Minis and a Redfish

Tiny little mini shells from Sanibel
Tiny little mini shells from Sanibel.

Good things come in very small packages! Here are some of the mini shells that I found at the Sanibel Lighthouse today. In that mix: murex, cockle, juvenile fighting conch, sundial, lightning whelk, tulip, shark eye, king’s crown and even a  kitten paw.

While I was shelling on one end of the island, my older son was fishing at the J.N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge. He scored, too! A monster redfish! Yes, he put him back in the water after the photo. The big fish swam off in a hurry. Very cool.

Dusty with his redfish, caught at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.
Dusty with his redfish, caught at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.

Wentletrap: What it means, Where to get one

wentletrap

While going through my shelling guide, I realized that I didn’t have a wentletrap. How can that be? So, taking the advice of the guide, and other shellers, I headed to the Lighthouse on Sanibel. And there she was! Right on the shore on the low tide line. In the photo, she’s laying there right above the drawing of the wentletrap. Cool beans, people!

These are such beautifully detailed shells, don’t you think? I can see why it’s named for a spiral staircase in German. I’m in love. How many do you have? I got a few that morning but this one is my favorite.