Hunting Seashells at Gulf Shores

Hunting seashells is an activity that the entire family can enjoy while vacationing at Gulf Shores. It's free, legal and very easy. Children almost never get tired of it. We have some of the most beautiful sugar white sand beaches anyone could ever hope to visit. Ask just about any avid hunter who has visited the Alabama Gulf Coast and he will tell you that you cannot find a better area anywhere to jump-start a collection than the thirty-two miles of beaches in the Gulf Shores area. It is true! Come see for yourself!

You may even find coral or sand dollars. Sea glass is another prize that the beach surrenders, and one that many visitors fail to appreciate until they've seen a seasoned collector admiring one of their finds.

Depending upon your interests, you can go hunting while diving or snorkeling, or you can walk along the pristine beach and pick them up. Some people become very proficient at digging in the sand to find beautiful specimens.

Of course, the best time to hunt is when you're at the beach, but some times are better than others.

Some of the best times to look are during low tide. Just after a storm is also very good, and the bigger the storm the better the hunting. Although it may not be safe to get on the beach soon after a hurricane, hurricanes can bring in some interesting, and otherwise difficult to find, deep-water seashells.

Be careful not to take shells with live creatures inside. These shells are their homes, and we need them to live and do the things that they do to keep the ecological balance of our waters and coastline. All other vacated shells then are fair game in Gulf Shores.

Remember, sometimes it is hard to distinguish the live specimens from those that are empty. It is a good idea to sit down with them before you leave the beach and pour your bucket out on the sand. Anything that is living may just get on up and make its way back to the water. If you notice movement of any shells, allow them their freedom. This is a great idea, since it is better to be safe with wildlife than to be sorry.

Though it is not the case at the Alabama beaches, there are parts of the world where it is unlawful to take any shells from the beaches. If visiting an area new to you, consult with local authorities before collecting any shells.

You can take your treasures and soak them in a solution of one-half water and one-half chlorine bleach. After they begin to appear brighter in color, you can take an old toothbrush and brush them very lightly. You might even want to rub them down with a small amount of baby oil and then buff them to a dazzling sheen.

You may wonder what you can do with your finds. You can make many interesting things with the shells you find at Gulf Shores. For instance, with smaller shells you can make your own seashell wind chimes.

You can use them as decoration for mirrors, wreaths, picture frames, pencil holders, tissue boxes, notebooks, candle holders and so many others.

You can use larger shells as decorations in various rooms of your home depending on your theme and decor. Vases, bottles and lamp bases can be filled with shells.

With a little imagination you can come up with dozens of ideas. A trip to any of the area's mega-souvenir stores will probably fill your head with more ideas than you have shells. If you do find yourself with boxes of extra shells, you might even sell some of your shell crafts or bulk shells on eBay or at your local flea market.

Go to Shell Identification.

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