LIDO BEACH (WSNN) – Hundreds of people from near and far are coming to Lido Key Beach this Labor Day weekend and not for what you may think.
The pile of shells currently flooding the shoreline at lido is attracting people from Daytona, Summerfield, Tampa, and all across the state.
Bradenton resident, Chris Cook says she’s been here since 7 am searching for the rare Junonia shell.
What makes this shell so rare is that it comes from deep Atlantic waters, usually uncovered when big storms roll them in.
“Shellers” say the dredging of the Big Pass has helped bring them in. Cook says she’s never seen a shell pile like this and jumped at the chance of adding this shell to her collection.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven and it’s in my backyard, it’s great,” Cook said. “This pile is legit, for all the shellers, this is a legit pile. They’re all clean and easy to pick.
“We’re excited to be here, it’s broken, but I finally found my first J,” Daytona resident, Carol Pilon said. “We heard the shells were hidden here so we headed on over.”
Whether battered or completely smooth, these shellers say they’re happy to have found a rare piece from the ocean floors.
The Lido Beach renourishment project is scheduled to finish in early October near the parking lot for the recreational trail.
