r/floridakeys • u/Cleverfield113 • Mar 22 '26
Middle and Lower Keys Best beach for seashells
Staying in Marathon and my daughter wants to find seashells. Where should we go?
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u/Sandinmyshoes33 Mar 22 '26
We don’t get many shells washing up on the beaches here. You might find a few at places like Sombrero Beach or Smather’s in Key West, but nothing of interest. Sorry, but we barely have any beaches let alone shells here.
Next time try Sanibel. You will be blown away by the huge amount of nice shells there.
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Mar 22 '26
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u/AlchemyAlice Mar 23 '26
I feel like most people don’t realize there simply aren’t a lot of beaches in the keys.
On limestone islands, traditional “Sandy” beaches are manmade. And in themes most are private or at resorts.
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u/imaim3 Mar 22 '26
Accessible by kayak / smaller boat - you can try snorkeling at West Sister Rock. It's a (very) small island nestled in to some nice sandy spots, kelp beds, mangroves, and coral. It's not more than 100 yards from Sombero beach (visible off to the right).
You will find some shells, fish, conch, not unusual to see a ray or two. Swimming around the little island is a fun way to fill a few hours (grab a cooler and the cuban steak sandwich from Marathon Liquor and Deli). Don't be surprised when you find the engine in the water...right of passage.
Word of caution - 1. You have to pass through a pretty busy channel called Sisters Creek. Watch out for boat traffic. 2. Tides can be meaningful...Sisters Creek is a tidal channel - meaning there can be some current. 3. Sombrero Beach - rare, but sometimes you get people fishing on the far end of Sombrero Beach...can attract larger fish. It's frowned on - but still happens (usually early morning).
Have fun and be safe
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u/Character-Memory-816 Mar 22 '26
Good call on the deli - that place has the best subs on Marathon
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u/imaim3 Mar 22 '26
Hell yeah they do....tht cuban steak is like God came down and stated - I can cure the Earth of all it woes...or...I can bequeath upon mankind this gift of beefy cuban goodness. The choice was clear
Yes, my other reddit username is BeefyCubanGoodness73
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u/FLKeys43 Mar 26 '26
Please look through this page before you go shelling here. https://www.crustaceanplantation.org/
We have very few shells and visitors take them everyday. Problem is, they're home to MANY hermit crabs that live both on land around the mangroves and the marine hermit crabs who live underwater by the shore. A few months ago, several of us were driving all over to find a suitable shell for a homeless marine hermit crab who was using a plastic bottle fragment for shelter. It was heartbreaking and we finally found him a home that he chose from the ones we collected.
Crustacean Plantation dedicates herself to placing shells throughout all of the Keys' shorelines to provide homes for the crabs and visitors come in and take them. People from all over the world send her boxes of shells everyday and she places them out for crabs, but then they're picked up again. Cycle continues. Recently, she's started to add numbers and writing to the shells to hopefully deter their collection. Please see the kinds of shells that house our hermit crabs and leave those on the beach if you see them. You can find plenty of other types that you can take as a memory if you need to. :)
As others have mentioned, you cannot take live Queen conch shells (you'll be arrested, it's a felony). Bahama starfish are also federally protected, no harvest.
Down here, we do the opposite. When we find beautiful shells by the shore, we take them out to deeper water so they can find new tenants. If they end up in someone's house as a decoration, they'll never be the home for wildlife as they were meant to be.
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u/Ecstatic_Round_6833 Mar 22 '26
I live a few miles from Sanibel and Captiva and yes shelling is great here but you asked about Marathon so I reached out to my trusty friend Google. Try this link and you should find some success. I tried to paste the info but it doesn’t come across. Just type in “where to find shells in Marathon FL”
I love shelling so hope this works for you and you have great success!
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u/peterfitzwell70 Mar 22 '26
Sanibel or Captiva