When most people think of Florida’s sandy beaches, they think warm, sunny summer, but what the locals already know is that winter at the beach has tons to offer. The sand and water may be cold, but it’s the perfect time for looking for sea shells. Maybe it’s because fewer people are on the beach, or maybe it’s the cold weather and winter storms washing them ashore, but the beach always seems full of sea shells and other great finds during the winter months.
As a former island dweller, seashells have become an integral part of my home decorating scheme. They make great containers for q-tips, candles and jewelry. Some act as decoration atop a cabinet while others have been turned into craft projects, such as a necklace or wind chime. Little jars of sharks’ teeth, collected throughout the years, are tucked away. I even have a shell from my daughter’s first trip to the beach, labeled with the date, as a little reminder of paradise.
While collecting is fun, leaving behind seashells and other marine organisms can benefit our beaches, which is why I always limit what I take. Shells provide protection for creatures like hermit crabs and can be hiding places for small fish. They also help stabilize beaches and anchor seagrass.
If you do want to take home a few souvenirs, it’s important to know that there are some rules when it comes to recreational sea shell collection on Florida’s beaches.
- The biggest thing to keep in mind when you are collecting a good beach find is if it’s dead, it most likely is ok to keep.
- Do not keep anything that is federally protected (i.e. sea turtles, sawfish, or parts thereof.)
- If the sea shell has a living organism inside or is a living organism (think sand dollars and starfish), you must have a Florida saltwater fishing license (unless exempt), and you must adhere to statewide and local limits for that species.
- It’s also good to know that there are a few species prohibited from harvest, such as the Bahama starfish and live queen conch. You can collect queen conch shells when the shells do not contain any living queen conch at the time of collection.
- Special rules also apply if you are collecting in Lee County or Manatee County.
To learn more about FWC’s regulations on recreational sea shell collecting, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Sea Shells.” If you need a fishing license, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
My top favorite beach finds:
Sea Beans: I love that these rare finds often illicit a “Whoa, what is that?” from fellow beachgoers. Sea beans or drift seeds are common names for a variety of seeds that frequently wash up on the beach. Our ocean currents are amazing, and sea beans are proof of that. Many of these seeds come from faraway places, such as the Amazon River.
Cockle Shells: These beach show-stoppers are often the size of your hand and strong enough to remain in one piece, which make them great for collecting. It’s also always “warmed the cockles of my heart” that the two shells of this bivalve form a heart shape when whole.
Lightning Whelk vs. Knobbed Whelk: I love a good whelk. They are big, beautiful, and strong enough to not easily break, and they look great on a shelf. My favorite beach party whelk trick is showing people the difference between a lightning whelk and a knobbed whelk. Lightning whelks open to the left whereas the two other commonly found whelks, the channeled and knobbed, open to the right.
Egg Casings: Another favorite “Whoa, what is that?” beach moment often comes from finding the egg casings of whelks and moon snails. While these finds aren’t great for decoration (moon snail casings are very fragile; whelk casings and skate egg casings, aka mermaid purses, that have already hatched can be smelly and will need to dry out), they are definitely fun to look at and talk about.
Share your seashells and beach finds with us on our social media pages. Learn more at MyFWC.com/News/Social. Send your questions, photos and fishing tales to Saltwater@MyFWC.com. Make sure your photo meets our photo requirements by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Submit a Photograph” under “Get Involved.” 
Amanda Nalley
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
