Disappearing Island at Ponce Inlet is a beautiful place to hang out and enjoy Florida nature at it’s best. But it is not the place to go to collect seashells.
Truly, I have only been to this area a few times, but on our recent visit I walked all over the soft sand and found nothing to collect.
The only seashells I found were a crown conch shell being carried along by a hermit crab, and this cute little Florida cerith with the snail still inside. This photo was taken while the snail was under the water right along the shoreline. The shell has interesting bumps around it’s tight spiral.
Our boat was anchored at the edge of a narrow canal and this little crab came crawling along the waterline. He just took his time and was unafraid of us.
My son thought he might be a baby Stone crab, and after looking it up in my book, I think he’s right. My book says that juvenile Stone crabs are deep purple in color.
If this little guy is a Stone crab, he may be caught in someone’s crab trap one day. When that happens, and if he is the right size, his big claw (only one) can be broken off and taken home to eat. The crab will grow a new claw back eventually. The whole crab is not used, just his claw.
For more information on catching and eating Stone crab, read this article at the Florida Sportsman site.
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