Florida shell tour. Hunting for shells in the 10,000 Islands!
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- čas přidán 9. 12. 2023
- I go on Florida shell tours all the time. I do my fair share of walking beaches, but sometimes its great to just hop on a boat and go shelling away from the crowds. The only people you'll encounter on a shell tour are other guests, so there are plenty of shells to go around!
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Your 61 degrees is our summer…we are currently sitting at 22 degrees but feels like 7 degrees and having 42 mile per hour. Your videos take me to a warm beach every Sunday!!!
Brrr! I'll never complain of the cold in the mountains of East Tennessee again!
🥶 And that is why I moved to Florida! Stay warm beach friend!
Thanks… I was born and raised and still live in south central Alaska.
12:20 wow 😮 a starfish, I love starfish their are so adorable and so pretty 😍 too. Sometimes starfishes can come right by on shore. Anyway I really like all of your seashells that you found yesterday, and thank you so much for taking me on another shelling adventure. 😊❤
The oils on your skin are not super harmful to sea stars especially if they are only handled for a short time. Other things like lotions, sanitizers, or prolonged handling can be more harmful. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us and helping to keep the critters safe!
Thanks so much for weighing in. There's so much info out there it's hard to know what's true!
@@SWFBeachLife I know it! I think most of the info is targeted at those who aren't familiar with sea stars (i.e. tourists) to encourage conservative interaction. I worked at a touch exhibit at an aquarium for many years and I've seen the good and the bad... but a gentle hand back to the water is definitely better than being high and dry!
@@katie_lynch22 🙏🏼
Dear Sharmon,
I'm watching this sunny video from my warm bed, while the wind is howling around the house. And of course it's raining and freezing cold. Around 0°C/32°F.
But wow, what a haul of beach beauties! ❤
You've got to love them all.
But I really love that almost albino FFC! ❤
Kice and Dickmans Island have been so good for you!
And all those sand dollars..... it's time you take a bigger container with you to take them all.
I saw about a week ago on Instagram stories that Ali found a junonia, and she gave it to a lady who came with her on the boat. The lady had no clue how special the shell was. I think it was on Kice. I really wished it was you who found it. 😘
Can't wait to see what you've found on Fort Meyers beach! I hope you will finally find your albino olive!!
I hope it stays sunny and warm at your side of the world, so you don't freeze your butt off while searching for goodies.
I'm wishing you a wonderful week filled with love and happiness. Sending you a big hug and lots of love, xoxo ❤️, Ilona
I love all the small shells! The sand dollars were awesome. So many just on the beach, sand dollar heaven! Thank you for the take along.🐚🐚🐚😊😊😊
Lovely calm waves rolling in made a beautiful video for us. Thanks for taking us along.. I expected more Angel wings when you found that large one. Lovely collection of shells of all kinds & sizes.
Also, yes that’s a gorgeous Auger, my secret pleasure on any beach…
You have to go back and look at 9:03 - there is a pink portion of a shell at the center top of the screen - if you look at it, you will see a perfect little girl's face - short bangs, lace collar...I didn't even have to look for it - the color caught my eye and I immediately saw the child. So amazing...
I saw the pink shell, but after a day of caring for my husband, an Alzheimer's patient, my imagination is just about shot! I'm not even sure I know what's real sometimes!
It's like looking for cloud animals! I do see a face, but to me it looks like the face of a doll.
I just left Siesta Key today and after the storm that came thru, I found a core of a junonia and I'm beyond excited. It was a shelling dream for a novice like me.
That's wonderful!!! And quite lucky - even finding pieces are tough. 😃
Absolutely Love Dickmans island !! Nice haul !! Beautiful day to go shelling !!
I don't know you but I love you! I'm planning a shell tour for the end of this month for the 10000 Islands and your videos just me so excited and provide so much knowledge. I have tons of shells and can't wait to find some more!
I hope shell luck is in your favor and you find everything you’re looking for!
Wowsah, the Rose Murex is indeed AMAZING, but my favorite is that white/blonde Fighting Conch that you cleaned up - my jaw is on the floor, haha! I absolutely love when FFC's have unique colors/patterns/apertures, and this one is SUPER special!
Thanks for another great vid, friend!
I am still looking for that pure albino FFC, but in the meantime I'll appreciate the ones that are ALMOST albino 🤣 The pure breadth of colors and patterns on those fighting conchs makes me swoon every time I go to the beach! Thanks for coming along!
WOW!!! Now that was a great day. What an abundance of sea treasure.
I'm from Jacksonville but temporarily in GA. I'll be moving back home soon. I can't wait to comb Amelia Island, American Beach. Ugh! I'm so anxious. I have plans to go to various beaches all over Florida next year. Thank you so much for sharing your trips and knowledge with us. I really appreciate the inspiration.
I went to Mickler's Beach up near Jacksonville week before last and had fun looking for shark teeth. Our beaches down here are quite different and I am super spoiled having so many shells! 🐚
@@SWFBeachLife Mickler's has been on my to do list for at least three years now lol. I'm definitely getting to it next year. I have about 300 or so shells in my collection from just two beaches. I'm really looking forward to getting to Sanibel and other beaches further south. I know you guys have a different variety than what we get up here. Keep the inspo coming! ❤
So fun!!! I love the littles!! Thanks for taking me along. Have a great week! See you Sunday! XOXO
I hope you have a good week too!!
Thanks Sharmon, great trip to the beach!
Thanks for tagging along!
Sharona thank you so much. Your visits each Sunday are the highlight of my weekend. Ive always loved shells but the only ones around here (great lakes area) are small scallop shaped shells. Today I fell in love! That tiny rose murex you showed made me tingle. That must be how you feel about the Florida fighting conch. I hope you find more. Ill be watching.
Her name is Sharmon
Wow,Watching this before going to the beach in 2 days to get me prepared!
Have fun!
So I went on a tour back in October and I was really hoping to find a rose murex and I did and I was thrilled! But it was old and grey like yours but I was still just so happy that I found one and it’s been sitting on my coffee table ever since, fast forward to this video I watched last month when you revived yours into the beautiful rose color again! I bleached mine overnight and just rinsed it and it’s so pretty! Thank you so much for showing us!
That's awesome!!! Sometimes these shells just need a wee bit of extra love!
Your beach walks are so fun. I dream of visiting the FL shell beaches someday!
Gorgeous milky conch and rose murex.
Hello, my Beach Angel and all my beachy friends! Hope you've had a great weekend and are excited about another fun walk with our beloved Sharmon! I know I am! Let's ALL go to the beach(es)!
Ah, a beautiful angel wing! I'm getting such a kick out of your sand dollar harvesting! You're going to be a real tycoon before the day is done!
I used to go out to the shore before dawn when I lived on Pensacola Beach, just to pick up the little half-dollar sized sand dollars. I then painted little tiny scenes on them and attached findings for necklaces and earrings. If
I'd only known that I'd live so far from that home in my twilight years, I'd have stored more sunrises and sunsets in my memory, not to mention more little sand dollars in my pockets! Thank God for CZcams, where I can make up for that lost time, and for Etsy, where I can and do buy shells, etc. for making jewelry.
Sixty-one degrees? Our high tomorrow will be in the low forties with snow. Time to break out that sweater, huh?
I like all those tinies, but if there are larger shells to be found, I'd have a really hard time choosing!
Sharmon, I love you, but you're becoming a shell snob! 😂 I suppose you have to be or you'd have to buy another house just for your shell collection!
Kice! My favorite island! If Heaven has a beach, I hope it's got grest shells like Kice and all of SWF.
Ahhh, beach time! More tinies, too! That scallop is very unique! A rose murex, too! You're doing great again!
I'm still so proud of you for cleaning so much junk off the beaches you visit! I make it a point to put a trash bag in my pocket when I wander, just to collect trash. I was raised to follow the Red Path, being half Cherokee, which means, among other things, that you leave the earth in better shape than you find it! So good to see you walking the Red Path, too, Sharmon!
Thank you for a great shelling trip and for taking me and my friends along. I'll bet you wish we could carry your shell bag for you!
Much love to you, dear Beach Angel, and to all my friends of the beachy persuasion! Hope you have a great week!
Becca
The Lost Mermaid 🧜🐚🥰
The Red Path - I love that! I also love that I've inspired others to do the same. And I hang my shell bag from my backpack, so the weight is distributed equally 😂 I am having some neck issues and thought maybe walking with a bag over my shoulder was the problem. I can't stop collecting shells (even if I'm picky) so I'm constantly tweaking my methods. I hope you have a wonderful and SAFE week! ❤️
Sanddollar heaven! What fun!!!
That rose murex… absolutely stunning!!!
Beautiful shells as always Sharmon! Thanks for the walk.
The Rose Mirex was gorgeous. Also the sand dollars and calico scallops were beauties. Worm snails had a wonderful variety. As always living vicariously through you as you are shelling. 😊❤❤😊
That fighting conch with the tinge of purple was beautiful. Loved the tiny sand dollars too. Hope that little one made it home in one piece.
The first beach you went, you didn’t pick up that wonderful looking broad ribbed cardita. Looked like a nice one.
Your rose murex turned out gorgeous!
It's amazing what a little bleach will do!
I don’t know why but jingles are one of my favorite shells and sandals, so that would’ve been my dream day
Hi Sharmon, what an awesome duo! Dickman's and Kice! Sooo perfect! I eas dying over allvthr jingle shells and sand dollars! Holy moly! ( : That rose murex and the gorgeous cream and beige, with a hint of purple, FL Fighting Conch were unbelievably perfect after you ran them first through bleach and then the Acid Magic! Wow! Blew me away!
I made a friend on a shell site a few weeks ago ago who turned out to be from CT, like me, and we started talking about all the shells she had collected (tons and tons of them) from Sanibel, Pre-Ira, and I was telling her all the names of the shells, which blew her away, thank you Sharmon for your extraordinary shell lessons every week, and also I told her shelling at Kice, Sanibel, Dickman's, all of them is on my bucket list! So, this sweet woman offered to mail me a box of all her Sanibel shells! I just paid her for the s & h! OMGGGG, can I tell you, I literally cried, when i opened and looked through this box! 😭😭😭 i was pulling out all my favs i see you pick up every week! I couldn't believe these shells were mine! Everything I ever dreamed of finding! ( : Now, I want to clean them and beautify them even more! ( : So, first bleach and then Acid Magic! Was Acid Magic the acid that you could touch with bare hands or not? And after the acid magic dip the shells into another pot of fresh water! ( :
I am sooo excited! I felt like I had been on one of your shelling expeditions! I definitely still plan on reaching my bucket list destinations, but it sure made my day when my box of amazing FL shells arrived! ( :
Thank you sooo much for all you do, Sharmon ! You make my day every week when I get to watch your amazing videos! ( : Have an awesome week! Love ya! Tracy ( : ❤❤❤❤
Tracy how wonderful to have received a box of joy!!! And I don't like work but for whatever reason, I really enjoy cleaning seashells. How nice for that woman to send you shells! And I would watch the cleaning video again - Acid Magic will not burn your skin, but always wear glasses just in case!
czcams.com/video/QSLDBhDuFzY/video.htmlsi=fhr-I-LS15PWFLfT
I always enjoy our virtual beach walks, the shell hauls and the tidbits of other information you provide each week. But I really love the critters! This week’s video lacked none of the these treasures. Thank you for everything you’re doing to educate your viewers. Hoping the holiday season is finding you and yours doing well.
I have to admit - I love the critters too! I hope you have a wonderful week!
Top snail looks kind of Christmas tree 😊
We went on a tour with Ali yesterday and it was fantastic!!!
YAY!! I love hearing this! 🐚
Well someone had an awesome day! Beautiful treasures, the FFC is my favourite and very pretty. Dickmans also looked very pretty today too. Hugs and stay safe xx
Hi Sharmon! Boy it was sand dollar week! What gorgeous finds. I think my favs this week was that white conch with the orangey mouth (I love conchs too) and that hinged beach bowl! I was also wowed by the rose murex after you cleaned it. Very interesting finds. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed week.
I can't wait until I find my "real" albino fighting conch. Until then I'll keep all those placeholder shells 😃
Wow this was awesome! Amazing how they clean up so well ! That pink one was gorgeous once it was cleaned ! Beautiful day at the beach again ! Nice ❤
Looking for your etsy link. Loved today's video. That pink murex is stunning! ❤❤😊
The Turrid on Kice island looks like the leaning tower of Pisa.
Wow love shells❤
What a haul !
Wow! So many sand dollars! Loved the rose murex. And the ‘white’ conch was a great find! I enjoyed your outing!
What a fun day!!! ❤
I cant believe how cheap Ali's tours are! Wow! Awesome finds too!!
Great haul!
Wow those two shells at the end! Stunning so pretty ❤
Another great video! I look so forward to your videos each Sunday!
Well, Shar, that was ANOTHER GREAT day at the beach. Some new shells for me. The Tampa Turrids I don't think I'd seen before, but I could have. I watch you late at night, so to allow hubby to sleep the sound goes down (but not off) and the Closed Caption goes on. I was trying to be quiet but when the words came up as Tampa Turds, it was difficult for me to be silent!! LOL Thank you, as always, for taking me along!! 🏖🐚❤ See you next Sunday, my beach friend.
LOLOLOL - Tampa turds!! 🤣🤣🤣 Oh that was a good one - thank you so much for watching and thank you even more for the comment!
@@SWFBeachLife You're so welcome!! I'm so glad you enjoyed that. At 70 sometimes it hard to find your Joy, but I still enjoy a little 3rd grade humor about body functions. LOL Enjoy your day, Shar. Hugs!! ❤
Great finds ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you for watching! 💜
You certainly found a huge variety of shells this trip. And that rose murex (I think it was called) was gorgeous after bleaching and its acid bath. Such a lovely collection today!
I was on Dickmans island last weekend and it was so amazing!
Was just in the Bahamas walking the beach, I was able to name some shells thanks to you. I found a bunch of shells and critters.
Oh I would love to go shelling in the Bahamas 🐚
I would be in heaven. I love sand dollars. I wanna make a mobile out of fishing line sand dollars and drift wood someday.
14:59, to the left a FL cone,
This is what I was always taught and now found when I went online:
Human skin is coated with natural oils and bacteria, not to mention lotions and sunscreen and bug repellant. Sea Stars should not be handled (nor sea cucumbers, anemones, etc.) as many of those things are poisonous to the sea critters. Also, they have tiny delicate structures all over their bodies and we can't know that what we do to them won't hurt them, just because we can't see the damage. If you want to return a critter to the water from the beach, make sure you lift it from underneath in a big enough handful of sand to avoid touching it at all.
Thanks for leaving this info!
I love your videos.thanks.wild Kyle ,utuber and artist just had a video out showing shells under uv light.the patterns were amazing.
I saw the video! The fossilized shells will indeed glow under UV light. I thought that was super cool.
I love sand dollars ❤
Hi Sharman!! Love those juvenile Alphabet Cones!! 😍 My next trip is going to be either Anna Maria or Marco Island.. Did you ever do a video of Anna Maria Shelling??? Thanks for turning me into a shell nut!! TTFN 👋🏼 ❤
I've never been shelling at Anna Maria Island so I don't have any vids of that beach. Sorry!
Yep. Have found 3 or 4 Tampa turrids but they're not very common and usually pretty worn. Are you sure that little cone at 27 minutes was an alphabet? It had a pretty tall spiral... Didn't look like a Florida one either... I was wondering about all the lace murexes you usually find at Kice and they were there at the end. Love those! And, yes, that was a beautiful FFC!😊xxoo
You know I wondered about that top of the small alphabet, but I think it's an alphabet with a tall top. Kice is nutty for those rose murex shells lately. I can't wait to go back for the winter shells!!
If you have your hands in saltwater, I doubt you have any oil on your skin at that point. Nice haul❤
Yeah...there's a lot of info out there. Hard to know what's true!
17:56 you missed a nice banded tulip!
😅
I think the topsnail at 9:40 might actually be a beautiful topsnail. Your shell seems more ridged than a normal topsnail would be, I think. I'd agree bubbles are super common, just depends on local conditions, winds, currents, etc. Those young alphabet cones are super neat! They're a lot harder to find that size than the adults.
Then other beautiful topsnail I found was pronounced between the whorls. It's so hard to tell with the smaller specimens. I do like slowing down and appreciating those things I don't see that often 😃 Thanks so much for watching. I'm still in awe over your baby ear and wentletrap video!
You missed a purple tag by the colorful moon snail
Hello! I've been totally enjoying your videos. Shelling used to be my #1 passion (not that it ever REALLY got replaced!) but i started going to places with good snorkeling as a priority. Well, I broke my shoulder on 11/24/23 in Turks and Caicos while snorkeling. I'm on a long road toward healing and too long to stay away from the beach! I've been to Sanibel, Captiva and stayed a week on Cayo Costa before Ian and know those are good shelling places (almost had a Junonia on Cayo, but it was occupied. I moved it closer to the surf). But I am interested in this area of 10,000 islands to come and just shell for a week or so. I have no familiarity with it. Marco Island seems a little to party-ish? Where are some areas/places you would recommend staying - and what are the names of some shelling tour companies - a google search turned up nothing. TIA and Happy Shelling!!!
I have never stayed in Marco so unfortunately I don’t have a place to stay recommendation.
Now for the shell trip/tour I always go with Ali from SWFL Shell Guide - she will help you find what you’re looking for!
www.swflshellguide.com/
Do you carry a separate bag or container for your smalls or hinged shells? Love watching your videos. Thanks for sharing.
I always carry a small, hard plastic container in my shell bag for delicates like sand dollars, hinged shells and tinies.
Went with my teen granddaughter to Tybee. She said my knowledge of shells "is ridiculous." Lol. Learned almost all from you.
I always worry I'm stepping on little creatures, especially in the water.
Wondering why no one wants those beautiful iridescent pen shells. Think I'd like a bowl full.
I don't find many whole ones, but I do pick up a lot of iridescent pieces of pen shells. I hope to use them in crafts eventually.
Love your channel! Can you help me with a question I have? Is the beach near the Tween Waters resort a good place to shell ?
There is no parking over there so I’ve never shelled there - but I had an EPIC day in that area once. I personally would love to try it and see. I hope you have good luck!
Sharman, Just wondering….I no longer see my name on your pateron scroll. I don’t need the recognition, I just want to make sure you are still getting my support. Thanks for all you do…Marilyn
Thanks so much for wanting to support me! I did have a Marilyn supporting me, but the payment was declined back in August. Feel free to email me at swfbeachlife@gmail.com if you think there is a mistake somewhere.
Hi there, new subscriber here i love your channel, i do have a question. Through all of your beachcombing have you ever seen any treasure or anything interesting other the the shells? Thank you
😊
The shells and animals are really my beach highlights but I did find a decent glass bottle I decided to keep once. No gold or anything like that unfortunately! Welcome aboard!
Thank you for the awesome videos. I look forward to them every Sunday! I have a couple of questions. Had anyone stayed at the Pink Shell on Fort Myers Beach lately or Tween the Waters on Sanibel? My husband and I are wanting to make reservations and I would like some options. We are going during Christmas weekend. Thank you for your time.
I have stayed at the Pink Shell but not Tween Waters. They are both in great locations but if I were going to pick one for the shells it would be Tween Waters.
@@SWFBeachLife thank you for replying. We decided on the Pink Shell 🐚 as it was more economical for what we wanted. Hopefully we made the right decision. Where are the best places to do shelling on the north end of FMB? Where on Honeymoon Island would be the best places to go for shelling? Thank you for taking time to answer my questions. I’m a bit embarrassed for asking. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
@@kimvines636 Take the Fort Myers Beach trolley to Bay Beach Lane and there is beach access a little to the north. Ask the trolley driver best place to get picked up again!
Please let us know if in the future you learn about the sea star being hurt by us picking them up
Someone who used to work at a touch tank assured me that a quick trip back to the water isn't hurting the critter 😃
Best shelling areas on Fort Meyers’s Beach? Thank you
Going to be in the area in a month. Where abouts is this beach? It looks very interesting
I visited 2 islands with SWFL Shell Guide in the 10K islands: www.swflshellguide.com
One of tha sand dollars only had 4 holes did you notice. You picked it up just before you put the blue lid on
I actually did notice and forgot to mention that in the video - I am going to keep that one in my special collection!
Will you be guiding any future tours with SWFL Shell Guide? I hope so!!!
I do not have any other dates secured right now - sorry! I do promise to promote the crud out of any future dates I add!
Thank you!
I was at Ft Myers Beach Dec 2-9 and brought home about 6 plastic tubs of so many different shells it was awesome. I believe I found an albino fighting conch that is beautiful! Can you tell me if I can help my murex get their color back? I had to clean beach stuff off everything with bleach and many lost their color . I was disappointed. Would your acid help? I want to try it sometime soon. Thanks again for tonight's show!
I would definitely try Acid Magic on murex shells. Have you seen my most recent cleaning video? czcams.com/video/QSLDBhDuFzY/video.htmlsi=3Kek1yAaCw2d23qq
I will check it out! Thanks! ❤
Do you like the acid magic better than the Safe HCL? I did try the safe HCL per your recommendation and was pretty pleased with it. Major differences in the two products? Thanks!
Price is the major difference. When you are done with the Safe HCL you can pick up some Acid Magic for about 1/4 the cost!
I love your videos! I found a arabian tibia shell at sanibel this weekend! Is that rare? Researching it says its from the arabian sea??? I was so excited cause i shell often and at sanibel so i knew i have never seen one!! Was in the water about ankle deep😊
What a cool find! I actually have found a huge turret down here too, but they are considered wedding shells - meaning the animal doesn't live here but the shell ended up on the beach from a beach themed wedding or party. Still a very cool find!
at 12:19 is that a lions paw in the left corner next to the starfish?
No, that is some sort of tunicate I believe.
When you soak them in bleach, do you dilute the bleach at all, or use it full strength? If diluted, what ratio water to bleach do you use? Thanks for another great video 🙂
I'm kind of hard core and I soak mine in 100% straight bleach. You don't have to though. You can dilute with even just a splash of bleach, but the soaking time would be much longer.
I have a question. If you put water in the sand dollar container, would it help them maybe not break when you transport them?
Maybe...but I wouldn't want to carry all that weight. If you were going to try to travel on an airplane or something I've heard you can use bread to protect the sand dollars!
Have you ever found gold or silver treasures on any of your trips?
I have not, but my husband has a metal detector and we have looked 😃
Is that an Eagles or osprey nest in the tree on left during “beach time “?
That is the "First" osprey nest. For people who go on the island regularly it's actually a marker of sorts!
Cool.
Where on Etsy are you selling?
Here is link to my store: www.etsy.com/shop/SWFBeachLifeStore
👋❤️🇨🇦
19:21 wentel trap in middle of screen (upside down)?
I don't see anything at 19:21 that could be a wentletrap...this time! 😃
What do you do with all your shells?
I made a video for that question: czcams.com/video/GZQVCKCJQZk/video.html
The littles are my favorite! I want to fill a small jar with some and send them to my mother but i dont get to the beach that often. I would love to buy a small bundle of the littles from you if thats possible? 🫶👏🦪🐚🪸
I was thinking of adding some "beach bowls" with tinies on my Etsy page but I haven't gotten to it yet - I'll add it to the list! www.etsy.com/shop/SWFBeachLifeStore
@@SWFBeachLife That would be perfect!!