ShellSanibel

Read the beach.

Saturday, August 22 · Sanibel & Captiva

The eight beaches

Every Gulf access on Sanibel and Captiva worth walking for shells, plus one on the bay side that behaves nothing like the others. Each gets its own tide and its own read: along the Gulf they run close together, while Tarpon Bay’s low arrives the best part of an hour later. Where they differ most is exposure, range, and which two will drown you.

• Lighthouse Beach

  Point Ybel, Sanibel

  Worth a walk

  Daylight low 5:11 PM · 0.4 ft

  Work the point itself and then walk west along the Gulf side. The bay-side edge holds smaller, finer material.

• Gulfside City Park

  Algiers Beach, Sanibel

  Worth a walk

  Daylight low 5:10 PM · 0.4 ft

  The trough edge on a dropping tide, and the thin wrack line above it.

• Tarpon Bay Road Beach

  Central Sanibel

  Worth a walk

  Daylight low 5:10 PM · 0.4 ft

  Spread out across the flat rather than following the crowd along one line.

• Bowman’s Beach

  West Sanibel

  Worth a walk

  Daylight low 5:10 PM · 0.3 ft

  The cuts between bars on a dropping tide. Material collects where the water has to turn.

• Blind Pass

  Turner Beach, Sanibel / Captiva line

  Worth a walk

  Daylight low 5:09 PM · 0.3 ft

  The shell rubble on either side of the cut, and the wash immediately down-current of the bridge.

  The current through the pass runs hard and has drowned people. Do not wade into the cut on a moving tide, whatever the shelling looks like.

• Captiva Beach

  North Captiva

  Promising

  Daylight low 5:09 PM · 0.3 ft

  The narrow band at the waterline, and the base of the steeper slope.

• Redfish Pass

  North end of Captiva

  Promising

  Daylight low 5:09 PM · 0.3 ft

  Rubble either side of the pass on a dropping tide.

  Strong current through the pass. Same rule as Blind Pass.

• Tarpon Bay

  Bay side, Sanibel

  Promising

  Daylight low 6:03 PM · 0.3 ft

  Quiet edges rather than a wash line. This is a watching beach more than a walking one.