....and almost everyone of them was occupied! Most with VERY energetic Hermit Crabs....

 I always wonder when they pick a shell like this Pear Whelk how hard it must be to maneuver! 

I found a beautiful Live King's Crown also....

I found this beauty too....and it was NOT live, so he quickly went into my Shell Bag, Daddy would be proud!

I found another small Alphabet Cone, but he is old and worn, good enough, he came along too.

I found a few other little treasures is a new shell pile...Coral, Worm shell, Olives, a tiny True Tulip and a Pear Whelk that should clean up nicely.

I decided to head on down the beach away from the lighthouse as I hadn't been there in a while, I saw LOTS of Fighting Conchs, Lightning Whelks, I have recently sworn off the keeping the Lightning Whelks as I have way too many....let someone else. I came across another shell pile area, small stuff this time.... A Baby's ear, True Tulip, and Jewel Box pairs...

I am always amazed how these fragile Paper Figs always show up in perfect shape after a storm...

I also saw this guy walking along the bottom, it's the BIGGEST crab I have ever seen, didn't get close enough to see what kind he was...Look at those Claws!

Another shell pile showed me the top of this guy, I admit, I couldn't refuse it, the colors were beautiful and it was empty!

I walked back toward the lighthouse, this time, just along the break of the water...came across an area that had a LOT of Fighting Conchs half buried in the sand...I noticed some small points sticking up, I started moving aside the fightning conchs, and worked my fingers in the sand....and after a little bit I pulled this beautiful guy out!

Is that amazing or what?! Top view....

It was very stinky and I rinsed out bits and pieces of the him over and over again....I think he got trapped there and died in place....This is a Lightning Whelk I will be keeping....for a LONG time!! 

What a GREAT way to end my walk!?

Update:  Here he is all cleaned up!

Aren't the colors Amazing?! I'm a happy Girl!

Stay tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Negative Low Tide Part 2

Another adventure on the beach at negative low tides! "Team Cheri" has had such fun on these beaches! The day started off with Cheri finding an Angel Wing! I think that is a GREAT start, don't you?

(*note: You can click on these pics to enlarge them)

...just a little ways down the beach she found this beautiful nice sized Shark's Eye

Cheri also found this NICE Lightning Whelk, it doesn't show very well in the pic but it has a Lavender inside!

I couldn't resist taking a pic of these tiny live ark shells in this HUGE Cockle pair..

Then we began to see A LOT of life out there...

This beautiful LIVE Lightning Whelk...

...and lots of live Fighting Conchs....with their eyes exposed...

Even this Albino Fighting Conch was checking things out!

There were crabs of all types...Like these Calico Crabs...

Live Olives and Arks were writing in the sand...

These 2 Sea Anemones were fully extended in the tidal pool on each end of this Lightning Whelk!

And alas, the Horse Conchs have once again beached themselves along the shoreline, hopefully the tide will take them back out again...

 All the dark spots in the center beach are Large Live Horse Conchs!

This was a MONSTER Lightning Whelk!

Did I say Shark's eyes? I could not believe how many there were, every color you can think of! Here are 2 of them pretty close together...(front side on left, bottom side of another on the right.  I ended up with 24 of them!

There were tons of minis out there too!

 Like this beautiful Wentletrap...

 and another Small False Donax, this one was alive....so he went back in the gulf...

Also along the beach were sandcastles, sand people and this awesome 'fish' that someone made out of Dosinia and Pen Shells! Someone was so creative and really planned this out, it was Huge!!

The day started out with a light sprinkle, and then fog moved in....still a beautiful picture with the sun peeking through!!

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllady Hugs::