I love following You down the beach on your videos . Your voice and personality is as soothing as the beach waves swishing along the beach shores..i love ur channel.
What an awesome place...it will be wonderful when finished. Can I make a suggestion....you have a lot of followers who are not in Florida so when you visit a park/beach maybe throw up a map for a few seconds showing exactly where you are.
In my earlier videos I used to show a map of the beaches - I'll have to remember to include that from time to time to give people an idea of where I'm parking and what part of the beach I'm on. If you think it would be valuable info I'll certainly include it! Thanks for the suggestion!
the 3rd coconut guy looked like me if i was laying around 1 morning and suddenly noticed a camera focused in on me 😯 lol i love the little faces on those guys, Thanks for the laugh!
I wanted to name him Wilson. I know in the "Castaway" movie Wilson was a volleyball but I always want to name the coconuts Wilson. I love those little faces when they're there! Thanks for coming along with me!
Lovers Key is one of our favorite beaches. We always visit when we are on vacation. I love finding tortoises and watching them sun themselves along the beach. So many fun memories. Thank you for taking me along.
You are so very welcome. It's a beautiful park that for some reason not that many people know about. I'm glad I was able to get you there "virtually." Thanks so much for coming along on the tour and walk with me!
Looks like another good walk and good variety of shells and the beautiful beach...we've been to this beach and it is pretty....would love to be there now....🐚 thnx my beach friend
Hello beach friend! Lover’s Key probably isn’t my #1 shelling beach but it’s gorgeous and there are usually some shells to be found. I am looking forward to seeing the new building once construction is complete. Hope you have a great weekend!
Have never been to Lover’s key. Thank you for the great tour. Definitely have to get there one day. Maybe we will do a little detour to there on our next west coast trip. Keep on shelling!!!! 🤗🐚🐚🐚🐚
You are always so pleasant to listen to. I like hearing your knowledge of all the different shells and creatures. I look forward to every Sunday video and haft hour I get to spend at the beach with you. I feel like you're an old friend of my past that I just found again. Thankyou for sharing not only your time with us all but also your beautiful beach. Have a great week.
Thank you for this video. At some point I would really like to visit Lover's Key. It would be really wild. Way cool that you also found the horseshoe crab too. Thank you again😊
As always I enjoyed the walk immensely. I should be walking anyway but it’s especially fun on the beach with the shells, birds, the breeze and of course the ocean
Another wonderful outing to the beach...what a wonderful Discovery and Welcome Center. Maybe you can take us back after it is open....I agree that Flat was terrific.
I will definitely go back once it's opened and show an update. I can't wait to see the manatee statue and the exhibits! It was so fun to be invited to check out the place and share it on my channel. It's a beautiful park and the shells are a bonus! Thank you for coming along with me!
@@SWFBeachLife I was very impressed that they reached out to you to visit and do a video. You did a great job on that and I'm certain that it will do a lot for their Center. Maybe they'll give you an honorary membership as you are now their PR person!
@@salishseaquest7952 Wouldn’t that be nice! I’m happy to support any organizations that promotes education about our environment and the critters that live here too. And if I can make some friends along the way even better!
A lot of broken shells but at least you found some good ones. The worm snails look pretty neat. Learning along the way the different things you find on the beach there. Thank you.
It's weird that there seems to sometimes be an abundance of one particular thing, whether it's a particular shell or critter. The worm shells that day were everywhere! Thanks for coming along with me!
I was just at Lovers Key this week. The water was clear...cold...but clear. We saw a lot of Horseshoe crabs. Rumor has it...Red Tide. Definitely felt it today on Sanibel. I said "womp womp" a few times today while shelling and thought of you!!! Happy Shelling!!!
Bwhaha ha ha - yeah, the "womp, womp" is definitely applicable sometimes! And I'm afraid red tide is here a little. The coughing isn't so bad but I hate seeing the dead fish on the beach. That part stinks. Hopefully the cooler weather will drive it away. Isn't Lover's Key beautiful? Not the best shelling beach I've ever been to but it sure it pretty :)
I thought it was an egg cockle too but I couldn't find anything to support my theory! Thank you so much for coming along with me on my walks and helping me identify my shells!
Surprised you didn't find more shells there although the flat was worth the trip! The mystery shell toward the end I believe is an egg cockle. A fresh one will have more color (especially inside) so that one has been around for a while. I've seen a lot of those worm shells at Lido too. That was a good coral piece. Congrats on getting the early tour of the new building!
I thought that mystery shell was an egg cockle too but I couldn't find any pictures in my book or online to confirm. Grrrr. It was really cool to check out the building before it's open and can't wait to see it once it's completed! I'm a sucker for a touch tank :)
Aww - thank you so much. I'm so glad I can get you to the beach each week! There's always something interesting to check out and I'm glad you enjoy coming along with me on my walks. See you next Sunday!
Nickerbean! Love that name. I've seen them before and my "book" called it a sea pearl, which is also lovely but Nickerbean is more fun :) Thanks for coming along with me!
Very interesting tour today with lots of cool finds, not seeing condos was a bonus, very beautiful there will have to visit Lovers Key next time i come to see my family down there. Thank You.
Loved that buttercup shell. I'm going to guess what that brown chunk was, my guess it's a fossilized piece of driftwood. If a piece of wood is old enough it hardens into stone. It looks like wood in it's original form but hardened. Thanks for taking us to a beautiful Florida state park . Happy new year.
There are all sorts of neat things to find at the beach for sure! I think that last mystery piece was more worm shells - apparently they take the shape of what's around them but that color is what is really making me thing that's what it is. I'm learning as I go and thank you very much for coming along with me!
What a day you had. Thanks for the tour. That place is going to be so nice when they are ready to open. I definetly would love to go to Sanibel Island and than Lovers Key State Park. Although I have my books, I’ve been writing down the names of the different shells you find and talk about. My first plan with the shells are to place them in my show cases so they is why I want all different ones. Than after I am satisfied with what I have in my cases, I want to get multiples of all different shells for crafting. You definitely had a beautiful day. You would have not been happy here. I hope the rest of your day was as wonderful as your beach adventure. Loved every minute of it. Take care.
I think that's a good shell plan! I don't have one - I just keep putting them in glass jars for now. Once I run out of room I'll get a plan :) The shell book sits next to me at my desk for easy reference. I am using it less and less but it's a fabulous resource! I hope you have a great week!
Always look forward to your videos. Up here in the snowy cold northeast they are a welcome distraction. Happy New Year. Hopefully this year we will make it to the beach.
Happy New Year to you too! I do not miss the cold, snowy northeast - I keep saying the only thing I want to shovel is sand! I hope you make it to the beach this year too. And when you get there I hope you find lots of goodies! Thank you for watching!
We went to Lovers key in 09 we found a tiny horseshoe and pieces of a giant lightning wheel! I kept all the pieces in a bowl..that looks like an oblong cockle shell ..happy new year!!
Happy New Year to you too! I think the consensus is that shell is an egg cockle of some kind. Hopefully I can find a few more in better shape to confirm. I have my shells all over the place - bowls are one of my favorite places to display shells :) Thanks so much for coming along on my beach walk with me!
Wow! That flat! I found only one so far on Cayo Costa and it is such a dark blue color, almost black! Love the coral and worm shells too. I keep the worm shells in a special jar to display them. Thanks for the tour, it certainly will be a special place when all finished. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Those flats are not easy to find and those worm shells were everywhere! I can't wait to see what the Discovery Center will look like once it's completed. I'll have to do a follow up tour once it's opened.
You know I do not believe there is any camping allowed at Lover's Key. But you could easily spend the entire day there exploring the beach and the walking trails and soon to be completed Discovery Center! I hope you do make it down here - it's too beautiful to be missed! Thanks for coming along with me on my walk!
Nice video! Thanks for sharing. The Welcome and Discovery center looks like it'll be really cool! Hoping to go there when I can once it opens up. Been to Lover's Key State Park once, found a few nice shells and will definitely return. Awesome flat scallop and some very nice chunks of coral!
It's not the best shelling beach I've ever been to, but it's one of the prettier beaches I've visited. I definitely recommend! I can't wait for it to be finished - I want to see all the exhibits! Thanks for coming along with me!
Nice finds! I’ve added this beach to my list to visit. Looking forward to another year of great beach walks with you. Happy New Year to you and your family.
We were there this week and the shelling was terrible! yesterday we went to Shell island and it was amazing shelling!!!!! Found sooo much including a junonia!
The shelling at Lover's Key can really be hit or miss but since it's such a pretty beach I still would recommend a visit there. I'm so happy you had amazing shelling on Sanibel and CONGRATULATIONS on your junonia! That's amazing!!! I should have been shelling with you!
mystery shell, suggesting Atlantic rangia clam. Love the worm snail shell and calico scallops. I making a list of what I want to look for when I come, can't wait!
I looked that clam up and I don't think that's it either but thanks for the suggestion! I know a bunch of shells but certainly not all of them. Yet. :) Thanks for coming along with me and I hope you find everything on your list once you get here!
@@SWFBeachLife after looking through comments the egg cockle looks the most likely. The lines on the shell match. My Florida shelling book does not have the egg cockle in it. Could be a rare find or a bird treat.
My husband is a big fan of those worm snail rocks but me, not so much. If it's a really, really cool shape I might hang onto it but I'm more of a shell gal :) Thank you so much for watching!
You are so welcome and thank you for watching! I'm glad you'll be able to spend the winter near a beach - it's the time of year I appreciate the beach the most :)
i couldn’t help but laugh when you showed the clip of you saying how stinky that sand dollar was! also, loved that first spiny jewelbox and when you picked up that first chunk of coral i was like “wow that’s a pretty big piece” and then you found the even bigger piece and i went “HOLY CRAP” lol thanks for the video sharmon, i hope you and your family had a wonderful new year! 🎊 already can’t wait for next weeks beach walk :)
I think that was the biggest chunk of coral I've ever found! There's always something neat to check out. That one sand dollar smelled horrible - I've never had that happen! Luckily I have plenty of other non-stinky sand dollars so I could leave that one at the beach! Next week we're going back to Little Hickory for some low-tide shelling. Hope you have a great week!
That is awesome that she brought her bird out to the beach. I bet they get sick of living inside, nice to smell the fresh air and feel the breeze on your face! Unless the temperature is under 40F🤣🥶♥️
Wasn't that cool!? In retrospect I should have chatted with her to find out what type of bird she was taking for a walk. Next time :) Stay warm beach friend!
Those flats are not easy to find - congratulations on the few you have found! Florida is so different from the northeast and I love learning about all the beaches and shells and critters. I hope you love it here as much as I do!
The sea whip in this weeks video reminded me that in a previous video, you showed another sea whip. Did you notice that there was a little winged oyster attached to that one. I just learned about them. Thanks again for taking us along with you.
I did not notice the winged oyster on the previous whip so now I'll have to look out for them! Thank you for that. There are so many things about the beach I want to learn! I was thinking of trying to figure out mangroves this week....thanks for coming along with me on my walks!
Happy New Year to you and yours! I just love these beach fossicings, it is so interesting to see, wish I was there with you, as it was something I use to do in my homeland when I went to the seaside. Thank you so much for sharing, you do a great job at it.
@@SWFBeachLife ohh, Absolutely! I collect shells here in my hometown of Ecuador, South America. But on such an amateur level, compared to you! I can tell you one thing! Someday a lightning whelk will be mine. Someday...
Hi! My husband and I took a trip to Gulf Shores in November and discovered shelling. Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to get back! Meanwhile, your channel is my beachy goodness fix! I’m learning a lot from you! I’ve heard you mention your two shelling books; could you share an Amazon link to those? You’re providing us so much joy! You need an Amazon affiliate page so we have a way to give back to you! ❤️
I have signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate but I haven't had the time to set anything up, but at least I can generate links. :) Here is an affiliate link to my most beloved shell book: amzn.to/3hLEexB And here is the link to the second book which I use just as a supplement that had different info in it: amzn.to/3pSBuBh Isn't shelling so much fun? I've always loved the beach but since moving down here I've encountered so many amazing things on the beach. I'm so darn lucky :) I'll take you on your weekly virtual beach walk until you can get back down here and find shells for yourself! Thanks so much for watching!!!
Hello frozen beach friend! I guess I won't complain about our chilly mornings - I'm sure you have me beat by quite a few degrees colder. Stay warm! See you next week!
I found my first sea bean last spring on Sanibel. I was so excited. I feel like there are lots of shells on my to find list. Nice hunk of coral. Glad you found an olive, you couldn’t be shelling and not find an olive.😂 Lovely flat shell. Thanks for your email, I will contact you when we get settled. We’ve not been to that beach. The traffic is always so bad going across the bridge and through Fort Myers. 🥰
Oh season is definitely here. Things are nice and sleepy here until winter arrives, then the traffic can get pretty brutal over at FMB, which is probably why we like to get out there early to do out thing. It's a lovely beach to spend the day at with lots of stuff to do and with the addition of the Discovery and Welcome center it's going to be amazing! Happy planning!
My fiancé and I found a horseshoe crab who also was no longer among the living at Clam Pass in Naples a few years ago. We brought it home, named it Luigi and framed him in a shadow box 🥰
Luigi is awesome! They really are cool looking little prehistoric creatures. Nice that you were able to find yourself some wall art at the beach! Thanks for coming along with me!
I don't usually go hunting for tinies, but maybe I should 🤔 I also love finding the sand dollars. Somehow no matter how many times I find them, I still get excited about them. 🐚
I lived in Cincinnati when I was a kid for a while - man the place is hot in the summer and COLD in the winter! I'm happy I can "virtually" get you to the beach! Thanks so much for watching!
This is a really great video! You found so many awesome shells. Also, the Horseshoe Crab was adorable. By the way he probably was not dead horseshoe crabs molt and leave their shells behind, and just look dead. It’s hard to tell if they molted or they are dead because the legs and everything are still on them after they molt. You should Google it and watch a video of them molting it is so cool. He may have been dead, or he may have just left a shell behind because he got bigger. 💖 I also love the little worm shell you found that looks like a little elf hat. That park looks amazing. Thank you for sharing. 😊
I will look for a video of a horseshoe crab molting. Maybe next time I’ll be able to tell the difference! Thanks for the info and thank you so much for watching!
The coconuts might be edible, but honestly there are so many coconut trees around it's not worth trying to salvage one of the beach coconuts. I still get a kick out of them when I see them on the beach though. Not as much as that one pineapple I found...maybe one day I'll find enough to make a fruit salad LOL!
I love that purple calico....what do you do with all your shells? Do you sell them? My husband's brother&wife own a condo in Sarasota...I think that's close enough to visit this beach...hopefully this year. :)
I keep some of my shells, some of them I bring back to the beach and a bunch I've set to the side to sell on my website. I have a super long "to-do" list but I hope to be able to sell some of the shells I find eventually. Sarasota isn't THAT far but it is a bit of a hike. I hope you do get to visit this beach too - it has everything you'd need for a great day at the beach!
@@SWFBeachLife Well, if you ever feel like selling that purple calico you found, please let me know....I really do love it. Sounds like that beach would be a nice day trip. :)
@@SWFBeachLife I mean I really don’t know what it was if I shake It, it sounds like there’s something inside but it was cool. It looked like yours at the beginning of this video.
@@brittnytaylor1864 Ah - THAT kind of sea pearl. Yes, I know exactly what you mean. My brain went straight to pearl, as in mother of pearl, pearl. There's so many neat things to find at the beach!
With all albinos, you can kind of just tell. There will be zero tint of color on it. I have yet to find an albino FCC. Lots of worn down, stripped of colored ones but not an albino. I've found a few albino lighting whelks but not the elusive albino FCC. Yet. Thanks for coming along with me on my walk!
I'll have to pay closer attention next time - it's totally possible it was just the shell! Soon as classes are held in person I'm going to study to become a Florida Master Naturalist. Hopefully I'll learn more about all the beach critters!
I was on Fort Myers Beach on Saturday and it wasn't bad. Yes, I saw a couple of dead fish, but the beach was absolutely enjoyable. I go to the beach a lot, so please feel free to ask again as 1/30 approaches. I am hopeful that by then it will be long gone. It hasn't stopped me from going to the beach at all, but there have been times where I would cough depending on how the winds were blowing.
Will do! Thanks for the report! We were down last February and it was perfect. Hoping for the same this time. Your videos keep my family going until we make it down and after this past year we are stir crazy! Thank you!!
What’s the best hotel to stay in that’s walking distance to the beaches that have great shells to be found? I’m in Orlando and I don’t drive. Can one fly to Sanibel from Orlando?
I have never stayed on Sanibel, so unfortunately I can't recommend any hotels, however on Fort Myers Beach The Outrigger is in a perfect spot for shelling. We will sometimes stop there after our walks for ice tea at the fabulous tiki bar they have on the beach. It's got a great location, a pool and decent food. I've never stayed there but I'm pretty comfortable recommending it. You can fly from Orlando to RSW (Fort Myers Airport) and it's probably around a 30-40 minute drive to get you to the beach.
Really enjoyed your video, I winter in SW FL and will have to check out Lover's Key. The one thing I didn't love was the gendering of everything as "he"
I have been called out on that before and I try to switch it up more now because you're right - I don't know whether it was a he/she and I shouldn't default to any particular gender 🤗
I’ve noticed a few dead fish and there were some times where I would have a little cough but the beaches have tons of people and right now I don’t think it’s slowing anything down. 🤞🏻
I've been sent shells from the East Coast of FL, Australia, moon stones from California, a fossilized vase shell but no - I do not have any shells from the UK beaches. Not yet anyway ☺️
@@SWFBeachLife : contact your local TV stations and/or your local PBS stations about doing voice overs! you have a lot of material to show them right here on youtube...like your tour video. so professional! P.S. let me know when my finders fee check is in the mail! *;-)*
@@nowvoyagerNE I’ve actually auditioned for a few audio books on Amazon - it’s hard to find the time to do everything I want to do! I’ll be sure to share any news should I score a voice over job!!
@@SWFBeachLife : lol. i have encouraged 2 other ladies (one of which has the *Hannica Rose* channel here on youtube) to read short stories (on youtube) which are in the public domain because they have very pleasant voices also. she is hesitant to do so because she is concerned about copyright laws, but it's easy to find reading material that is in the public domain just by looking it up. your voice is different than her voice. your voice reminds me of the voice of Heather Bambrick, who does Daniel Tiger's mom's voice on the PBS channel. she is a Canadian voice over artist and a jazz singer. *:-)*
@@nowvoyagerNE Well that’s amazing! I never thought of just reading public domain books - great idea! Although I’ll have to find the time somehow. Sleeping I guess is pretty overrated...lol!
The only time I went to Lover's Key, I found a real rarity, that I returned to the water, I opened a pen shell that was dead, and inside were nearly ready to hatch octopus eggs. I could actually see the young octopuses in the eggs. After examining it closely, I retuned it to the water: hopefully the young octopuses were able to hatch and swim away
There is a touch tank at the Sanibel Shell Museum that is fascinating! The live snails are in there and some you can touch. They have sea hares too which are super cute little slug looking critters. I just really like the critters!
I'll keep that in mind! I do have a bunch of shells set to the side to eventually sell on my website. If I find another one of those crucifix bones I'll keep it for the website!
Not down here in the Fort Myers/Sanibel area but we did when we went up to Venice - here's the video in case you're interested: th-cam.com/video/p4x7GyKyBjg/w-d-xo.html
It's possible, however there are tons of coconut trees around so it would be more advisable to try to snag one that hasn't been rolling around in the ocean for who knows how long :)
@@dawnmartinez6984 I don't usually show how many coconuts are ready available on the palms down here so I could see why you'd question it. If I were visiting I probably would have grabbed it to see if it was edible!
No, not true. Not all sea snails are poisonous. Some are, like the alphabet cone, but hopefully I'll never encounter a live one! The whelks, olives, conches and shark eyes are not poisonous. I've never seen a live shark eye though. Maybe one day. Thanks for watching!
I love following You down the beach on your videos . Your voice and personality is as soothing as the beach waves swishing along the beach shores..i love ur channel.
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you can get some beach time by coming on my walks with me!
I agree. Voice is very soothing and easy to listen to
What an awesome place...it will be wonderful when finished. Can I make a suggestion....you have a lot of followers who are not in Florida so when you visit a park/beach maybe throw up a map for a few seconds showing exactly where you are.
That is a good idea!
In my earlier videos I used to show a map of the beaches - I'll have to remember to include that from time to time to give people an idea of where I'm parking and what part of the beach I'm on. If you think it would be valuable info I'll certainly include it! Thanks for the suggestion!
The shell with tiny holes ALL over is so cool and interesting. Wonderful
the 3rd coconut guy looked like me if i was laying around 1 morning and suddenly noticed a camera focused in on me 😯 lol i love the little faces on those guys, Thanks for the laugh!
I wanted to name him Wilson. I know in the "Castaway" movie Wilson was a volleyball but I always want to name the coconuts Wilson. I love those little faces when they're there! Thanks for coming along with me!
Lovers Key is one of our favorite beaches. We always visit when we are on vacation. I love finding tortoises and watching them sun themselves along the beach. So many fun memories. Thank you for taking me along.
You are so very welcome. It's a beautiful park that for some reason not that many people know about. I'm glad I was able to get you there "virtually." Thanks so much for coming along on the tour and walk with me!
SO funny! Lady brought her bird to the beach! Lol! too cute! Glad I went back on a few videos to see that, and your reaction was great!
Wow! What a unique collection you found! That was fun to watch.Thank you for showing us.
Glad you enjoyed it - thanks so much for coming along with me!
It was nice to see different shells then what you normally collect.
Absolutely beautiful!! I love the color.
Looks like another good walk and good variety of shells and the beautiful beach...we've been to this beach and it is pretty....would love to be there now....🐚 thnx my beach friend
Hello beach friend! Lover’s Key probably isn’t my #1 shelling beach but it’s gorgeous and there are usually some shells to be found. I am looking forward to seeing the new building once construction is complete. Hope you have a great weekend!
@@SWFBeachLife I'm sure it will be an interesting place to visit...
Have never been to Lover’s key. Thank you for the great tour. Definitely have to get there one day. Maybe we will do a little detour to there on our next west coast trip. Keep on shelling!!!! 🤗🐚🐚🐚🐚
Definitely give it a try - it's really a gorgeous State Park.
Gr8 info, well done video...Thank you sharing your passion!
You are always so pleasant to listen to. I like hearing your knowledge of all the different shells and creatures. I look forward to every Sunday video and haft hour I get to spend at the beach with you. I feel like you're an old friend of my past that I just found again. Thankyou for sharing not only your time with us all but also your beautiful beach. Have a great week.
What a sweet comment! I'm glad you enjoy your beach time with me and I appreciate you watching and coming along :) I hope you have a great week too!
With all the bad news that’s happening right now this is exactly what I needed. Thank you! 🐚😌
You are so very welcome! I think we can all agree the beach is awesome! 🌴🌊
Awesome finds! I love those worm shells. I have never seen them. Thank you so much for your time.
Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you for this video. At some point I would really like to visit Lover's Key. It would be really wild. Way cool that you also found the horseshoe crab too. Thank you again😊
You are so welcome! I hope you do get a chance to visit it for yourself. I have another Lover's Key video dropping tonight 🤗
I love that your husband goes with you ! And BONUS he will occasionally find some good stuff 😊
Very pretty beach! Nice collection of shells you got also. Thank you for sharing your adventures!
Thank you so much for coming along with me!
As always I enjoyed the walk immensely. I should be walking anyway but it’s especially fun on the beach with the shells, birds, the breeze and of course the ocean
I still find it so fun to find shells that people have walked right past! There's no such thing as a bad beach walk - that's for sure! xoxo
Another wonderful outing to the beach...what a wonderful Discovery and Welcome Center. Maybe you can take us back after it is open....I agree that Flat was terrific.
I will definitely go back once it's opened and show an update. I can't wait to see the manatee statue and the exhibits! It was so fun to be invited to check out the place and share it on my channel. It's a beautiful park and the shells are a bonus! Thank you for coming along with me!
@@SWFBeachLife I was very impressed that they reached out to you to visit and do a video. You did a great job on that and I'm certain that it will do a lot for their Center. Maybe they'll give you an honorary membership as you are now their PR person!
@@salishseaquest7952 Wouldn’t that be nice! I’m happy to support any organizations that promotes education about our environment and the critters that live here too. And if I can make some friends along the way even better!
A lot of broken shells but at least you found some good ones. The worm snails look pretty neat. Learning along the way the different things you find on the beach there. Thank you.
It's weird that there seems to sometimes be an abundance of one particular thing, whether it's a particular shell or critter. The worm shells that day were everywhere! Thanks for coming along with me!
I was just at Lovers Key this week. The water was clear...cold...but clear. We saw a lot of Horseshoe crabs. Rumor has it...Red Tide. Definitely felt it today on Sanibel. I said "womp womp" a few times today while shelling and thought of you!!! Happy Shelling!!!
Bwhaha ha ha - yeah, the "womp, womp" is definitely applicable sometimes! And I'm afraid red tide is here a little. The coughing isn't so bad but I hate seeing the dead fish on the beach. That part stinks. Hopefully the cooler weather will drive it away. Isn't Lover's Key beautiful? Not the best shelling beach I've ever been to but it sure it pretty :)
21:15 That she’ll is an egg cockel I believe. I LOVE THOSE ONES lol. Also love your channel!
I thought it was an egg cockle too but I couldn't find anything to support my theory! Thank you so much for coming along with me on my walks and helping me identify my shells!
Surprised you didn't find more shells there although the flat was worth the trip! The mystery shell toward the end I believe is an egg cockle. A fresh one will have more color (especially inside) so that one has been around for a while. I've seen a lot of those worm shells at Lido too. That was a good coral piece. Congrats on getting the early tour of the new building!
I thought that mystery shell was an egg cockle too but I couldn't find any pictures in my book or online to confirm. Grrrr. It was really cool to check out the building before it's open and can't wait to see it once it's completed! I'm a sucker for a touch tank :)
I just love your channel!! Ive never been to the beach in my almost 35 years so I look forward to your videos each week
Oh you need to put that at the top of your list of places to go.
@@pjd2709 it absolutely is. One day 🤞
Aww - thank you so much. I'm so glad I can get you to the beach each week! There's always something interesting to check out and I'm glad you enjoy coming along with me on my walks. See you next Sunday!
Gray seed is called a Nickerbean :) I enjoyed my walk with you on Lovers Key, one of my favorite spots!
Nickerbean! Love that name. I've seen them before and my "book" called it a sea pearl, which is also lovely but Nickerbean is more fun :) Thanks for coming along with me!
Very interesting tour today with lots of cool finds, not seeing condos was a bonus, very beautiful there will have to visit Lovers Key next time i come to see my family down there. Thank You.
Lover's Key is simply gorgeous - I suspect if you do go you won't be disappointed! Thank you so much for watching!
Love those hunks of snails. Thanks for the trip🤩🤩🤩💜💜
You are so very welcome! 💜💜💜
Loved that buttercup shell. I'm going to guess what that brown chunk was, my guess it's a fossilized piece of driftwood. If a piece of wood is old enough it hardens into stone. It looks like wood in it's original form but hardened. Thanks for taking us to a beautiful Florida state park . Happy new year.
There are all sorts of neat things to find at the beach for sure! I think that last mystery piece was more worm shells - apparently they take the shape of what's around them but that color is what is really making me thing that's what it is. I'm learning as I go and thank you very much for coming along with me!
Beautiful day, & awesome video!!
Thank you very much!
What a day you had. Thanks for the tour. That place is going to be so nice when they are ready to open. I definetly would love to go to Sanibel Island and than Lovers Key State Park. Although I have my books, I’ve been writing down the names of the different shells you find and talk about. My first plan with the shells are to place them in my show cases so they is why I want all different ones. Than after I am satisfied with what I have in my cases, I want to get multiples of all different shells for crafting. You definitely had a beautiful day. You would have not been happy here. I hope the rest of your day was as wonderful as your beach adventure. Loved every minute of it. Take care.
I think that's a good shell plan! I don't have one - I just keep putting them in glass jars for now. Once I run out of room I'll get a plan :) The shell book sits next to me at my desk for easy reference. I am using it less and less but it's a fabulous resource! I hope you have a great week!
Always look forward to your videos. Up here in the snowy cold northeast they are a welcome distraction. Happy New Year. Hopefully this year we will make it to the beach.
Happy New Year to you too! I do not miss the cold, snowy northeast - I keep saying the only thing I want to shovel is sand! I hope you make it to the beach this year too. And when you get there I hope you find lots of goodies! Thank you for watching!
Awesome. I love shelling
Coming down in June finger crossed
I hope you make it down here in June too! There's lot of goodies to go around!
Love you walks! You are so knowledgeable too!!! Thank you!
You are so welcome! Thanks for coming along with me!
We went to Lovers key in 09 we found a tiny horseshoe and pieces of a giant lightning wheel! I kept all the pieces in a bowl..that looks like an oblong cockle shell ..happy new year!!
Happy New Year to you too! I think the consensus is that shell is an egg cockle of some kind. Hopefully I can find a few more in better shape to confirm. I have my shells all over the place - bowls are one of my favorite places to display shells :) Thanks so much for coming along on my beach walk with me!
Wow! That flat! I found only one so far on Cayo Costa and it is such a dark blue color, almost black! Love the coral and worm shells too. I keep the worm shells in a special jar to display them. Thanks for the tour, it certainly will be a special place when all finished. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Those flats are not easy to find and those worm shells were everywhere! I can't wait to see what the Discovery Center will look like once it's completed. I'll have to do a follow up tour once it's opened.
On my bucket list! Is there camping? I enjoy your videos so much because I love the beach and I can’t wait to go back to the gulf
You know I do not believe there is any camping allowed at Lover's Key. But you could easily spend the entire day there exploring the beach and the walking trails and soon to be completed Discovery Center! I hope you do make it down here - it's too beautiful to be missed! Thanks for coming along with me on my walk!
Nice video! Thanks for sharing. The Welcome and Discovery center looks like it'll be really cool! Hoping to go there when I can once it opens up. Been to Lover's Key State Park once, found a few nice shells and will definitely return. Awesome flat scallop and some very nice chunks of coral!
It's not the best shelling beach I've ever been to, but it's one of the prettier beaches I've visited. I definitely recommend! I can't wait for it to be finished - I want to see all the exhibits! Thanks for coming along with me!
Nice finds! I’ve added this beach to my list to visit. Looking forward to another year of great beach walks with you. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Happy 2021 and I'm looking forward to a new year of beach walks too! Thank yo for coming along with me!
Beautiful! Thanks
Our pleasure!
We were there this week and the shelling was terrible! yesterday we went to Shell island and it was amazing shelling!!!!! Found sooo much including a junonia!
The shelling at Lover's Key can really be hit or miss but since it's such a pretty beach I still would recommend a visit there. I'm so happy you had amazing shelling on Sanibel and CONGRATULATIONS on your junonia! That's amazing!!! I should have been shelling with you!
mystery shell, suggesting Atlantic rangia clam. Love the worm snail shell and calico scallops. I making a list of what I want to look for when I come, can't wait!
I looked that clam up and I don't think that's it either but thanks for the suggestion! I know a bunch of shells but certainly not all of them. Yet. :) Thanks for coming along with me and I hope you find everything on your list once you get here!
@@SWFBeachLife after looking through comments the egg cockle looks the most likely. The lines on the shell match. My Florida shelling book does not have the egg cockle in it. Could be a rare find or a bird treat.
Love the shells you find! And also can you keep the Worm snail rocks? They fascinated me. But love the flat!
My husband is a big fan of those worm snail rocks but me, not so much. If it's a really, really cool shape I might hang onto it but I'm more of a shell gal :) Thank you so much for watching!
Happy New year 2 u and ur loved 1s! Im looking forward for what this years beach adventures will bring, God Bless and happy hunting👍
Thank you! Happy New Year to you too! We have lots more beaches to walk in 2021!
I love the little shells
The little ones can be so cute! I believe I have some really cute minis in an upcoming video. Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you for your weekly videos! I miss the beach sooooo much but will be down soon for the winter.
You are so welcome and thank you for watching! I'm glad you'll be able to spend the winter near a beach - it's the time of year I appreciate the beach the most :)
Wow! I wish my state parks would build something like that.
I got to see some of the exhibits installed! I'll have a quick update in this Sunday's video.
i couldn’t help but laugh when you showed the clip of you saying how stinky that sand dollar was!
also, loved that first spiny jewelbox and when you picked up that first chunk of coral i was like “wow that’s a pretty big piece” and then you found the even bigger piece and i went “HOLY CRAP” lol
thanks for the video sharmon, i hope you and your family had a wonderful new year! 🎊 already can’t wait for next weeks beach walk :)
I think that was the biggest chunk of coral I've ever found! There's always something neat to check out. That one sand dollar smelled horrible - I've never had that happen! Luckily I have plenty of other non-stinky sand dollars so I could leave that one at the beach! Next week we're going back to Little Hickory for some low-tide shelling. Hope you have a great week!
@@SWFBeachLife sweet!! low tide shelling is the best!
Love watching your videos... always try to stay awake until you post!! X
You're the best! Thank you!!!
That is awesome that she brought her bird out to the beach. I bet they get sick of living inside, nice to smell the fresh air and feel the breeze on your face! Unless the temperature is under 40F🤣🥶♥️
Wasn't that cool!? In retrospect I should have chatted with her to find out what type of bird she was taking for a walk. Next time :) Stay warm beach friend!
Thank you for another great video! Love the Flat and since moving to Florida in May I have found a couple, always get excited when I do. 😊
Those flats are not easy to find - congratulations on the few you have found! Florida is so different from the northeast and I love learning about all the beaches and shells and critters. I hope you love it here as much as I do!
The sea whip in this weeks video reminded me that in a previous video, you showed another sea whip. Did you notice that there was a little winged oyster attached to that one. I just learned about them. Thanks again for taking us along with you.
I did not notice the winged oyster on the previous whip so now I'll have to look out for them! Thank you for that. There are so many things about the beach I want to learn! I was thinking of trying to figure out mangroves this week....thanks for coming along with me on my walks!
Happy New Year to you and yours! I just love these beach fossicings, it is so interesting to see, wish I was there with you, as it was something I use to do in my homeland when I went to the seaside. Thank you so much for sharing, you do a great job at it.
Thank you so much! I hope watching my videos is the next best thing to actually being at the beach :) Thank you so much for watching!
I love your channel!!! Your videos hypnotize me...
I hope that's a good thing :) Thanks for letting me hypnotize you!
@@SWFBeachLife ohh, Absolutely! I collect shells here in my hometown of Ecuador, South America. But on such an amateur level, compared to you!
I can tell you one thing! Someday a lightning whelk will be mine. Someday...
Hi! My husband and I took a trip to Gulf Shores in November and discovered shelling. Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to get back! Meanwhile, your channel is my beachy goodness fix! I’m learning a lot from you! I’ve heard you mention your two shelling books; could you share an Amazon link to those?
You’re providing us so much joy! You need an Amazon affiliate page so we have a way to give back to you! ❤️
I have signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate but I haven't had the time to set anything up, but at least I can generate links. :)
Here is an affiliate link to my most beloved shell book: amzn.to/3hLEexB
And here is the link to the second book which I use just as a supplement that had different info in it: amzn.to/3pSBuBh
Isn't shelling so much fun? I've always loved the beach but since moving down here I've encountered so many amazing things on the beach. I'm so darn lucky :) I'll take you on your weekly virtual beach walk until you can get back down here and find shells for yourself! Thanks so much for watching!!!
@@SWFBeachLife Thank you! I ordered the first one! 💓 Have a great day!
@@peggykrebs3804 I hope you enjoy the book. It’s got lots of great info! THANK YOU so much for your support! ❤️
Hello beach friend for the frozen tundra of Minnesota 🥶🥶🥶♥️♥️♥️
Hello frozen beach friend! I guess I won't complain about our chilly mornings - I'm sure you have me beat by quite a few degrees colder. Stay warm! See you next week!
I found my first sea bean last spring on Sanibel. I was so excited. I feel like there are lots of shells on my to find list. Nice hunk of coral. Glad you found an olive, you couldn’t be shelling and not find an olive.😂 Lovely flat shell. Thanks for your email, I will contact you when we get settled. We’ve not been to that beach. The traffic is always so bad going across the bridge and through Fort Myers. 🥰
Oh season is definitely here. Things are nice and sleepy here until winter arrives, then the traffic can get pretty brutal over at FMB, which is probably why we like to get out there early to do out thing. It's a lovely beach to spend the day at with lots of stuff to do and with the addition of the Discovery and Welcome center it's going to be amazing! Happy planning!
My fiancé and I found a horseshoe crab who also was no longer among the living at Clam Pass in Naples a few years ago. We brought it home, named it Luigi and framed him in a shadow box 🥰
Luigi is awesome! They really are cool looking little prehistoric creatures. Nice that you were able to find yourself some wall art at the beach! Thanks for coming along with me!
I enjoy your videos and sand dollars are my favorite shells are hard to find on Maine beaches. I love tiny shells
I don't usually go hunting for tinies, but maybe I should 🤔 I also love finding the sand dollars. Somehow no matter how many times I find them, I still get excited about them. 🐚
Happy New Year!
Thank you for the beach vidoes! Need that fix!
Live in Ohio -- its so grey & cold -- 🥶
I lived in Cincinnati when I was a kid for a while - man the place is hot in the summer and COLD in the winter! I'm happy I can "virtually" get you to the beach! Thanks so much for watching!
This is a really great video! You found so many awesome shells. Also, the Horseshoe Crab was adorable. By the way he probably was not dead horseshoe crabs molt and leave their shells behind, and just look dead. It’s hard to tell if they molted or they are dead because the legs and everything are still on them after they molt. You should Google it and watch a video of them molting it is so cool. He may have been dead, or he may have just left a shell behind because he got bigger. 💖
I also love the little worm shell you found that looks like a little elf hat. That park looks amazing. Thank you for sharing. 😊
I will look for a video of a horseshoe crab molting. Maybe next time I’ll be able to tell the difference! Thanks for the info and thank you so much for watching!
I LOVE your videos!
Thank you!!! I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment :)
Awesome
That’s so cool! Definitely going there when I come to Sanibel next summer!
By then the center will be open. I can't wait to see it when it's done! Have a great week!
Lovers Key is one of my favorite beach’s in Florida.
I can certainly see why! It's one of the prettier beaches down here in SWFL. And it has so much to offer! Thanks for coming along with me on my walk!
Good trip!
Thanks! 😃
Sea Glass is very collectible! Surprise you say not?
It sure is but we rarely find good sea glass. It’s usually just broken pieces that are still sharp. Bummer!
Wow! That's a big piece of coral! Are those coconuts edible?
The coconuts might be edible, but honestly there are so many coconut trees around it's not worth trying to salvage one of the beach coconuts. I still get a kick out of them when I see them on the beach though. Not as much as that one pineapple I found...maybe one day I'll find enough to make a fruit salad LOL!
I love that purple calico....what do you do with all your shells?
Do you sell them?
My husband's brother&wife own a condo in Sarasota...I think that's close enough to visit this beach...hopefully this year. :)
I keep some of my shells, some of them I bring back to the beach and a bunch I've set to the side to sell on my website. I have a super long "to-do" list but I hope to be able to sell some of the shells I find eventually.
Sarasota isn't THAT far but it is a bit of a hike. I hope you do get to visit this beach too - it has everything you'd need for a great day at the beach!
@@SWFBeachLife Well, if you ever feel like selling that purple calico you found, please let me know....I really do love it. Sounds like that beach would be a nice day trip. :)
I’ve been going through your page and watching all your videos and I found a greyish blue sea pearl in Galveston it was my best find lol
You found a sea pearl? That’s amazing! I know there are some lakes that have clams that will produce shells but never heard of a sea pearl. Awesome!!!
@@SWFBeachLife I mean I really don’t know what it was if I shake It, it sounds like there’s something inside but it was cool. It looked like yours at the beginning of this video.
@@brittnytaylor1864 Ah - THAT kind of sea pearl. Yes, I know exactly what you mean. My brain went straight to pearl, as in mother of pearl, pearl. There's so many neat things to find at the beach!
Never been there but it's on my list to visit. How do you tell if you have an albino FFC or if it's just.....old and worn?
With all albinos, you can kind of just tell. There will be zero tint of color on it. I have yet to find an albino FCC. Lots of worn down, stripped of colored ones but not an albino. I've found a few albino lighting whelks but not the elusive albino FCC. Yet.
Thanks for coming along with me on my walk!
Horseshoe crabs shed. It did look like a shedded horseshoe crab exoskeleton.
That is what I was thinking too, looks to transparent to be a dead one♥️
I'll have to pay closer attention next time - it's totally possible it was just the shell! Soon as classes are held in person I'm going to study to become a Florida Master Naturalist. Hopefully I'll learn more about all the beach critters!
Love that you are going take classes. Love your videos.
We are headed down on 1/30. Staying on Sanibel. I was just informed the red tide is bad in Lee County. Can you advise how bad it truly is?
I was on Fort Myers Beach on Saturday and it wasn't bad. Yes, I saw a couple of dead fish, but the beach was absolutely enjoyable. I go to the beach a lot, so please feel free to ask again as 1/30 approaches. I am hopeful that by then it will be long gone. It hasn't stopped me from going to the beach at all, but there have been times where I would cough depending on how the winds were blowing.
Will do! Thanks for the report! We were down last February and it was perfect. Hoping for the same this time. Your videos keep my family going until we make it down and after this past year we are stir crazy! Thank you!!
What’s the best hotel to stay in that’s walking distance to the beaches that have great shells to be found? I’m in Orlando and I don’t drive. Can one fly to Sanibel from Orlando?
I have never stayed on Sanibel, so unfortunately I can't recommend any hotels, however on Fort Myers Beach The Outrigger is in a perfect spot for shelling. We will sometimes stop there after our walks for ice tea at the fabulous tiki bar they have on the beach. It's got a great location, a pool and decent food. I've never stayed there but I'm pretty comfortable recommending it. You can fly from Orlando to RSW (Fort Myers Airport) and it's probably around a 30-40 minute drive to get you to the beach.
That smooth clam shell is an egg cockle.
And also wentletraps!!
HA! I'd have to find one first! Still haven't found even one yet...but I will!
The shell you could not identify was a velvet cockle
Really enjoyed your video, I winter in SW FL and will have to check out Lover's Key. The one thing I didn't love was the gendering of everything as "he"
I have been called out on that before and I try to switch it up more now because you're right - I don't know whether it was a he/she and I shouldn't default to any particular gender 🤗
The mystery shell is some sort of cockle, maybe an egg cockle.
That seems to be the consensus. I can't confirm it, but I think it's an egg cockle too!
There have been reports of red tide in the area. How was it when you were there?
I’ve noticed a few dead fish and there were some times where I would have a little cough but the beaches have tons of people and right now I don’t think it’s slowing anything down. 🤞🏻
Hi,
Do you ever get sent shells from U.K. beaches?
I've been sent shells from the East Coast of FL, Australia, moon stones from California, a fossilized vase shell but no - I do not have any shells from the UK beaches. Not yet anyway ☺️
you have such a pleasant voice. you could read out loud for a living. *:-)*
I would love to do that, in-between making beach videos of course :) Thank you so much!
@@SWFBeachLife : contact your local TV stations and/or your local PBS stations about doing voice overs! you have a lot of material to show them right here on youtube...like your tour video. so professional! P.S. let me know when my finders fee check is in the mail! *;-)*
@@nowvoyagerNE I’ve actually auditioned for a few audio books on Amazon - it’s hard to find the time to do everything I want to do! I’ll be sure to share any news should I score a voice over job!!
@@SWFBeachLife : lol. i have encouraged 2 other ladies (one of which has the *Hannica Rose* channel here on youtube) to read short stories (on youtube) which are in the public domain because they have very pleasant voices also. she is hesitant to do so because she is concerned about copyright laws, but it's easy to find reading material that is in the public domain just by looking it up. your voice is different than her voice. your voice reminds me of the voice of Heather Bambrick, who does Daniel Tiger's mom's voice on the PBS channel. she is a Canadian voice over artist and a jazz singer. *:-)*
@@nowvoyagerNE Well that’s amazing! I never thought of just reading public domain books - great idea! Although I’ll have to find the time somehow. Sleeping I guess is pretty overrated...lol!
I think that one was a velvet egg cockle.
The only time I went to Lover's Key, I found a real rarity, that I returned to the water, I opened a pen shell that was dead, and inside were nearly ready to hatch octopus eggs. I could actually see the young octopuses in the eggs. After examining it closely, I retuned it to the water: hopefully the young octopuses were able to hatch and swim away
Oh my gosh!! I would love to stumble upon something so amazing! Lucky you!
Touching tank 😳
There is a touch tank at the Sanibel Shell Museum that is fascinating! The live snails are in there and some you can touch. They have sea hares too which are super cute little slug looking critters. I just really like the critters!
@@SWFBeachLife thanks for the video be looking forward to it gettin up and running
If u ever find another crufix I’ll buy them from u!!!
I'll keep that in mind! I do have a bunch of shells set to the side to eventually sell on my website. If I find another one of those crucifix bones I'll keep it for the website!
Do you ever find shark teeth?
Not down here in the Fort Myers/Sanibel area but we did when we went up to Venice - here's the video in case you're interested: th-cam.com/video/p4x7GyKyBjg/w-d-xo.html
Were those coconuts edible?
It's possible, however there are tons of coconut trees around so it would be more advisable to try to snag one that hasn't been rolling around in the ocean for who knows how long :)
That makes sense 🤔
I live on the other coast in Oregon and we do not have coconuts so I was curious...thanks for the info
@@dawnmartinez6984 I don't usually show how many coconuts are ready available on the palms down here so I could see why you'd question it. If I were visiting I probably would have grabbed it to see if it was edible!
Yes now someday when I do get to visit I will know where NOT to get my coconuts 👍
I read that all sea snails are poisonous, whelks, olives, conch, shark eyes. Is that true? Just asking because I see you guys picking up live ones
No, not true. Not all sea snails are poisonous. Some are, like the alphabet cone, but hopefully I'll never encounter a live one! The whelks, olives, conches and shark eyes are not poisonous. I've never seen a live shark eye though. Maybe one day. Thanks for watching!
Fantastic 😍💋 💝💖♥️❤️
Thank you!!!
the horseshoe crab was a female...no boxing gloves...
I'll know for next time - thank you!!! Hope you have a great week!