Yesterday morning I woke up to a beautiful sunny day. Aware of the incoming cold front, I decided to take full advantage of the weather. After checking the tide and wind, I realized that if I hurried, conditions were favorable for a paddle out to Shell Key. So, I loaded up my kayak and drove down to my favorite launch at Butler Hole. Thirty minutes later, I was paddling across flat, glassy water.

Good thing my kayak is shallow-draft because it was just before low tide, meaning there were only a few inches of saltwater between me and the sandy bottom. It made paddling a bit challenging but on the plus side, there were very few people out there.

Every time I looked up from beachcombing I was awed by the clarity and color of the gulf water. Such a gorgeous way to spend the day!

While walking the island I did not collect any shells since most of them were still alive; sand dollars, sea urchins, conchs, whelks, and tulips. It was a treat watching these creatures – I was especially impressed by the agility of a Fighting Conch.