shelling strategy?
I don't know if I can really be of much help, but we've been coming to SoWal for the last several years, and my favorite part has been the shelling. I think the reason I've enjoyed it so much is that few people seem to be doing it -- perhaps assuming there aren't any to be found. Of course, the second day after a storm seems to be the best time to try, but I find moonshells, augers and tons of olive shells every time we visit. I use a small net and look for them in the water right against the surf break line -- we also snorkel in the shallows for them, too. One summer, I was digging my toes in the shallows, and found a chesnut turban with a beautiful gold interior -- and some kids had been netting around for shells in that area all day with no success. Maybe I just have radar or something... But don't give up. My best success has been at Seagrove Beach a bit down the western side of the beach from the Eastern Lake outflow. My absolute favorites are scotch bonnets, and the weird thing is, 2 or 3 years in a row I found them in the exact same location on that beach -- as long as I was the first one up in the morning to go looking... I've even come across coral, murex and top shells - which are exotic-looking. Don't forget to check the June grass, too, if you happen to be there when it washes in -- we found hamburger beans and sea heart beans in it last year, not to mention tons of great critters for the daily beach bucket aquarium...
I guess I'm obviously an amateur shell geek, but I found two great books specific to the Florida shells that were fascinating -- "Florida's Fabulous Seashells," and "Florida's Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber." The 'Living Beaches' one even shows charts for each item, marking where along Florida's coastline you can expect to find it. Happy hunting!
