A Different Kind of Shelling...Del Goes SCALLOPIN'!

It was SOOOOOOO much fun!

It was like being in another world down there. The water is so crystal clear. There are the prettiest little fish, some that have the most beautiful electric blue stripes when the sun glints off of them. I was in total amazement, and could have lived in that underwater dream world forever. I swam around feeling like a mermaid, perfectly at home in this beautiful underwater world.

Our friends Jamey and Teri showed us where to go. They have much experience diving for scallops in the Gulf, and diving for spiny lobster in The Keys. (I want to do that, too!)

Hubby has known Jamey for a while, and I just met Jamey and Teri a few weeks ago when I dropped by the office to have lunch with my hubby, and our daughter Laci.
It was pretty much non stop talking, as we have some things in common with them. They love to go shelling, too, and have found really big shells and sharks teeth on the Atlantic side of Florida, down southwards.

One thing led to another, and our adventure was planned. It's only an hour drive over to Crystal River where we launch the boat.

We had to go around the oyster beds, which are quite visible during low tide.

The water is shallow for miles I swear, and we scalloped in 3 to 6 feet of water, even as far away from land as we were.

Everyone was out enjoying the Gulf, and scalloping!

There are HUGE pieces, chunks, and balls of coral, which you can plainly see just by peering over the side of the pontoon. SO MANY!

Jamey found a starfish for me to take a picture of...

and I saw an enormous sting ray swim by, but he was too fast for me to even get my camera ready.

Here are a few pics topside:

And the magical underwater paradise below:

see the scallop on the left?

 

The current was a bit too swift for me by this time, so I opted for some time topside playing with hubby's Fish TV. I lowered the little fish cam down into the water, and just sat up on the boat watching the fish swim by. It was like having my own little salt water aquarium!

It has been an amazing summer, with some awesome shelling excursions, and we got to top it off with scallopin'. I would love to get my grandkids down there snorkeling! They would love it!

I found a dozen scallops! Hubby found that many or more, and Jamey and Teri found the rest! We caught our limit, and my scallops are in the freezer :D

It was such a beautiful day on the Gulf!

We found a few shells, too!

And did a little fishing....

My mask and snorkel will be with me whenever I go shelling from now on! Well, at least when the water is warm.

We have been wanting to go scallopin' for years, and it's on my bucket list, so....
I get to check something off my bucket list!

Ahhhhhhhh Belleair!

I love to cross Tampa Bay

but I love to cross the Belleair Causeway even more!

I have loved Belleair since our very first trip here. There is just something about this place....it's the path less trodden, and perfect for mellow people over 40, or anyone who prefers to just spend some quiet time on the beach. If you want the partying nightlife, go to Clearwater. That's where the majority of the young, and not so young party-ers hang out.

Does it get more beautiful than this?

This beach is never crowded. You won't see more than 10-15 people on this beach at a time, and usually less than that.

We don't stay in a fancy 5 star hotel, or even a 3 star, we stay in an old beach motel. We used to stay at Belleair Beach Club, but someone bought it and is turning it into condo's. Now we stay at Belleair Beach Resort. It's clean, it's quiet, and it's small. It has kitchenettes, which is perfect for us. We don't like to get dressed up to go out to dinner once we get here. We bring our food with us.......

I'm a pretty good cook!

This was certainly a trip to remember!

Hubby caught his bait with a casting net.

Bait fish!

and this fella watched him....like a hawk lol.

cause he was hungry....and free food is easy food....no work involved....just steal this man's bait!

I love to take pictures of the waves, and try to get shots of them cresting, rolling over, and crashing.

But, did I find any shells?

this is a small sample of the 90 pounds of shells we brought back!

And.....what's this????

Is this what I think it is?

and this, too?

and these?

One full baby Junonia....an almost full Junonia.....and several big and small pieces!!!!!!

Wanna know the secret? Sing My Junonia to the tune of My Sharona! I kid you not! I swear every time I did I found one, or a piece of one! I found the perfect baby one first, and was doing the happy dance! Here I was telling my hubby how rare finding a Junonia, or even a piece of one is.....and then I find all of these. I am one thankful gal!

Shelling BLISTERS!

And destroyed manicure! But it was soooooo worth it!

I did pick up some broken ones, I have plans for them. But I have never seen so many perfect fighting conchs in my life!

This bucket is full of olives, cone shells, Florida cones, little conchs, welks, a couple of scotch bonnets...

augers, nutmegs, ceriths.....all kinds of small shells.

See the black on this scotch bonnet? It's under the surface of the shell. I am really wondering if the black on the shell is oil sludge from the Gulf oil spill a few years ago. This poor bonnet must have trudged through it, picked up the oil, and then his shell encased it. There's a very thin and clear layer of shell over that blackness.
That's my opinion anyway. What do you think?

I have tons more pictures, and I'll try to post a few more between all the listings I have to do this week! I also have shells from the shell shop to show you!

What a perfect weekend.....great weather, great beach, a JUNONIA!...shells galore, and a fun time with my hubby. I don't think it gets much better than this :)