TREASURE ISLANDS BY LYNN WAALKES
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oquinas and cockles. Sand dollars, conch and starfish. Tulip shells, periwinkles and lightning whelks. Bivalves and gastropods and the rare junonia. Like a pirate’s chest brimming with untold treasure, Sanibel, Captiva and Marco Islands reward seekers with exquisite seashells, both rare and common, tiny and large, plain and colorful. Residents and visitors alike adopt the “Sanibel Stoop,” bent over at the waist to spy and pluck prized shells from local beaches. 30
W H E R E T R AVE LE R ® GU ESTBO O K
“People come to shelling for many different reasons,” says Sam Ankerson, executive director at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum on Sanibel. pictured above. “Maybe it’s a love of the outdoors, or the thrill of the search, a relaxing activity on the beach with loved ones, or the curiosity of a budding marine biologist. “There are about 400 different species of mollusks that are native to Southwest Florida, which feature an amazing variety of beautiful and beguiling shells,” he added.
COURTESY BAILEY-MATTHEWS SHELL MUSEUM
Travelers from all over the world visit the islands of Southwest Florida to search for riches of a different sort.
