Venice Beach

This was a good preliminary trip to Venice, even though I got little in the way of fossils and pictures. The numerous hurricanes of 2004 (the year I took these photos) pulled a lot of sand from the beach and covered the bottom directly offshore. Visibility on the bottom was around 3-4 feet this day and didn't allow for many photo opportunities.

Dive flags are not only required by law, but are necessary to give boaters something to ignore and slalom around. Offshore at around 15-19' between the two buoys is a natural reef, where many fish can be seen. Just not on this day.

This beach is famous for shark's teeth. A handful of small ones can be found in a morning. Larger ones do wash ashore occasionally. Especially after hurricanes and storms in the Gulf.

Some people look for sharks teeth as they roll up and down in the surf and others look among the shell. A few stores in town sell screens that allow you to sift through shell and sand collected in the surf.

It is also a well known shelling beach. Just check to see that they aren't occupied by their original owners, as below, or by crabs.

Florida fighting conch Strombus alatus peering out of the shell. When I learned of the common name of this snail, I just knew there had to be a school sports team named the Fighting Conchs. There is. In Key West of course. Go Fighting Conchs!!!

Another Florida fighting conch Strombus alatus. Unlike other snails that withdraw into their shell when handled, this species will thrust its pointy foot tip around in an attempt to get you to drop it. Once on the bottom it flipped around a few times before settling down.

Sand dollar Mellita quinquiesperforata

Zebra Arc or Turkey Wing Arca zebra.

Calico Clams  Macrocallista maculata on top and Elegant Dosinia Dosinia elegans below. The hole in the bottom right shell was most likely drilled by a Moon Snail, predators of bivalves.

Moon Snail Polinices duplicatus.

Fighting Conchs Strombus alatus.

Young Fighting Conch Strombus alatus, often confused with a cone.

Lettered Olive Oliva sayana.

Slipper shell Crepidula fornicata.