The Essential Beachcomber

Florida has the typical  state bird & state flower The  State Shell is the Horse Conch .  I found this on on Sanibel Island back in January 2011 on the Captiva side of the newly-forming sand bar.   I guess it stands to reason that we would have a state stone also.  Any idea what it is? Obscure rocks on the beach that have really cool geodes in them for $200 Alex!    What is Agitized Coral?  ding, ding, ding.... Exactly.  What the heck is it.  According to www.GatorGirlRocks.com   "Coral is the outside skeleton of tiny ocean animals called polyps, which live in colonies attached to hard underwater surfaces. When alive, polyps combine their own carbon dioxide with the lime in warm seawater to form a limestone-like hard surface, or coral.   Agatized coral occurs when silica in the ocean water hardens, replacing the limy corals with a form of quartz known as chalcedony. This long process results in the formation of a "...

The view on the way over the Sanibel Causeway.  The rainbow ends right where we are heading. Joan (front), Connie (back left) & Capt. Brian  Looking forward to a great shelling day As the skiff "Muspa" slipped her way out of McCarthy's Marina on Captiva Island and into the glimmering waters of Pine Island Sound it became apparent that the amazing rainbow I had seen earlier crossing the Sanibel Causeway had been pointing in the right direction. Capt. Brian Holaway of the blog  Capt. Brian's Observations on the Water  invited me to join him on a shelling trip to Cayo Costa State Park.  As a native Floridian I have been around the Gulf of Mexico my entire life but I don't boat or own a boat so I was thrilled to have an opportunity to visit Cayo Costa which is an island only accessible by boat. Coming along with me are my cousins Connie & Joan. Let me just explain that we Southerners have a quirky habit of adopting any close friend and calling...

On the Englewood, Florida beaches we do the Sharks tooth squat not the Sanibel Stoop. (Credit: Fotobug) Living close to the beach requires a tremendous amount of discipline. The sun gives you that "Come Hither" look as you drive to work.  Doing laundry & cooking dinner can easily get kicked to the curb for a favorable low tide or blustery NW wind. (The way I see it  there's always take-out & wearing the same shorts twice right?) Last September I started a project that gave me a great excuse to head to the beach as often as possible - The Jar. The sharks teeth I was collecting needed a dedicated home.  On those occasions when I actually did the laundry the tell-tale ping ping ping would send me running to stop the spin cycle.  I would then pick all the wayward sharks teeth out of the bottom of the  washing machine.  I'm sure my Whirlpool warranty does not cover shells or the teeth of a big fish.  The big jar had been pushed back on a s...

My poor shell bucket has been empty.  Shelling on the SWFL coast has been sort of flat the last few months. Good shelling requires a combination of things.  Tides, winds, moon phase all play a part. The biggest factor is location, location, location.  Sanibel is the shelling epicenter on the west coast of Florida with the best seismic shelling waves extending to Cayo Costa on the north and  south to Bonita Beach, Naples, & Marco Island. The really sweet shelling spots can only be reached by boat.  That's why I practically jumped for joy when shelling guide Capt. Brian Holaway of Captiva/Sanibel Island  invited me out for a shelling excursion next week.  Heading out in the month of May (his favorite month).  Capt. Brian likes the warmer temps & the clearer waters.He says "the water seems more alive with stingrays & tarpons cruising by, the sea grass is floating on the surface of the water, & the days are longer." (Credit: Capt. ...

My favorite beaches are usually off the beaten path. My parking spot is with the beach crowd but I usually end up walking a distance to get to the sand less traveled. That's where the best shells & sharks teeth are and it is noticeably quieter.  The families with small kids & teenagers throwing Frisbees, balls, & each other tend to stay close to the facilities. I have often  looked at some of the little sandbars & mangrove islands  out in the bay & wondered if I could talk my water-challenged hubby into at least a small pontoon boat.  The last time he motored a rental boat the hubs backed it into the dock receiving a nasty look from the rental guy. The other time we lost a propeller on a rock which was an extra $40 bucks on top of the boat rental.  We are not boat people.   Lil Shorty has come to my rescue. My girlfriend Lil Shorty  has loaned me her sit-on  kayak.  She loves to kayak but her work schedule & proxi...