What island in Florida has a lot of shells?

Shell-lovers from all over the world make pilgrimages to tiny Sanibel Island's Gulf Coast, considered the best shelling spot in North America according to Travel & Leisure Magazine.



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Sanibel Island Shelling – Travel & Leisure Ranked Sanibel Island #1 of the Top 10 Best U.S Shelling Beaches. Shell-lovers from all over the world make pilgrimages to tiny Sanibel Island's Gulf Coast, considered the best shelling spot in North America according to Travel & Leisure Magazine.

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Tourists walk along the famous shell-strewn beaches of Sanibel, Fla. The beaches are known all over the world for the shells.

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The great news is that many of our favorite Sanibel beaches are now open and ready for visitors! Here's what you need to know about which Sanibel beaches are open.

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Seashells are so important to the islands' chain of life that the State of Florida has outlawed the collection of live shells (with inhabitants) as well as living sand dollars, starfish and sea urchins. Shellers are encouraged to limit their empty-shell haul.

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The recreational collection of sea shells is allowed depending on whether or not the harvested sea shell contains a living organism, the type of organism it contains and where you will be collecting. Sea shells containing live organisms cannot be sold unless the seller has a valid commercial saltwater products license.

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Junonia is one of the rarest shells to find. It's highly coveted among beachcombers. Because Junonia snails live on the ocean floor, their shells aren't likely to wash up on the beach. Once a Junonia dies, its shell is more likely to stay buried than to travel the 60 to 150 feet to the sand.

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But what is it that makes Sanibel Island so famous and well-known? Sanibel Island is known as a shelling destination thanks to its world famous shell beaches.

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There is no limit to how many empty seashells you can take home from Florida beaches. It is recommended to practice environmental awareness. This includes being mindful of what you collect, leaving living organisms alone, and only collecting seashells you plan on keeping.

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Top Rare Seashell Finds in Florida
  • The Junonia – a spotted shell found in the Gulf area beaches.
  • The Lion's Paw scallop, which is much larger than an ordinary scallop shell.
  • The Scotch Bonnet shell.


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Although January, February and March are some of the best months to go shelling on Sanibel and Captiva, Stefanie Wolf, a marine biologist at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, said that because of the high winds the islands have been experiencing this spring, now is an opportune time to go shelling.

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As a result, the MFC passed a special Sanibel Shelling Rule (MFC Rule Chapter 46-26) restricting live shell collection to two specimens of any one species per person per day.

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The World's Best Beaches for Hunting Seashells
  • Shelling on Florida Beaches. ...
  • Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland. ...
  • Shark's Tooth at Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland. ...
  • Seashells on Beach. ...
  • Sand Dollars on Florida Beaches. ...
  • Shelling by Boat on Florida Beaches. ...
  • Shipwreck Beach, Lanai, Hawaii. ...
  • Seashells on Molokai, Hawaii.


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Prohibited Sea Life The Bahama Starfish and Queen Conch are always prohibited, unless the Queen conch shell is already empty. It's unlikely you would find this shell just sitting on the beach!

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