I felt I had better get to the beach today. Who knows how many more days we will have to walk our beautiful beaches. I rarely check the high and low tides so was very pleasantly surprised when I found that it was reeeaaaalllyyy low tide! I looked up and down the beach to see which way to go. I usually like to go where it is less crowded.
I decided to go East or toward the lighthouse. Less people that way. Who knows, probably less shells too. Oh well.
This gal was digging for something. I don't know what but I hope she found what she was looking for. 
These gals had the right idea. They dragged their chairs out on the sandbar. I was hoping I could grab a picture without them knowing but it looks like the caught me.
Ok, so everyone who lives on Sanibel or visits here should know that there is a leash law! Believe it or not, this dog was on a leash. He just didn't have a human attached to the other end. 
His owner thought it was really cute to throw shells and the dog would chase after them. He thought it was even funnier to toss those shells near people so the dog would run towards those people. One guy finally screamed at him and told him to get the dog on a leash or he was going to call the cops. So the guy complied.
He complied until he got down the beach a ways then let go of it again and started the whole thing all over again. Jerk!!!
The water was so calm and clear that I was able to take some great pictures of shells. Most of what I found though was live. Live Whelks, live Tulips, live Murexes, live huge Giant Cockles, live Clams, live Juvenile Fighting Conchs. It was pretty amazing. I overheard a guy say that when he walked beyond the sandbar, he couldn't take a step without stepping on Sand Dollars. One thing that made me crazy was a teenager who decided to take a live cockle and break it open to see what was inside! Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures of the live ones. 
My friend says that if you are supposed to find a shell, you will. I had to put back all of those live shells but look what I found without critters inside!
Oh, and Tink, look what else I found. Operculum. Two of them. I put the Wentletrap in there to show the size.
In case you don't know what an operculum is, it is the trapdoor of a live shell such as a Horse Conch.Anyway, it was a wonderful couple of hours on the beach. The water was like bathwater and clear as a bell. I just hope and pray that our beaches stay as beautiful as they were tonight!
7 comments:
You got beautifully rewarded for putting back all the live critters -- I am always happiest when I find a cone, and wentletraps are on my list for next time, I've never found one and I'm overdue!
great pics! Having not been there since last July, we were amazed at how 'deep' the beach at the lighthouse is right now.
I'm with about crowded beaches. I avoid them at all costs for fear that I might go postal on goobers like No Leash Dog Guy.
Ah operculum... one of my favorite words :) I know better, but I still think the plural should be "operculii" hahaha
;)
This time of year is always fabulous for live critters in the tidal pool. I wish I hadn't had to work late this evening - I knew the tide would be LOW but duty called....
Tink *~*~*
I'm so glad you got a couple of nice rewards. :) I had to give a pat on the back to my Dutch friend, for waiting on the beach for a dog walker to come back past her chair. When he did, she got up and told him that she happened to be standing in the water when he let his dog take a poop, right beside her chair. She then told him about the 'clean up your doggie poop' law and asked him to please take that plasic bag out of his pocket and pick it up. He actually walked up there and tried to bury it in the sand. She stopped him again and told him to pick it up and he finally did.
Mr. Florida Blogger, we need for you to come here to spend a few months on our beach, going postal on these goobers. :)
I'm about ready to start giving out concerned citizen tickets! :)
Beautiful! Gotta love beaches.
It's amazing how rude some are with another person's home. I'm sure that guy wouldn't like a strange dog running free in his yard! We have lots of problems with loose dogs...people think because it is Alaska they should run free. A neighbor just lost several bunnies to stray dogs breaking into the pens. One rabbit was 8 years old. She wrote to the paper today. I have 5 dogs and none of them are running free! Glad you enjoyed your time at the beach.
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