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What Shells Can You Find in Sarasota?
On Gulf beaches around Sarasota, Siesta Key and Anna Maria Island you can find lightning whelks, tulips, conchs, keyhole sand dollars, calico scallops, lettered olives, shark eyes and more. Here are 13 common finds, each with a full guide.
Big spiral shells
- Lightning whelk: long and pointed, and the opening is on the left.
- True tulip and banded tulip: spindle-shaped shells with a long, tapering end.
- Florida horse conch: a large, heavy shell and the Florida state shell.
- Florida fighting conch: a stocky shell with a flared lip.
Smooth and round shells
- Lettered olive: glossy and smooth with letter-like markings.
- Shark eye: a round moon snail with a spiral that looks like an eye. Its egg case is the sand collar you may see on the beach.
Fans, wings and flat shells
- Calico scallop: a colorful, ribbed fan.
- Kitten's paw: a small ruffled fan with ridges.
- Turkey wing ark: long and striped like a zebra.
- Jingle shell: thin, shimmery and translucent.
Spiny and flat
- Apple murex: a rough, knobby shell.
- Keyhole sand dollar: flat and round with a five-petal pattern and a slot near the edge. It is the skeleton of a sea urchin relative, not a snail.
See the full shell guide with photos. Always check that a shell is empty first. Read how to tell if a shell is alive.
More shelling questions
- How can you tell if a shell is alive?
- When is the best time to shell at Siesta Key?
- When is the best time to shell in Sarasota?
- What should you bring shelling?
- Shelling rules and safety
Shelling is easier with a guide
You do not need to know the tides, the beaches or the shells. Pick a location, show up 20 minutes before 8:30 PM, and we handle the rest: gear, the light, the safety briefing and the show-and-tell at the end.
Fun Florida Tours runs a guided night shelling and snorkeling tour in shallow Gulf water at Siesta Key, Sarasota and Anna Maria Island. You wade in from shore with a guide, the group shares one bright LED light pod that lights up the bottom, and the water stays under 4 feet deep, so you do not need to be a strong swimmer. After 60 minutes in the water we spend 15 minutes on the sand for show-and-tell, where guides name everything the group found. Empty shells are yours to keep; anything alive goes back.
Updated October 2026. Conditions change with weather and season. Nothing is guaranteed. Rules vary by location and can change, so check posted signs and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (myfwc.com).