Warning! Militant Sheller! Step away from that junonia and nobody gets hurt. - from a popular t-shirt sold on Sanibel Island

My junonia collection (none of which I have found)  They are either gifts or purchased.


No one shell symbolizes Sanibel like the junonia. You'll see images of the junonia plastered on signs, stores, t-shirts, & restaurant menus all over Sanibel Island.  The junonia is the official shell of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club. The Island Sun on Sanibel-Captiva will put your picture in the newspaper for finding one. If you are on the outside-looking-in to shell collecting or beach combing,  all the fuss surrounding the junonia might be somewhat baffling to you. In the SWFL shelling world finding a junonia is considered the pinnacle of your shelling quest. With so many amazing & dazzling  shells to find on the beaches of SWFL why the junonia? 


 Loved by the locals because of it's rarity & beauty this valuable & highly-prized "Family Volutidae" is not really native to the island for it is actually a mollusk that lives in depths of 200 ft.  out in the Gulf of Mexico.  In their natural habitat the junonia are not that rare.  Shrimpers whose nets skim the bottom bring them up quite regularly.  They find their way in to the shell shops where they are sold to weary shellers such as myself who are tired of looking & waiting to find one year after year after year.  Since these deep-water shells live about a mile offshore it takes a good storm to blow them to the beach where some fortunate person can find it. But good things come to those who wait.


(credit: www.iLoveShelling.com)
WAY TO GO!! SHELL SISTAH!! Pam from iLove Shelling found her first junonia!! 


Pam got up before sunrise to do some post-storm shelling on Friday morning.  It pays to be first on the beach.  After many years of finding only junonia fragments & watching her hubby find one junonia after the other she has finally snagged one of her own.  And it is perfect.  No chips or breaks.  Yay Team iLove Shelling!
(credit:  www.iLoveShelling.com)
Pam is on a roll.  She went to the north end of Captiva on Saturday and found her first complete, intact, huge lion's paw.  Pam found her junonia on Friday, a lion's paw on Saturday, & the iLove Shelling facebook page just reached 2,000 followers.




(left) Jody from Englewood, Fl   (middle) Ranger Betty from Stump Pass State Park    and Me

Comments

  1. gpcOctober 24, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    I was politely happy for her when she found the junonia, since I found mine a few years ago. But the lion's paw just ticked me off! I've never even found a piece! Pam is one lucky lady!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ~Lavender Dreamer~October 24, 2011 at 7:26 PM

    A lion's paw...how amazing! I never even imagined one as big and beautiful as that! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beach House LivingOctober 24, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Wow on the lion's paw too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kim@Snug HarborOctober 24, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    Pam is on a roll and it couldn't happen to a nicer person. She brings so much joy to so many thru her blog. I may just hate her a little. LOL. Just kidding Pam. You go girl!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Leo October 24, 2011 at 11:08 PM

    Yeah for Pam. That is awesome. I know how badly she wanted to get that junonia. And I will have to say that the cats paw is pretty incredible too! Awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DellaOctober 25, 2011 at 2:35 AM

    You can tell by the smile on her face that she was just tickled to find her Junonia! Congrats to Pam! You are next Karen!

    ReplyDelete
  7. rjerdeeOctober 25, 2011 at 3:55 AM

    Shell sisters, you go girls! Congrats to Pam! I'll get over to her blog again...

    ReplyDelete
  8. iLoveShellingOctober 25, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    HeeHee! Thanks yall! Kim, I felt the same way when Clark found those junonias. I was so happy for him and just that little devil sittin on my shoulder wanted to hate him just a little. LOL Karen you are so sweet for the post- I was hoping I'd see you this weekend. xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Linda @ A La CarteOctober 25, 2011 at 11:23 AM

    So happy for her and gorgeous Lion's Paw also.

    ReplyDelete
  10. JoyfulOctober 26, 2011 at 12:06 AM

    Those are fantastic looking shells. I love both kinds you've featured. Such precious finds ;-)

    ReplyDelete

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