Lee Country, Florida, has something I love: shells. If you love picking rare shells as collectibles, you can come.
Some of the shells I have picked are rare and seen only by a few persons. However, Sanibel and Captiva islands have become the best shelling beach in Florida.
Sanibel and Captiva islands offer tourists at least fifteen miles of stunning beaches, and boost over 250 kinds of seashells from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions.
You see why I said that Sanibel and Captiva have what I cherish. On my sheller’s bucket list, I have found more rare shells that I proudly show off to friends after every visit.
Is Sanibel or Captiva better for shells? Each destination offers you different characteristics, with shells of different kinds and qualities. However, Turner Beach is my dream-shelling beach.
Everything to Know About Turner Beach and Shelling
Turner Beach and Lighthouse Beach are not the same owing to the difference in the number of people that visit them. Lighthouse Beach is rated as the best shelling beach on Sanibel Island.
Lighthouse Beach is at the easternmost tip of Sanibel Island. It is the first island beach where seashells are washed ashore from southern seas in large quality.
This place has many beachgoers and shellers because it is close to the causeway. It has a large parking lot and a fishing pier.
Turner Beach has a unique rock jetty. This added to its shelling popularity. This unique rock jetty runs from the beach into the Gulf of Mexico, and it prevents erosion. The rock extends deep into the water, making it good for fishing and photographing.
It helps you to surf as well when the wind is friendly. According to shelters, the jetty makes the shells pile up, and easily accessible.
Sanibel vs Captiva
From the map of Sanibel Island, Blind Pass Beach is the closest neighbor to Turner Beach. Blind Pass Beach is also known as one of the best shelling spots on Sanibel Island.
The two beaches are very close to each other, and they share things like the number of visitors in common. People rate Blind Pass Beach online at the level they rate Turner Beach.
The two beaches are known for fishing, shelling, and board sports. However, you should watch out for warning signs posted every hour of the week about swimming because of the high water current of the water.
Turner Beach and Blind Pass Beach are good for shelling, but they are not good for swimming. Therefore, you have to swim with all carefulness on these beaches or you go over to other safe beaches like Alison HagerupBeach, which is on Captiva Island, or Tarpon Bay Beach, which is on Sanibel.
What to Know About Shelling
Shelling offers you something to learn. It is an exciting, and relaxing hobby. You will learn the local rules or laws regulating picking shells. You will learn the right time to go shelling on the beach. You will also learn tips on keeping seashells.
If you are a first-timer in shell collection, you may be ignorant of the protocol required for taking it home. You are required to wash the shells right there in the water.
Use a little bleach if you can. This will wash away any odor or dirt from the seashells. Do not forget, as a savvy shell hunter, you have to maintain and clean your seashells.
Remove every living thing from the seashell or specimen as you collect them from the beach. Every seashell or specimen has a peculiar way of cleaning it. For instance, you use bleach to remove all the hairs on a sand dollar.
If the sand dollar is brown with spikes, it is a sign it is alive. Normally, live sea stars are flexible and always wriggling.
When a bivalve shell such as a clam, cockle, or scallop is open, it does not mean it is dead. When it opens and closes after touching it, you know it is alive. You will see the live mollusk tucked inside gastropods like conchs and whelks.
If you are in doubt about whether they are alive or dead, do not pick them, throw them back into the ocean. Local laws do not allow you to collect live shells.
When you are through with collecting seashells, go over to Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum to update your knowledge, and compare your discoveries. It is fun and educational.
The museum was established in 1995 with some seashell exhibits. Aquariums and touch tanks filled with live mollusks were used in expanding it in 2021. Octopi, and cuttlefish, were also added to the seashells. Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is one of the most visited attractions on Sanibel Island.
My Thoughts
The best shelling beach on Sanibel and the Captiva islands is Turner Beach. It has few visitors, and shellers troop into the Island because of its rare variety of seashells.
You may be starting a collection, or you may want to increase your stock of collections, plan to visit all these two beaches. Finally, Turner Beach is a good beach for shellers and anglers. It is a good destination for fishers too.
The beach is at the pass between Sanibel and Captiva, where the high water current washes ashore shells and fish. Fishing and shelling are the things that attract visitors to the beach.
FAQs
Which beach on Sanibel Island has the best shells?
Turner Beach is known as the best shelling beach on Sanibel and the Captiva islands.
What is the best month for shelling on Sanibel Island?
October through November has become the best time to pick shells on Sanibel Island. The tides in the area are at their lowest during this period, which makes iit a great time to discover new shell treasures. Additionally, tourists can find great shells in the summer months too, including the month of May.
Is Sanibel or Captiva better for shells?
Turner Beach with low turn up of tourists is the best shelling beach on Sanibel and the Captiva islands. Turner Beach has become a haven a paradise for all shellers.