Lightning Storm with Friends!

Sanibel's waters are clearing up...daily. Let's just hope it stays that way! It finally seemed clear enough that Team Cheri took to the water yesterday....we actually weren't snorkeling, we were scooping! Before the evening was done, we looked like we had been snorkeling....soaked thru and thru by waves in the face and on our backsides....actually knocking us down. But... what Fun! Plentiful too!!

For the first time in my shelling career, I actually FILLED up my shell bag!!!

I managed to pick up 43 Lightning Whelks!

Besides Lightnings I found Kings Crowns...

Lots of Shark's Eyes....

and a couple of Gaudy Nauticas

They looked so much prettier after rinsing them off, I had to snap another picture...

Cheri did great too....she actually is more choosy than I am, she filters out shells she doesn't want and throws them back at the end...maybe I need to learn to do that, I wouldn't have so many!!!
Here are her finds...

Notice she got Alphabets, a pretty Pear Whelk and Lace Murex and even a Scotch Bonnet!!! Look at the gorgeous color of that Lightning Whelk top left...and the inside of the large whelk in the center is actually purple!!!

Not long after we got there, our friends Donnie (The Shellinator) and Christine (The Shellinatrix) walked up....

From Left: Donnie, Me, Cheri and Christine

They actually snorkeled and did very well also....there were plenty of shells to go around! You can see from their bags in this next pic!

Everybody found Alphabet Cones....but me! I'm gonna have to knuckle down and get me an Alphie!! ;) We had such a GREAT time!! I felt like I had been in a washing machine for a few hours....and I slept like a baby last night!! :)



In other news....from earlier this week, I went back out with Cheri Bird Nerding at Bunche Beach...

These guys get pretty close to her....see how close these are behind her?

We always see such interesting things there....these are called Ice Cream Cone worm shells....they were EVERYWHERE....

and several had these Bubbles attached to the end....not sure what that is about, but I will continue to research it...

These tubes are actually made up of sand....here is one I have in my collection....was afraid to pick it up because I am sure it is fragile as it has dried...

I saw several places that had Kings Crown eggs...like on the end of this log....

there were tiny little Sea Hares....this one has his Antennae out on his head (to the left) they look like a butterfly or bat when they swim....very graceful. This one has his 'wings' wrapped around his body...like he's hugging himself....

Here is one swimming that I googled...

So many cool things to see!!

Since it was low tide at Bunch there was lots of sand...and there were these little fiddler crabs everywhere....they leave these little balls of sand next to their holes...and move so fast in and out of them.  The hole is at the very top and if you look REALLY closely I got a pic of one of them here....can you spy the crab?

Cheri got a much better picture of one! they are tiny!

Of course we saw many live Kings Crown and I always have to snap pictures of them...

 Surprise! This one has a Hermit Crab in it!! I haven't seen this very often...they are usually live with their snails!

Well, one more trip before I leave, maybe two....but Shellcrafters tomorrow! So Stay Tuned!!

::Shelllady Hugs::