Tropicial Storm Debby

I am just getting back to normal after TS Debby. Let me tell you it was a real humdinger of a storm. The storm sat in one place for what seemed like years. I felt bad for Lori and her family who were here the whole week and I could not get them out on the water. The water was extremely high and rough for days. I was off the water for 7 long days.  My first day back on the water felt so good. The sunrise was amazing and my old friend the Frigate bird gave me a fly by on my way to Cayo. The beach has changed a lot from the storm. I am still getting used to how the driftwood looks. It feels like I am in a foreign land, with only one tree to let me know that I am not in a foreign land. I haven't taken any photos of this spot yet. Honestly, I haven't wanted to. I still need to get a grip on the new landscape. The shells have been excellent! I am seeing shells I haven't seen for a while. Cool finds for me after the storm were a large zig zag scallop (flat shell), nutmegs, worms, a little horse conch, banded tulips, a key hole limpet and a unique piece of coral. The beauty of the islands is that they are always changing, right in front of our eyes. Weather you see it or not is another story.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Sanibel Island 4th of July Parade

Today I had the honor of carrying the American Legion Post 123 Flag for the Sanibel Island Annual 4th of July Parade.  Hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA from sea to shining sea!

Florida Artist Eve Wheeler

Photo by Captain Brian

Painting by Eve Wheeler

Eve emailed me a while back and asked if she could paint one of my photographs.  She specifically asked if she could paint this first photo.  I don't often allow other artists to recreate my visions through the lens. I trusted Eve. I felt she did a great job. You can see her visons of art on her website at Eve Wheeler Art

Martha Stewart Blog Revisits Sanibel Shell Fair

I was excited to be mentioned in the Martha Stewart blog by my friend Hannah Milman. She has been a long time supporter of the Sanibel Shell Fair. The photos she captured of the beautiful shell work and shells at the 75th  annual shell fair are spectacular. Thank you Hannah for a great post! To view the full blog posting, visit Martha Stewart Craft Blog June 25, 2012.

P.S.  One of my favorite pictures in this blog is the Black Tahitian Shell and Pearl, gotta love those pearls.

Interview With Grad Student

You can never learn enough about the world we inhabit. I am a huge supporter when it comes to educating on the environment in and around the water.  I recently met with Julia, a graduate student from Duke University, who was researching positive and negative feedback on the Dolphin Smart Program. I found it refreshing to speak with Julia who showed passion, knowledge and ambition for educating more people on marine life.  It's young students like her that will pave the way for future protection of marine mammals.  Julia, thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and provide feedback on the Dolphin Smart Program.

The Longest Day Of The Year

Sometimes you just have to leave the camera behind. Listen and walk, walk and listen. I enjoyed listening to the first day of summer on one of my favorite islands.

I LOVE SHELLING With Pam And Susan

Beautiful day! I enjoyed relaxing and exploring with Susan (who is a wealth of knowledge on fossils and rocks) and Pam of I LOVE SHELLING. The trip started with the fossil hunter and the sheller exploring a new sand bar off the coast of Captiva. We then pulled anchor and traveled farther north to one of my favorite sea side towns, Boca Grande. We visited many of my favorite spots and a few secret spots (but not all of my secret spots).  I enjoyed showing Pam and Susan a beach where you can find shark teeth. We could have spent all day there but it was time for lunch. Temptations restaurant on  Boca Grande  was a perfect place to talk shells and fossils while enjoying delicious food. After lunch we traveled to beautiful Cayo Costa. The landscapes were stunning and the conversations were equally satisfying. We collected augers, jingles, tusks, Susan's 4th baby's ear(yeah!),  a gaudy nautica, worms shells, shark eyes, olives, lightning whelks, fighting conchs and shark teeth.  Also, my favorite- the sea pearls. Thank you Susan and Pam for a full day of relaxing and exploring island style.