The Painted Shells on Sanibel Island

The Painted Shells on Sanibel Island

Have you ever been out on the town and found a painted rock? If you have then you will love finding painted shells on Sanibel Island. Spending time on the island will allow you to enjoy the island life and will allow the kids to hunt for the shells. Staying with us at Blind Pass Condominiums will allow you to stay close to the beach and possibly find your own shells to decorate and hide. Let’s look below at what to look for and how you too can participate in painting your own shells.

How to Spy Them

The Painted Shells on Sanibel Island

Just like the rocks, the painted shells are hidden all over the island for you and your family to find. You may happen to see many that are painted in bright colors and even some that have designs on them. If you happen to go to the general store, you may find a few hidden around there or you may find them around the complex. There is no true answer on where you may find them but just keeping a lookout may help you spot them easier.

What Kind of Designs

The amazing part of finding each shell is not knowing what design may be on it. There are many who will use different kinds of paints to paint the shells just different colors. A few of the designs that have been found are an American Flag with a Bald Eagle on it, a mosaic looking one with a turtle painted on it or even more intricate designs like beach themed ones. Many people love to paint different designs on them at home and bring the shells with them on their vacation to Sanibel Island. No matter what the design, it’s always such a fun activity to find them on each trip you take.

Paint Your Own Shells

The Painted Shells on Sanibel Island

Since you will be vacationing on the best shelling beaches in Florida, why not paint some of the shells that you happen to find. Bring sharpie markers with you and some rubbing alcohol with you. Have the kids color the shells with whatever design they want and drop some of the rubbing alcohol onto them. This will create a unique look to the designs and will have your kids wanting to paint more. There are however some rules that you need to follow to make sure the wildlife is kept safe. Never hide any of the shells at Ding Darling or any other national park. No extra embellishments should be added to the shells such as rhinestones or anything like it and you should just have fun!

While there are many other ways that you can have fun on your family vacation to Sanibel Island, we wanted to share with you the painted shells. Blind Pass Condominiums will allow your family to be close to the beach where you can find all the shells in the world. If you haven’t booked your next family vacation yet, now is the time. We can’t wait to see you and your family as you get to experience the painted shells of Sanibel Island too!

Sanibel Island #1 Among the Top 10 Best Shelling Beaches in America

If you’ve visited Sanibel Island in the past you won’t be too surprised to learn that Travel & Leisure magazine ranked Sanibel Island #1 of the Top 10 Best U.S. Shelling Beaches in the country. The Weather Channel’s Facebook friends’ also voted Sanibel Island as the beach they like best for shelling. Conditions are ideal off the coast of Sanibel and Captiva Islands to acquire the finest and largest number of shells that you have to see to believe.

Sanibel Island #1 Among the Top 10 Best U.S. Shelling Beaches
Some say that both Sanibel and Captiva Islands are created entirely from seashells. When local residents install new gardens in their backyards they often find conchs, whelks, scallops and clam shells — all in pristine condition!

It’s because of the lay out of the land that these islands rank the best in the world for shelling. The Island of Sanibel is a curve shape that follows the coastline. The east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end acts like a shovel that regularly scoops up all the seashells that the Gulf carries in from the Caribbean and other southern seas.

What to Bring if You’re Collecting Shells

Be sure to bring a bucket or other container to hold all the seashells you collect and hit the beach during low tide when shells are more exposed. The best times for Florida shell-lovers to collect are at low spring tides during full and new moons. Gulf storms are also responsible for moving a large number of shells up the Gulf and onto the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva Islands.

Sanibel Island #1 Among the Top 10 Best U.S. Shelling Beaches

Where You Can Find the Best Shells

The best places to go shelling are on the Gulf-side beaches from the Lighthouse to North Captiva Island. With hundreds of thousands of shells, the beaches are sources of every type of shell imaginable; with a fresh supply coming in regularly from the Gulf and Caribbean. Please know that shelling is prohibited in J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

What You’ll FInd

There are many different types and sizes of seashells on these beaches. The smaller seashells can be found on the Lighthouse end of the island chain. But if it’s the larger shells you’re after you’ll want to check closer to Captiva and North Captiva. You can expect to see Conch, Junonia, Lightning Whelk, Cockle, Scallops, Murex, Tulip, Olive, Coquina, among the types found there.

Florida Seashell Laws

Seashells are important to the chain of life on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Because both of these are refuge islands, where all life is considered precious, the State of Florida has outlawed the collecting of live shells on the island. A “live shell” is defined as any specimen that contains an inhabitant, whether or not the mollusk seems alive. The law further protects sand dollars, starfish and sea urchins. Sheller’s are urged to limit even their empty-shell collection.

Where to Stay

When you’re looking for an affordable place to stay on Sanibel Island be sure to check out Blind Pass Condominiums. Our accommodations are beautifully decorated and fully furnished and will easily accommodate most any size group.We look forward to meeting you!