Best 30A Beaches for Finding Shells?

[Jdarg]

When I was little we always went to the beach around the Clearwater/St. Pete area. We would find huge welks and conchs! I don't see those on the Panhandle, but only being there one week a year may have something to do with it! The shells we found last summer were beautiful but small- lots of olives, a few scallops, and the cool sandbar was half sand/half quarter-sized sand dollars!

 

[aquaticbiology]

shell island is in pcb and costs about 10$ to get there and back, but you can stay as long as you want

i haven't been on it in probably 30 years, but it was 'just ok' back then and really wasn't worth getting off the boat which was cool and had a glass bottom so you could see the cool sea grass, tubeworms, fish and crabs on the bottom

the island lost a bit of height during the hurricanes, and the one and only structure (bathrooms) blew into the bay

no trails or bathhouse or bathrooms or shade or camping

lots of snakes and the biggest spiders you ever saw are up in the woods on the high west end of the island by the pass

used to have a lot of shells until captain anderson started running 30+ folks out there every two hours, then the shell island shuttle got a bunch of money during the 1996 olympics and at least one shell island shuttle has been making 15 minute runs from st andrews state park for the last few years

you'll probably find more shells at the jetties in st andrews state park waiting for the shuttle to come

usually one person a year gets fried by lightning on the east end of the island at weakfish point

unless you are a hardy beach comber i'd say avoid it cause that's all there is

 

[Paula]

Great responses and I'm optimistic we'll find more shells right on 30A this year. Aquaticbiology -- you are too funny (and honest)!

 

[Rudyjohn]

I've always found LOTS of shells all my life and my house is full of what I've found since I was a little girl - - but you have to go at sunrise. You'd be surprised what all is there at that time. It's worth it.

 

[Beachlover2]

JR - you are so right - I walk the beach almost every morning when we are down there between 6 and 7 am - sometimes I am gone for 2 hours or more and on those days my husband knows I am coming back with treasures. :clap_1: :clap_1:

We leave them behind in various places around the condo and I am amazed at how very few have disappeared over the years. My crock pot is gone - but my shells are still around.

 

[30A Skunkape]

If you prefer to sleep in a little later you can be proactive and get a pair of goggles and go find them 'offshore'. I swim out to the sandbar with Mrs Skunkape on a noodle and simply swim to the bottom and probe with my hands. You can use a small net if you are chicken, but there are tons of shells not to mention interesting critters.

 

[dbuck]

If you prefer to sleep in a little later you can be proactive and get a pair of goggles and go find them 'offshore'. I swim out to the sandbar with Mrs Skunkape on a noodle and simply swim to the bottom and probe with my hands. You can use a small net if you are chicken, but there are tons of shells not to mention interesting critters.

You be careful. Those sandbars further out in the water are where they say the sharks are.

 

[30A Skunkape]

You be careful. Those sandbars further out in the water are where they say the sharks are.

Yeah, and HWYs 30A and 98 are full of people operating multiton machines drunk, yapping on cellphones, speeding, etc. I'll take my chances with the sharks. We can't live scared, people!

 

[OnMackBayou]

I took my 5 year old daughter to Shell Island last summer. The best part about the trip is the boat ride.

There isn't anything to see once you get to Shell Island. It's just a beach, and on our trip we had about an hour to goof around once we got there. My favorite memory was on the way back. Our tour boat reached a point where we were at a diagonal looking west down Panama City Beach, and all the old and new hi rise condos were in a nice line. My daughter shouted "Daddy, look! New York City!"

I glanced up and sure enough, the view was somewhat sadly, eerily similar.

 

[30A Skunkape]

I took my 5 year old daughter to Shell Island last summer. The best part about the trip is the boat ride.

There isn't anything to see once you get to Shell Island. It's just a beach, and on our trip we had about an hour to goof around once we got there. My favorite memory was on the way back. Our tour boat reached a point where we were at a diagonal looking west down Panama City Beach, and all the old and new hi rise condos were in a nice line. My daughter shouted "Daddy, look! New York City!"

I glanced up and sure enough, the view was somewhat sadly, eerily similar.