Shelling Tour on Anna Maria Island, Florida
Anna Maria Island has some of the easiest shelling on the Gulf Coast: seven miles of beach, a sheltered bay side, and warm shallow water almost all year. Here is where the shells pile up, what you will find, and the guided tour that turns a beach walk into a treasure hunt.
Where the shells are, what you will find, and when to go.
Where to shell on Anna Maria Island
Bean Point at the north tip and Coquina Beach at the south end are the classic spots, with Bayfront Park a quieter option on the bay side. Holmes Beach and Manatee Public Beach are convenient but busier. For live shells and sea life, the bay flat next to the King Fish boat ramp off Manatee Avenue is hard to beat, and it is where our tour meets.
What you will find
Calico and bay scallops, lettered olives, augers, slipper shells, crown conchs, fighting conchs and the occasional banded tulip. Up at the north end augers and olives can be thick in the right season. On the bay flat after dark you will also see sea urchins, crabs, starfish and small fish in the grass.
When to go
Low tide after a storm or a winter north wind is the best beach shelling. The bay flat is productive year round and is calmest in the evening, which is why our tour runs nightly at 8:30 PM. Shuffle your feet in the shallows to warn off resting stingrays.
Before you head to the beach.
Yes. It is one of the better islands on the central Gulf Coast, especially at Bean Point, Coquina Beach and on the bay side, because the island catches shells moving along the coast and the shallow flats hold them.
No. The sandbar and island-hopping charters out of Holmes Beach are fun, but they cost several hundred dollars for the boat and shelling is a short stop. The bay flat off Manatee Avenue is a wade-in spot with the same shells and far more time to search.
Yes. The water on our tour is under 4 feet, every guest wears a safety noodle, whistle and glow stick, and the guide keeps the group together. Ages 6 to 11 are $45 and kids 5 and under join free with a parent (book by text, and bring their own life jacket and water shoes).
Next to the King Fish boat ramp, 752 Manatee Ave, Holmes Beach, FL 34217. Parking is free. Arrive 20 minutes before the 8:30 PM start.
Night shelling & snorkeling tour in Anna Maria Island.
Our guided night shelling and snorkeling tour wades onto a barrier-island flat off Holmes Beach with warm, shallow water year round. It is a favorite for first-timers and for couples looking for an easy night out on the water: one guide, one 10,000-lumen LED light pod, water under 4 feet.
1 hour 15 minutes
About 60 minutes in the water, then a 15-minute show-and-tell on the sand where your guide names every treasure the group found.
All gear included
Snorkel mask and gear, aqua socks to keep, glow stick, safety noodle, whistle, mesh collection bag and a net. Just bring your swimsuit.
$60 adults · $45 ages 6–11
Kids 5 and under join free with a parent (book by text). Nightly at 8:30 PM, weather permitting. Arrive 20 minutes early.
Where we meet
Next to the King Fish boat ramp, 752 Manatee Ave, Holmes Beach, FL 34217. Free parking. Look for the guide with the LED light pod.
Keep what's empty
Empty shells go in your bag to keep. Anything alive is observed briefly, then returned to the water. We protect the marine life we came to see.
No experience needed
Most of our guests have never snorkeled at night. You can wade and shell without ever putting your face in the water.