Days 7, 8, & 9 ...and a Mini Vacation!

On Sanibel, things have not really improved much, the Red Tide seems to be apparent, sometimes worse than others. The water is still Brown/orange from The releases....

Lighthouse Beach

 The dead fish continue...

I did go further West, up to Bowman's Beach....the water looked so much better....

But I had to immediately head back to the car because the Red Tide was awful....keep in mind, the Red Tide isn't seen, it's in the air, and affects you by a tickle in the throat to bad cough, runny nose, sneezing etc....

Cheri and I walked the beach about the center of Sanibel, my old favorite place, Gulfside City park...there were dead fish all up the beach 

and the Red Tide hit us in places there also...

It's really frustrating and depressing, just trying to understand why this is allowed to continue....So today I decided to try Captiva...reports are that it has been good, so I decided to check it out at low tide this morning....I was in need of a little bit of positive Beach Therapy... The water was very clear....and the color was more like it should be....

I saw birds...!  A Snowy Egret....

 ...I believe this is a Willet...

I got so excited....a Bald Eagle flew over!! (of course I didn't have my camera ready) I loved seeing their feet prints in the sand....

I saw lots of Ghost Crabs....

I did see a few dead fish, but they were from a long time ago....dried out

There was no smell, and no Red Tide! I so enjoyed myself! I took of my shoes, walked the beach barefoot, and even got in the beautiful water! Like a mini-vacation, I need it!

I found a couple of Shiva Shells (The 'door' of a Turban Shell) I love these little guys and have very few!

I found lots of pieces of ZigZag Scallops, we call them Flats....and finally found a perfect one!

Check out the size of this one....it must have been a huge one at one time!

I so enjoyed this! 

On the way back home, Cheri and I decided to meet at the Lighthouse, to look for some minis....and check things out....

Lots of Coquina!.....

and there were amazing thunderstorms brewing in the Gulf....

A slight Red Tide around the point, on the sound side..... It chased me off since it was getting closer and lightning nearby....
I did find a couple of minis....and Wentletraps...

I didn't come home with a Bag full of shells, but I did get a mini-vacation...and always love walking the beaches! Trying to just tell it like it is, not be too negative, but it is so tough to see....

Stay Tuned!

::Shelllday Hugs::

Day 6...It's Back!

Don't have much to report today, went out to the Lighthouse and the Red Tide was awful....the further you walked West, the worse. Lots of Dead fish, and very smelly!

Team Cheri couldn't even find a Wentletrap!! Can you imagine?! There were fish floating in the water also, so I expect the beaches this morning were a mess again!

I did manage to pick up a few scallops and a Baby's ear!!

Saw a Baby Ghost crab who seemed very much alive!

And caught the tail end of the sunset as I headed across the causeway!

Sorry about the short post, just wanted to let you know how quickly things change around here, it was a pretty disappointing evening after the nicer conditions the day before. 

It changes with the wind and the tide!

Stay tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::

Day 5 Guardedly Optimistic

I am happy to say, the water, and the beaches looked better than they have since I've been here. As I have said, it can change quickly and with a change in wind and/or tide, so I am guardedly optimistic. 

Low tide is not very low these days and after dark, so we were there before sunset.  We did detect a little bit of Red Tide, just a cough now and then, but very little! Is it my imagination or does the water appear to have a little more greenish, and less brown?....at least up near the beach....

There were a few shells there too!

We saw more life too...If you look closely, there is a manatee swimming here along the beach! Just where the water starts to darken, right in the center!

We saw a couple of birds! A Snowy Egret, and this guy a Reddish Egret (Thank you Cheri for this amazing pic!)

There were still bones, and dead fish here and there, but much much less than it has been....I didn't see them floating in the current either....

We ran across a couple of Hermits....

Now you see them....

Now you don't!

The backside of the lightning whelk was covered in moss and yuck...

We saw Periwinkles...alive and well...

and look how clear this water is...and more green than brown!

I don't, for a moment think it's all fixed....but it appears to be improving, at least for this day.....

Still not many keeper shells....but I did find a few worm shells...

and this amazing True Tulip....deep maroon!

Cheri had her radar going for the Wentletraps....

This is what she kept....she gave me a bunch of the littlest ones!!

We each found a Brown Banded Wentletrap!!!!

I could've stayed there for hours,  the minis were so plentiful...but after the sun set, the noseeums came out like crazy....they finally chased me in!!! :(

Here are the minis I came home with....I'd say it was a great day!!

Stay tuned...maybe we'll have good luck again! Fingers crossed!

::Shelllady Hugs::