Shelling at Johnson Shoals and Cayo Costa

Yesterday, my family and I spent the day out in our boat at Johnson Shoals near Boca Grande Pass and at the island of Cayo Costa.  It's nice to get away from the crowds on beaches that are accessible by car now and then and spend some time on the more remote islands of Florida.  

It was an absolutely beautiful day filled with blue skies, warm weather, and flying birds.  I took these next few photos with my phone, so the quality doesn't so it much justice, but this is Johnson Shoals.

 



The sandbar was teeming with sand dollars, alive and dead, and I also picked up quite a few sunray venus clams as well. 

 



Unfortunately, my phone camera wouldn't zoom far enough, but the lighthouse on Gasparilla Island can be seen from Johnson Shoals.  Hopefully I'll get a good picture of it next time, but here is a shot of it from the internet:

 



There is a lot of driftwood on Cayo Costa, which I think makes it a unique spot to take photos. 

 

Here are some of the shells we found:

 

 

 

We were pretty lucky to find a large amount of beautiful whelks.

 





Here are some close-ups of the largest find:

And finally, I will close with a couple pictures of the Sanibel Lighthouse, which is my favorite lighthouse, and which we have to pass in order to get home.