Your Chance to Meet the Conchologists
By Kirsti Scott
View of the exhibit hall at the 2025 Sanibel Shell Show.
The Sanibel Shell Show & Festival is the largest shell show in the U.S., and it’s the biggest gathering of conchologists: those who collect, study, and appreciate the shells made by mollusks.
Shell vendors at the 2025 show.
Every year in March, seashell aficionados head to Sanibel Island, just off the west coast of Southwest Florida, to see beautiful art made with or inspired by shells, learn from the scientific displays created by fellow shell lovers, maybe purchase a few specimens for their collections, and share their passion for these natural beauties.
Scenes from the 2025 show, including exhibitors, guests, and vendors sharing their shells and art.
For me, one of the best parts of attending any beachcombing event is getting to meet collectors in person and share the excitement and passion they have for their hobby or profession. Experts who have assembled scientific exhibits share their knowledge, explain more about their collections, and sometimes open up a case to give you a close-up look at their favorite specimens. Artists explain some of their process and inspiration for their beautiful and intricate works of art.
Artistic and scientific exhibits at the 2025 shell show.
Vendors sell shells from the world’s oceans, in case you want to add some rare shells to your own collection. The variety is stunning. Ask to see someone’s biggest shell for sale and you’ll meet a whopper of an Australian trumpet shell. Ask to see someone’s most expensive shell and you’ll be presented with a tiny cowrie costing thousands of dollars, due to its rarity.
Artistic and scientific exhibits at the 2025 shell show, show organizers, artists, guests, and vendors.
The organizers from the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club and the Community House work year round to put together this event, which spans three days. The Shell Show & Festival are now back together at the Sanibel Community House on Sanibel Island, after being in separate venues due to Hurricane Ian.
Vendor booth at the 2025 shell show. Artists at the awards reception. Shell exhibit at the 2025 shell show.
In addition to scientific and artistic displays, there will be shell identification by museum staff, shell vendors, crafts for sale, raffles, a silent auction, a living mollusk exhibit, and live shell crafting, plus an outdoor dining area and family-friendly activities such as scavenger hunts, a kids’ activity area, and face painting.
Sanibel Shell Show & Festival
Sanibel Community House, Sanibel, Florida
March 5th, 9 am–5 pm
March 6th, 9 am–5 pm
March 7th, 9 am–4 pm
Shelling on the beach in Sanibel and the Ten Thousand Islands.
While you’re in Sanibel, don’t miss a chance to get out on the beach to search for some shells of your own. It’s not rare to find a beach covered a foot deep in seashells, and in March you’ll also find plenty of mollusk egg cases, crabs, urchins, and more treasures on the beach. You might even be lucky enough to find a rare junonia shell. If you want to have shell-filled beaches all to yourself, book a shelling tour by boat from Sanibel or nearby Marco Island.
Visit to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium.
After you shake off the sand, head to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium. Home to an incredible collection of nearly 600,000 shells, engaging displays, and the newly reopened Great Hall of Shells, it’s a must-see for every seashell enthusiast.
Shell shopping and painted shells at the secret mermaid mailbox.
Sanibel Island is only 12 miles long, so it’s easy to explore from end to end. Enjoy the freshest seafood at one of the many restaurants, check out the local shops featuring shell-inspired jewelry and gifts, and see if you can find the hidden mermaid mailbox, where you can pick up a hand-painted shell or drop one off for someone else.
Wildlife Drive bird sighting. Manatee sighting and alligator warning sign in the Bailey Tract.
Nature lovers—and especially birders—will love a visit to The J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. You can walk, bike, or drive the four-mile Wildlife Drive and walk the trails in the Bailey Tract, stopping to try to catch a peek of some of the 245 species of birds that make their home here. You might even spot a manatee…or an alligator!
If you’re heading to Sanibel this March, I hope to see you at the Shell Show & Festival or on the beach. I’ll be trying my luck at finding some beautiful shells in Sanibel and Marco Island!
All photos courtesy of Kirsti and Matt Scott.
Learn more about beachcombing events around the world featuring sea and beach glass, seashells, fossils, floats, mudlarking and more for beachcombers. Articles ›
View a list of upcoming beachcombing shows, festivals, and events ›
Learn more about seashells
Learn more about identifying shells, the history of seashell collecting, great shelling beaches, and the lives of the animals who make the shells we find on the beach. Articles ›
No live shelling: Be sure shells are empty and sand dollars, sea stars, and sea urchins are no longer alive before you bring them home.
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 53, the March/April 2026 issue.
