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SHELLING AT JENSEN'S
A Days Collection of Shells From Captiva Island
| Captiva's beaches are world famous
for the countless varieties of shells that wash upon its shoreline. Guests
staying at Jensen's on the Gulf only need to step outside the door and
stroll down the beach to start finding shells.
Accessible only by boat, the outer, barrier islands have fewer visitors per year and offer pristine beaches for shelling. Check out our water taxi or boat rental services to make arrangements to visit these islands. Knowing when and where to look can increase your changes of finding shells. Just after a storm anytime of year is productive and a low tide reveals more treasures than a high tide. During the full moon the normal low tide is even lower, thus exposing sand bars and hundreds of shells that are otherwise obscured. (The tides are posted daily at Jensen's Twin Palm marina.) The bay side of the island can produce some real finds any time of the year. Turner Beach at Blind Pass (3 miles from Jensen's) is a good Bay side shelling spot, particularly at low tide. Buried in the much, you may find the majestic King's Crown or our state shell, the Horse Conch which can reach an impressive 24" long! To learn more about shells, visit the Bailey-Matthews
Shell Museum; they have rare and unusual shells on display, educational
slide shows and interactive exhibits for children of all ages. |
Captiva
Beach, across the road and down Andy Rosse Lane from Jensen's Twin Palm
Marina is a stellar spot for shelling anytime of the year. Lightening
whelks, the only Florida shell which is commonly left-spiraling (a trait
considered a rarity among other species), are abundant on this beach as
are calico scallops, lettered olives, kitten's paws, nutmegs, augers,
translucent jingles and many more.
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