Shells had always been and still are such wonderful things to behold. With their fancy shapes and colors, they always seem to captivate people young and old. And captivate they did ever since ancient times. The Seminole creation legend tells us that the Grandfather, creator of the world, placed all the animals in a large shell just after the world had been created. He told the animals that when the time is right, the shell would break open so all of them can crawl out and inhabit the earth.
Shells have a profound and lasting effect on us both in myth and in reality. Thus, it is a good thing that in Naples, you can find a wide variety of beautiful shells along the beaches that you can certainly enjoy. And the great part is you can take them home with you as something to remember your stay. The shells come in all shapes, colors and sizes in this part of the country, so we’re sure you can find something that suits your fancy.
Whether you are digging them out of the sand or just picking them up in one of our trails, shell collecting, or shelling, is indeed quite an experience. There is something interesting and sentimental about it we couldn’t quite put our finger on but it’s there; a kind of quiet but deeply satisfying feeling every time you find an interesting looking shell. The experience is almost spiritual for some. Perhaps because shelling connects us to nature and gives us that nice feeling similar to, say, hugging a tree? We’re not entirely sure; what we’re sure of is that it’s a good experience and we invite you to try it when you’re here in Naples.
As mentioned before, there are different kinds of shells found here. We have the majestic looking Crown Conch types that look like crowns and have a nice stripe patterns around them. We have Worm Shells that have a nice spiral shape with a slightly pointed tip. We have the awesome looking Sunray Venus, oval shaped with stripes that indeed resemble sunrays. The Coquina, colorful, butterfly shaped beauties. The odd looking Pen Shell, dark and rustic. There’s also the smooth shaped True Tulip. There’s the Angel Wing, white and pure; and the similarly shaped Turkey’s wing, only that it has jagged brown stripes that go along with its shape. Then, we have the Dosinia type and the Ponderous Ark, the former being cream in color while the latter has deep brown hues. These and much more you can find when you lose your way in one of the beaches or in one of the nature trails that’s relatively close to the sea.
Shelling is one of the many great things the Paradise Coast can offer to the wayward traveler. People admire its existential simplicity. It is, by all means, cathartic in every sense of the word. We invite you to come to this wondrous coast and experience all this and more.
