I was planning on a lazy Sunday with football, couch time and more couch time. But the Queen really wanted to head to the beach and get some sunning and shelling in. I’m sure glad she did.

The sun was shining brightly at BP with a few clouds overhead. The water was very cold, but very clear. The shell pile was long and stretched all the way down the shore line. So we set up our camp and I went right, Queen went left.

I started out waist deep with my rake, as I was a little reluctant to go all in so to speak. When I say the water was cold, I mean frigid. But I was pulling in so many great things that it was bound to happen. I wish I would have had my camera with me as I waded down the beach. I pulled up what looked to be two round bulbs of plant life. That is, until I looked a little closer. It happened to be two moon shells – one very large and the other somewhat small. Inside those moon shells were two very aggressive crabs, the larger of which was trying to eat the smaller. I fiddled a bit trying to figure out what I was looking at when they both popped out and turned their aggression on me! Back in the water they went!

So I made my way back to the Queen and asked her to follow me as I snorkeled so she could take some photos.

As I started snorkeling I noticed that there were hundreds of keeper shells. But they were ALL alive. Tulips, Fighting Conchs, Oyster Drills, Murexes – you name it. The sea floor was littered with them., including this little orange Mini Horse Conch.

I was able to find quite a few really perfect Olive shells (which as I mentioned before are one of my faves) with their spires intact and pointy.

One dilemma I was experiencing was fogging of my mask. The water being very cold and my face being very warm didn’t get along much. I was literally having to clear my mask every three or four minutes. At one point as I was defogging the mask, I felt a nibble on my foot. Then a more painful nibble. I put my mask on, ducked into the water and swung my foot forward, only to find a four inch, very angry Crab pinching my toe! He was just one of the many members of the Sanibel wildlife running the beach that day.

Once again, I’m glad the Queen pushed me to hit the beach today. Judging by the photos she took, I think she’s glad too. What a great beach day!

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