Guided beach walk. Lovers Key State Park, Florida.

[@suzieplum7995]

In the heart of the coral reefs, there lived an old and weathered Crown conch named Victor. Victor had once been the embodiment of the ocean's vitality, a conch who reveled in the thrill of fast-paced living. For many years, he had been the life of the underwater party, the conch who embraced every current and danced through the coral groves with unmatched exuberance. Victor's life had been a tapestry of vibrant experiences. He had traversed the ocean's depths, exploring distant reefs and mingling with various marine communities. His shell bore the marks of countless adventures, etched with the memories of lively gatherings, spirited dances, and the echoes of laughter that had reverberated through the underwater world. As the currents of time carried Victor into the later chapters of his life, he found himself yearning for a different rhythm. The once-thrilling parties and constant travels began to lose their allure. Victor, with the wisdom that came from a life well-lived, sought a quieter existence, a sanctuary of peace where he could reflect on the memories etched into his shell. In the twilight of his years, Victor retreated to a serene coral enclave, where the rhythms of life were gentler, and the currents whispered tales of times long past. His shell, now weathered and adorned with the stories of his youth, gleamed under the soft glow of the bioluminescent coral. As Victor settled into his newfound solitude, he spent his days reminiscing about the wild adventures that had defined his past. The vibrant colors of the coral brought back memories of the energetic dances, the laughter of fellow sea creatures, and the camaraderie that had once fueled his fast-paced life. With a sense of contentment, Victor traced the contours of his shell, each mark telling a story of a life well and fully lived. Surrounded by the tranquil beauty of his coral retreat, Victor found solace in the echoes of his adventurous past. He appreciated the contrast between the energetic tempo of his youth and the serene quietude of his golden years. As he gazed upon the shimmering sea, Victor reveled in the knowledge that he had embraced life with open arms, savoring every moment and leaving no current unexplored. In the stillness of his coral abode, Victor realized that the quiet peace he now sought was the perfect coda to his lively symphony of a life. With a heart full of gratitude, he welcomed the tranquility, knowing that the memories of his wild adventures would forever dance in the currents of his soul. Victor, the old and weathered Crown conch, found fulfillment in the ebb and flow of a life that had been as vibrant as the ocean itself. With the last strength he could muster and with a great effort he, hauled himself up onto the shore. The sensation of the coarse sand beneath his shell was a stark contrast to the familiar embrace of the ocean currents. He took a moment to breathe in the salty air and cast a final gaze across the vast expanse that had been his home for so long As his gaze lingered on the horizon, he heard a delicate sound carried by the breeze. Laughter, the joyous laughter of newly hatched conchs. Victor's aged eyes widened with surprise and curiosity as he turned toward the source of the mirth. There, in a small tide pool nestled among the rocks, a group of young conchs reveled in the joy of their newfound existence. Their shells glistened with the luster of youth, and their laughter echoed with the pure exuberance of life. Victor, despite his fatigue, felt a warmth spreading through his weathered shell. The laughter of the young conchs stirred a bittersweet melody in his heart-a melody that resonated with the eons of life he had lived beneath the waves. He watched the playful antics of the youngsters, their tiny shells twirling in the water, and he couldn't help but smile. In that moment, Victor realized that life was an unending cycle, a symphony of beginnings and endings. The laughter of the young conchs was a reminder that, even as one chapter closed, another was just beginning. The ocean, with its eternal rhythms, continued to weave the tapestry of existence. As the last rays of sunlight painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, Victor, content and at peace, surrendered to the timeless embrace of the ocean. The laughter of the young conchs became a soothing lullaby, a melody that carried him into the next phase of his journey. With a final, grateful glance at the world above the waves, Victor let the gentle tide reclaim him. The sounds of conch laughter lingered in the air, a celebration of life echoing through the sands and rocks, and in that ephemeral moment, the old and the new converged in a harmonious dance beneath the canvas of the evening sky. :)

[@SWFBeachLife]

Sweet dreams Victor ❤️ I can't read this one. It will make me cry. This was absolutely beautiful.

[@suzieplum7995]

TY. :) 💚@@SWFBeachLife

[@cindymcculley7607]

I am for.one, a brand new viewer. I accidentally hit the thumbs down! I didn't mean to!!! This is so cool! Thank you for sharing! I had no idea that there were beaches in Florida that weren't FL of people. Are you holding them back to get away from your cameras? Or is this for real? Where is this location please !!

[@SWFBeachLife]

@@cindymcculley7607 I do nothing special when I go to the beach for crowd control - lol! This is a state park on Fort Myers Beach.

[@cindymcculley7607]

@@SWFBeachLife , my phone is so sensitive that it has a life of its own! Thank you so much! It was so beautiful there! I lived near the west coast and went to the Oregon coast most of the time. I have never seen so many seashells! There are a lot of tide pools over in Oregon, but not seashells like that as far as I know. What bleach ratio do you use and what kind of acid? The seashells I saw after the acid, were so much more colorful and clear. Thank you again for sharing!

[@beachgirl681]

The slipper shell we always called Moses in the cradle.

[@debklock7655]

❤Thanks for another terrific walk on the beach! So look forward to Sunday night!🐚🥰

[@suzannesalerio3237]

Great walk! And I am so happy for you about the naturalist certification! Bravo!!

[@Natalieleu]

I took look forward to Sunday night, I enjoy the walk on the beach 🏖️

[@Jean2235177]

Yay! On this chilly evening we get to “go to the beach”! ☺️

[@cheryldodge5126]

Where I am in CT we have mounds and mounds of slipper shells. I am so grateful for your half hour each week. Thank you so much.

[@christhacker9450]

Always look forward to your Sunday evening videos!

[@SWFBeachLife]

Yay! Thank you!

[@leslyeschoenhuth1107]

So many drilled shells. Love the Tiny shells..

[@cmay6944]

Hi Sharmon!! Thank you for your videos. I enjoy them so sooo much!! But I am missing you saying, "hello beach friends!!! It literally makes me smile each time you say it!!😊

[@marie-josetimperley3825]

Thank you for another lovely beach adventure!

[@donnabopp9327]

I love the shells that were put in bleach that you showed at the end! They were so pretty!!

[@lornafinch8855]

Such a beautiful place, thank you for the walk and shells 😍

[@rebeccagrimes9552]

The Sand dollars! 😍😍 especially that first one you picked up; it was huge! Definitely would’ve been a keeper for me, along with the others you got! Thanks for another virtual beach walk!

[@fredamoore1743]

Another fun beach walk! Lovers Key is a great beach for critters. I remember it was the first place in SWF that I ever saw live shells. So unique. Awesome sand dollars too. Thanks for our Sunday nights with you. I look so forward to them. Have a great week!

[@suzannegeorgeminnick1121]

Great walk. Thanks for taking us along ❤

[@SWFBeachLife]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@debbiejones6265]

I would love to come to Florida and just go shelling with you for a week. An awesome person and you do such a great job with describing and telling us all about it. Naming the shells and respecting the critters. It’s amazing.

[@SWFBeachLife]

Awe shucks - thank you so much! 🙏🏼

[@mandyh.9558]

Thank you Sharmon for sharing these beautiful beach walks with us! My "one day" dream is to move to Florida and become a master naturalist❤ for now I live vicariously through you

[@SWFBeachLife]

I highly encourage anyone to become a Florida master naturalist. There are so many things to learn and it's fascinating!

[@sandeepettit696]

Beautiful finds...thankyou for sharing ❤

[@MiMi-og4wx]

This is going to be so much fun!!! I hope to get back there next time I vacation!! Thank you Sharman! TTFN 👋🏼 ❤

[@joanne9195]

Beautiful shells! ❤

[@flamingohurricane7602]

Makes me homesick for FL when I see your videos. ❤ Love your channel!

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@jolynnburns4306]

Great walk!! thank you for taking us along. Have a great week. Cannot wait till Sunday! XOXO

[@paulettenewton3370]

😅 purple crab scared me 😂 very cool

[@МаринаЕграшина-г3щ]

Красота!!!! Как это здОрово что вы можете своими руками собирать ракушки!!! Завидую вам по хорошему!!! ❤

[@SWFBeachLife]

Мне так повезло, что я живу здесь! Когда я впервые увидел эти пляжи, я был в отпуске. Мне очень повезло, что я живу здесь и делюсь

[@ilonamollema6467]

Hi Sharmon, Although there weren't many shells, being with you virtually on the beach that morning was glorious in itself. Hearing that calm sea and seeing so many critters, it makes me humble. Thank you so much for taking me/us with you! Every time, I'm surprised how well those shells clean up after the chlorine and acid treatment. They are gorgeous. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And as always, I hope you will have an amazing week with good health and lots of joy and happiness. Sending you a big hug and lots of love, xoxo ❤️, Ilona

[@SWFBeachLife]

Practice and more practice. I'm pretty good but Ali with SWFL Shell Guide is the best!

[@ilonamollema6467]

@@SWFBeachLife how do you mean?

[@SWFBeachLife]

That was weird! That was the answer to a different question, not a reply to you! LOL - someone else got wishes of sunshine and good health! Technology - most of the time I love it but that was strange. So sorry about that. And I do hope all is well as it can be by you! ❤

[@ilonamollema6467]

​@SWFBeachLife LOL, that can happen! No worries. ❤

[@Hearttruth25]

Yaaay... "Beach Bowls"...🤗 Wished I was there to collect some. 🐚🏖🌴 I'm currently land locked in the Midwest in the snow...😐🌬🌨❄❄❄

[@xcentrixone]

I cant wait im comeing to the beach tmrw 🎉

[@melissalillegard7945]

Loved this video. I'm so jealous. Being in Oregon, sea shells are really scares. I look forward to seeing your video every week to see what you found this week.

[@kozlinda]

thankful for you, sharmon ❤

[@SWFBeachLife]

Right back at 'cha!

[@ittybittykittymama7582]

Here I am! Better late than never, I guess. Yes, my Beach Angel, let's go to the beach! Let's go anywhere at all! Wow, that's a frisbee of a sand dollar! You've really trained your eyes well, Sharmon! I'd have missed that buried sand dollar. Wow! That's a big old Crown Conch! I'd have to give him a little nudge to make sure that glorious shell was really uninhabited. I know, I know, that's not a good idea. Still... I'm so glad you really had fun exploring the mud flats and the living critters you encountered. I like poking around in tide pools, too. I've met a few grumpy crabs that way. You really found some nice shells, too, and it was fun watching your success and hearing the happiness in your voice. As my mama used to say, "you knocked my tickle box over," making me laugh. Some distant day, I will walk along the beaches in your world. For now, I have promises to keep and a tough job to do. So far, I'm keeping my head above water. If any of you pray, I'd really appreciate your adding me to your prayer list. I can use all the help I can get! Much love to all of you! May all your dreams be of the sea and sand and beautiful shells. Rebecca, The Lost Mermaid

[@SWFBeachLife]

I have a piece of one that is absolutely massive. I'll show you my chunk when you send me yours 😃 #shellnerds

[@juliareimann4059]

24:40 Wow that’s a live Lightning Whelk, I didn’t know that shell was alive, I know a lot about sea snails 🐌 that can live inside this Lightning Whelk, that’s so cool, let me tell you something about the Lightning Whelk, I have one just like this one from today’s video, I found an Lightning Whelk seashell from the shop at Mission Beach in San Diego, California this Thanksgiving/ I thought “this is the best shell I ever had in my dreams, you know that I had a dream about seashells sometimes, because I watch more videos about seashells that I could ever dream of.” Anyway I love your new beach videos, that so much to find more shells/ more sand dollars too, and thank you for taking me another beach adventure. Julia

[@SWFBeachLife]

Julia I dream of seashells too! Especially after I have found a particularly good one.

[@slvihelenevorrenaasand7835]

Thank you so much ❤

[@lindaweges8624]

Loving the beach today!We had snow flurries today and it's cold up here!

[@SWFBeachLife]

It's getting cold here too! I was on the beach in the 50's yesterday!

[@raisakuperman1760]

It's really amazing! I have never seen send dollars before

[@kieranmcdonald2272]

I love your shells

[@yomama8873]

Great trip thank you 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩💖💖💖💖

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you!! 💜

[@MercerByrd]

Your videos have taught me so much about shells. Going to the beach with you is the highlight of my week. I have a problem with finding when the video is made. It only says 3 weeks ago but there is nothing to let us know when the 3 weeks from when. It would be a help so I can put them together in a chronological order. Keep up your excellent work. Please be careful when you are doing the video.

[@SWFBeachLife]

I put a video out every Sunday. You can go to my channel and look under VIDEOS. They are all there 😃 kzbin.info

[@bonnerdebbie]

Congrats on Florida Naturalist Certification. Great walk Sharmon, mine got rained out, I will have to try again soon.

[@SWFBeachLife]

I have one more class before I'm a full fledged Master Naturalist, but I'm 2/3 of the way there!

[@robynbonni8557]

I am so grateful for you, I love that I found your channel. I started shelling again and I am having so much fun. Thank you

[@SWFBeachLife]

YAY!!

[@MJ-wf2eb]

Hi. I love your vids. I just want to say, that when you find sea glass not fully formed, please don't throw it away. That piece you showed was almost there. When I find it, almost frosty and dull, I give it a really good baseball throw back out into the water. I love the thought of the journey. It deserves it's conclusion. P.S. This is only for glass that is well on its way to being sea glass.

[@deniseyoung5385]

Yes, definitely a MilkMoon! ❤️ I found several when I was there. And the drill before that where you said drop you a comment, I am about 95% sure was a Mauve Mouth. I love seeing all the live critters.

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you! I am STILL trying to tease apart some of these drill shells 😃

[@deniseyoung5385]

You and me both, shell sister!!! Those are the hardest, especially when they are so small and then you mix in all the tiny baby shells that will grow bigger, but they are still the size of the little drills. We don’t get a lot of the drills on the Texas coast, just the shark eyes, a few tinted cantherus, lightning whelks, and bivalves… occasionally I find something different like last time I found a bunch of sundials. I play in my shell buckets that I brought home from Florida, lol, and try to identify everybody. 😜

[@cazee100]

Is This the beach that had that awesome tree before the hurricane? It was such a pretty thing. Lovely walk as usual. Big hugs & Stay safe xx

[@SWFBeachLife]

Yes, Lovers Key had a bunch of trees, one was a huge one on its side and people would decorate the roots. It's gone now but at least I have the videos, photos and memories ❤️❤️❤️

[@donnaschimmelpfennig3447]

Thank you so much, you are always such a pleasure and so knowledgeable. Appreciate your ethical shelling methods.

[@Rawnak-adhee]

Oh I was there last Saturday. It was awesome, wish I could stay a little longer.

[@deannaboud117]

Thank you for the trip to the beach. I do enjoy it.❤

[@SWFBeachLife]

You are so welcome

[@shellstories]

What a fun day! I agree the mystery moon snail is likely a milk moon snail. Minature moon snails looks quite similar, but I think yours is just too large to be that species. Milk moon snails are quite an uncommon shell in SWFL, I'd say that's a very significant find! I've yet to find one myself. Here's hoping for that albino olive. Thanks for sharing as always, shell friend!

[@SWFBeachLife]

I put that milk moon snail with my special shells 😃 If I had found it on a crazy shelling day I might not have slowed down to notice. I kind of like the slower days sometimes.

[@gingermackeen5741]

Pretty sure that was a drill at 18 minutes. As far as crown conchs, I found a piece of a huge one the other day. Even though it was a piece, I bought it home to compare it to a large one I had. Will send you a picture. I think it would have been a 5-incher... I agree 1 or 2 great shells makes my day too!😊 Thanks Sharmon. xxoo

[@SWFBeachLife]

I have a massive chunk of a huge one I found too. We can exchange shell chunks #shellnerds 😂

[@fields-n-feathers]

It says you have 44 views and 24K likes. Wow, that's impressive for a video that's been posted 5 minutes.🤣🤣🤣🧡🧡🧡You're definitely worth it. Have a beautiful and blessed week.

[@almostoily7541]

For me it says two thousand views and over four thousand likes 😂 I guess they found the two thumbs up button 😅

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you so much and I hope you have a great week too!

[@dorothycherkas17]

I love your shore walk along beach, I imagine walking along with you. I love the beach and looking for shells. I pick up the little, small shells. You have some nice finds. What do you use to clean up shells and for how long?

[@paulettenewton3370]

That whelk is gorgeous ❤ kind of banana flavor lol 😅

[@SWFBeachLife]

🤣

[@abbyW]

19:01 just to the left of the pause/play button in the center of the screen…wentle or fly speck?

[@maggiestack3757]

I thought it was a wentletrap in the center of screen too at 19:01

[@SWFBeachLife]

Hard to say if I left the fly speck or missed the wentletrap. Hopefully it was a fly speck cerith!

[@SWFBeachLife]

YAY! I'm touring with her tomorrow morning. I hope the shells will show up!

[@brendagroff8478]

I've been waiting!!

[@maggiebrown9690]

Your small pale moon snail looks similar to the sordid moon snails that Maddie of Sand and Coffee Rocks (on youtube) often finds in Australia

[@SWFBeachLife]

There are moon snails all over the world! Nuts right? Jaime from Plum Island Cabin finds huge ones up in Maine.

[@rebeccajoensson]

I love all the critters! Do you have any cowries where you are at?

[@SWFBeachLife]

I don't sadly. The closest place I can get to them is either across the state on the East Coast or the Florida Keys.

[@debblair5761]

Beautiful shells! Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you! Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one too!

[@debblair5761]

@@SWFBeachLife mine was. Thank you 😊💕

[@miriammacdermot5601]

Hi Sharmon! Thanks for sharing this beach trip. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. My most favorite feature of this video was that adorable purple crab. Of course, I think crabs are cute (I know... I'm whacked). Boy he wasn't asleep. He was cocked and ready to pinch, wasn't he? Did you ever find out what kind of crab he was? He was beautiful. Of the shells, I loved the beach bowls and that big lightning whelk (the one that cleaned up so pretty). Hope you have a fantastic week! Till next time.....

[@SWFBeachLife]

I thought I had ID'd that type of crab in another video but I guess not. I'm not sure what kind it is - but that color was gorgeous! Hopefully I'll stumble upon the answer one day!

[@cindyhalford8758]

Had to warm up at the beach with you it’s going to be about 32* tonite Tex Beautiful sand dollars

[@terrih7250]

Just had a shelling tour with Ali at swflshell guide. Dickmans island produced a lot today and we all had a great time!!

[@SWFBeachLife]

YAY!! I'm touring with her tomorrow - I hope you left some shells for me 😂

[@terrih7250]

@@SWFBeachLife lol well there was large perfect junonia someone got, large horse couch and she helped me get a large lightning whelk! Lots of cones too!

[@SWFBeachLife]

@@terrih7250 I heard that there were cones yesterday - none today but I got to comb Dickman's and Kice so all is well! I got 2 itty bitty alphabets!

[@cindyrowland5030]

I found a huge Wentletrap yesterday at Pass-a-grill!

[@SWFBeachLife]

That's awesome!!

[@cindyrowland5030]

@@SWFBeachLife it was just sittin there!🤣

[@SWFBeachLife]

@@cindyrowland5030 It was waiting for you!

[@janiebennett5645]

Another wonderful trip to the Beach! The pickin's might have been on the slim side, Shar, but still an exceptionally lovely day out with you. Have you been to Bonita Beach? Does it even exist, any more? Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and your outings with us. I'm a new subscriber to your other page. I can't wait to check that out. Looking forward to the Sanibel trip you promised me in the first week of December! I'm getting my back in shape for my old stooping grounds!! SWF Beach Life is amazing!! ❤

[@SWFBeachLife]

I've been to Little Hickory, which is just north of Bonita Beach. It's still there 😌 And Sanibel is coming and I find a pretty awesome souvenir to remember my trip by!

[@janiebennett5645]

@@SWFBeachLife I'm looking forward to seeing what your souvenir is. I'm ready for our next outing, Shar. Thanks again!! ❤

[@maggiestack3757]

Looks like 2 wentletraps at 19:01 a tiny little one next to the larger one in the middle of the screen

[@SWFBeachLife]

A bunch of people saw that - I wish I had at the time!!

[@janetkyle9932]

Love these calming videos. You said this was the end of October, did you mean November?

[@SWFBeachLife]

I did film this at the end of October. There was a good low tide so I went out a few times. I needed to film quite a few days in a row so I could take my Florida Master Naturalist classes.

[@GrandJan46]

I hope your class went well for you. Do you also get involved with the turtles also?

[@SWFBeachLife]

@@GrandJan46 I have loved my classes so far. One more to go. I have not volunteered for the turtles..yet!

[@babs629]

Oh my goodness! I haven't seen a live crown conch before, and they move completely different than what I was expecting. I love when you show the live shells. BTW - Your purple crab scared the heck out of me when he did his ninja jump! You giggled and I yelped, then giggled - LOL. Now I'm further into the video and I have to ask about the live Lightening whelk...Not only does it also move differently than I expected, but he looked Huge! Was he as big as he looked or did the water magnify him?

[@SWFBeachLife]

That lightning whelk was huge. It was at least 11" long or so. I didn't want to mess around with it too much or I would have picked it up. I love seeing the shells AND the critters!

[@hadleywooten3689]

Spikey jewel box shells are called Hedgehog shells by my kids when their spikes are short!

[@SWFBeachLife]

Love it!!

[@BettyCracker999]

HEY YALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[@heatherohearn3283]

19:02 found one and took a picture but it won’t let me add it. It’s in the middle of the frame if you zoom in top left of the play button

[@heatherohearn3283]

Of a wentle trap. Lol

[@SWFBeachLife]

Someone else spied that too! I'm not sure if I left a wenteltrap, or I didn't inspect a fly speck cerith. 🤷‍♀️

[@pennywebb867]

That was a Little Blue Heron next to it's "cousin", Great Blue Heron.

[@SWFBeachLife]

Thank you! It's going to take me a while to learn that bird!

[@maggieslifeisawildride512]

Wentletrap almost dead center at the 19:01 mark. ...I think but you know better because you were there in person...Lol!

[@SWFBeachLife]

Many people saw that! I will never know if I missed a wentletrap or a flyspeck cerith.

[@pamelacunningham6543]

Can you explain the connection between the “coffee grinds” and wental traps? Also, what are the “coffee grinds”?

[@SWFBeachLife]

When I first started shelling, "they" said to look for coffee grinds and bubble shells. Those are 2 things that you may find if you're looking for wentletraps. And sure enough, when I see that wood-like debris in the water, I start looking for bubbles and wentletraps. It works!!

[@juliamaul7334]

❤❤❤😊😊😊

[@mariabasham9972]

Time stamp 19:02 floating around in the shell at the top of the video, looks like maybe a tiny Wentletrap.

[@SWFBeachLife]

A few people saw that. I will never know if I missed a wentletrap of a fly speck cerith. Hopefully the latter!

[@mariabasham9972]

@@SWFBeachLife I zoomed in closer on my computer and no it wasn't a Wentletrap, it was a broken cerith! It was the top half of it sooo false Wentletrap!

[@FlaviaZupke]

What do you do with all the shells that you collect?

[@SWFBeachLife]

Since I am asked this question so often, I made whole video about it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYu0h3aBeK-EkM0

[@karenlojkutz9766]

maybe you could use a motion stabilizing camera? less causing vertigo

[@Shasta790]

Man I want big sand dollars we were at Navarre didn’t find any not many shells we were there 3 days. Found ton of big old broken sand dollars.

[@marisupinillos9262]

Hi, can we drive to this park?

[@SWFBeachLife]

Yes, you can drive and park at Lovers Key State Park: www.floridastateparks.org/Lovers-Key

[@Barbara-ui7cy]

Are any of the beaches you go to dog friendly?

[@SWFBeachLife]

Actually, most of them are dog friendly, but you have to keep the pups on a leash to protect the birds 😃

[@karenlojkutz9766]

are those sand dollars still alive?

[@SWFBeachLife]

The ones that I keep are not alive. I always return live critters to the ocean.

[@evacousticmusic]

Otter tracks!!!

[@SWFBeachLife]

Perhaps, but I'm leaning toward raccoons 😃

[@tonjatodd9491]

Throw the glass back in