Finally, we got out on the boat to do some sight-seeing, beach-combing, and fishing. Our travels took us south toward Mosquito Lagoon, where we spotted many manatees. We did some island hopping and ended up on a sandy beach just off the ICW. This is where I came across the hermit crab party. A gathering of pretty shells were crawling all over a little rock in shallow water near the beach.
As I strolled along the beach, I wished I had carried the camera with me. When I don’t have it, I see amazing things, of course!
As I was nearly ready to turn back, I saw this cluster of shells up on a rock (probably coquina rock) and it appeared that the hermit crabs were fighting over a shark’s eye shell which was on the very top of the rock.
By the time I went and got the camera and came back, the shark’s eye shell was nowhere to be seen. But a gorgeous pink crown conch caught my eye.
Usually the crown conch has brownish stripes, but this one had stripes of pink and lavender! I have not touched up my photo below. That is the real color of the shells. What a treat to find such a beauty….! I did not collect it because it was home to a crab.
I liked this photo so much that I made it into a square poster, which is for sale in my Zazzle store.
There are 5 seashells in my photo; 2 pear whelks, 2 crown conchs, and a big tulip shell underwater. Wish I’d taken a photo of that big shell, but there was a hermit crab in it so I didn’t want to mess with it.
I didn’t touch the “rock” but I assume it is a chunk of coquina covered in seaweed or sea grass, and the usual slime. You can see the barnacles on top as well.
The water was warm – too warm. The idea is to cool off on a hot Florida day, but dunking into the river is like sitting in a lukewarm bathtub. The sea water temperature was 85 degrees.
I always wish I had taken more photos, but keeping the iPhone out is dangerous around the water, and the baking sun isn’t good for it either. And did I mention that it was hot?!
We caught some fish too, but then the clouds moved in and built into big thunderheads, so we had to go home.
Pass it on
I don’t own an iphone, ipad etc so I wasn’t aware that you could buy a case for it. Though that makes sense. I can see a case doesn’t make photography particularly easy.
And I have a waterproof case for the iPhone, but it’s even more difficult to manage to get photos when it’s inside the case. Between the salt, water and extreme sun, I don’t like taking my expensive camera out on the boat.
I guess the problem with iphone and water is there’s a chance you might drop it – at least with old-fashioned regular cameras you have a strap to hang around your neck.
These shells have such beautiful colours and forms! Lovely, Pam!