Another Trip....Keewaydin!

The 'Shell Raisers' planned this trip right after our last one to Keewaydin, but unfortunately Jolene couldn't make it as she has had to stay home taking care of her family as a stomach virus has been spreading at her house! We missed her terribly! We did have a fourth come with us, a friend of Cindy's named Diane and I think she had a good time!

It was a beautiful Morning....

That's Cindy closest to me....

We were the first on the island so we had very high expectations! At first glance, the shells seemed pretty plentiful and there were several 'wrack lines' (Thanks Cindy for this pic!)

This was my very first find, and it ended up being one of my favorites of the day! It's a VERY lacy Lace Murex....

Isn't it beautiful? So Delicate!!

Right after that, I started picking up Alphabet Cones....

The first two were what I call Chocolate Cones...much deeper...chocolate colored spots! Jolene (The cone whisperer) was definitely with us...Cindy even said she was going to start calling me Jolene!! 

The next was a little bigger and more the coloring we are used to....

Liz found a small Golden Olive!! I believe this is her third she has found...I've been with her for each one...now it's my turn Liz!! ;)

I found some very colorful True Tulips...

quite a few Worm Shells....this one was a favorite! (sorry it's a bit out of focus, was very bright out there and I couldn't see detail very well!)

and check out the coloring on this Florida Fighting Conch!!! These guys come in all different colors!

Doesn't this look like a picture postcard?? This sailboat was anchored offshore...what a life, huh?!

Liz also found a Flat! We didn't know they were out there so that was a nice surprise!

Lori, another passenger on the boat found one also!!

Cindy found this beautiful Gaudy Nautica

Liz and I decided to stay around the point and shell it really well and Cindy and Diane walked way up the shoreline....

Talk about the Cone Whisperer!!! Check out what Cindy got!!

7 Cones!!! All big 'uns!! She was so happy, it was Awesome!

Diane ended up with 6 herself!! (I missed getting the pick when she got them all out of her shell bag)...but here are 4 of them

she also got this BEAUTIFUL Neon Orange Horse Conch...

I found something really cool....I spent some time looking online and in my books, and the only thing I found that is similar is a yellow tube sponge. It was very dense and so unusual!I have never found anything like it before!

We bid this beautiful Island a fond farewell around Noon, with our shell bags full of treasurers, and happy for another beautiful warm Florida day!

Here are my finds for the day...

Not bad, huh?! I even found a Wentletrap out there!!

Here are Liz's treasures....

So Stay Tuned as the adventures continue! The Shell Raisers are hitting the road again and I will hopefully have new stories to tell!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Shell Raisers do Jupiter Beach!

A Picture post card, right? "Wish you were here!"  The credit goes to Cindy for this beautiful picture!! Check out that Turquoise water! Welcome to Jupiter Beach on the east coast of Florida. 

The Shell Raisers planned another adventure because Jolene had gotten some 'inside information' from someone about where to go and what to find....today was to be Scotch Bonnets, Bittersweet clams and maybe a Lions paw!! 2 of my 'Bucket List' shells are Helmets and Lions Paws! 

We first stopped at the beginning of Carlin Park and walked in the deep sand for about 2 miles...

We didn't find much there did pick up a few Bittersweets as they're fairly rare on our West coast...we also saw pieces of Helmets and Lion Paws....but nothing else, so back to the car to move a little further down the beach.

It was pretty barren until we walked for a bit, and we came up on an area that had a LOT of shells in a small area....Mostly Bittersweets....

We did see this guy....a Portugese Man of War!!! These guys are said to be very painful, even when they are dead!! But they are so Beautiful!

Not far from this guy Cindy picked up a SCOTCH BONNET!!! 

But unfortunately we didn't find much else, just Bittersweets and Pieces and Parts of other shells...We did find a Rock Structure! :)

Jolene had met someone on the beach that had a Whippet and was talking to them, and they advised that we head to the Lighthouse at Jupiter Inlet, thats the place to shell. We made the long walk back and decided to spend the last hour of daylight on that beach!

It was a bit rockier here and we all knew we needed to be careful, The Atlantic has some waves that are much larger than our beloved Gulf of Mexico!!!

We all were a bit disappointed with the amount of shells we left with but a couple of us....(Cindy and Jolene) scored big time with the special shells!

Here are Liz's finds....  A Flat, An unusual Tellin, Pieces of a helmet, Coral, even a LEGO!!!

driftwood....

...and a Hamburger Bean!!

I didn't get much, Bittersweets, broken Lions Paws, a big Nutmeg, (when I found this, at first glance I thought it was a bonnet!!), thorny oysters and on the top right is a shell I had to look up in my book! It's a Green Star Shell....a first for me!

Cindy got a Ton of Olives, Turkey Wings, Bittersweets, Frond Oysters and of course the Scotch Bonnet dead center!!!

Jolene did great!! We didn't know how well until this morning!!

Bittersweets of all sizes and colors,

Olives , Frond Oysters

Check this out!! 2...TWO Lions Paws and an Imperial Venus!!

Though we didn't fill out Shell bags to the brim, once again we had a nice adventure and a lot of fun!!! 

Stay Tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

A Little Adventure!

 We went on a little adventure yesterday....we got on a boat and headed to a barrier island named Keewaydin. It's just a short boat ride north of Marco Island! "We" is a group of 4 of us, happy go-lucky middle-aged women, Liz, Me, Cindy and Jolene, We love to shell and are looking for an adventure so you'll never know where we'll go next!!  We have decided we will call ourselves the 'Shell Raisers'!! So from now on, you'll know who I'm talking about!! ;)

We drove to Rose Marina in Marco Island, (about an hour and a half from my house in Fort Myers) and caught the Hemingway Water Shuttle to Keewaydin Island...I highly recommend them!!

Before we boarded, we happened to be near the docks and saw the marina's version of the ice cream truck show up! ..at least these birds thought so!!!

The Bait truck!!! He was very popular with every Snowy Egret in the vicinity!!

It was a bit foggy as we rode up to Keewaydin late morning, but it didn't last long, and it didn't take us long to get down to business!

These sandbars are relatively new, accelerated by the latest storms according to the Captain and First Mate! 

Cindy waisted no time looking for treasures....

...as did Jolene and Liz!

At first, I started finding Lots of live stuff, which you know I always like to see....and have to share!

Beautiful Live Banded Tulip...

...and Big 'Ol Horse Conch.... (Love that iconic Orange Body!!)

....Live Olive...

This Neon Orange Florida Cone....

and this TINY little Lace Murex!

Unfortunately I don't believe this guy(pygmy Octopus) was alive anymore....but I carefully put him back in the water, just in case!

Jolene has mentioned several time that she wanted to find a Golden Olive....Well today was her day!! It wasn't perfect as the very tip was missing, but she didn't care....it was beautiful!!

....and she was so Happy!!!

and would you believe....about 10 minutes later, she found another one!!!! It was PERFECT!!

Here's a peak inside her shell bag....The Cone Whisperer!!

She even picked up a BEAUTIFUL orange Fighting Conch!

Here's a look inside Liz's shell bag....she was doing great too!! Though you can't see it very well from this view!

and this is Cindy's!

I found out later that this was ONE of her bags, she had 2!! ;)

I shelled mostly in a small tidal pool and found lots of little treasures....Orange seemed to be the theme! True Tulips, a Florida Cone, Pear Whelk, Worm Shell, Olive and I can't pass up an Orange Scallop!

Here's what was in my shell bag.....

....the view was beautiful!!

We did a lot of walking....

and had a GREAT time!

Goodbye Keewaydin...

We WILL be back!!

Another person on the boat had a good day!! She found these Monster shells (about 15 Horse Conchs and Lightning Whelks) right after we arrived, in about chest deep water!!! She could barely carry this bag!!!

An Update:: Remember this guy from Last Monday's trip after the storms??

He Cleaned up VERY WELL!! He is now one of my Favorites!!

The other still needs some work and elbow grease..... but it's coming along!!

Stay Tuned!!!

::Shelllady Hugs::