Shell Island is a great spot to visit for Panama City Beach locals looking for unspoiled white sandy beaches. The island is home to a lot of beautiful beaches and tranquil waters which are perfect for snorkeling or swimming. There are many species of sea turtles, dolphins and tropical fish that can be found in the waters surrounding the island. Shell Island's interior is a great place to hike and discover unique coastal plants, birds, and wildlife communities.
In the early 1990's the Shell Island sandbar, located just south of Pass-a-Grille Beach, was joined to form one contiguous Island. Pinellas County obtained a lease from Florida in 2000 to create Shell Key (a.k.a. Shell Island was established in 2000 as a Wildlife Preserve. Today, Shell Key is a beautiful white strip of Florida paradise.
Shell Key is also considered a large nature reserve. The island's nearly half is locked to guests. It allows native seabirds as well as sea turtles to have a small section of undisturbed beach. This preserve is home of many nesting birds, nesting turtles.
Shell Key offers a camping adventure for those who love to camp! All you need for an unforgettable night is a "camper" ferry tickets, a Shell Key camping permit and all your camping gear. This is an amazing opportunity to camp on a small island.
Shell Island is an iconic Panama City Beach location that offers unspoiled white-sand beach fun. The island has plenty of sandy beaches, and tranquil inshore waters for great snorkeling and swimming. You will see many sea turtles and colorful tropical fish in the area. Shell Island offers a unique opportunity to discover rare coastal bird and plant species.
The scenic and fun ride over to Shell Island only takes a few moments. Passengers will be dropped off at the tranquil cove behind Shell Island Ferry.
At the southernmost tip of Panama City Beach Florida is the natural preserve St. Andrews State Park. This park includes a 7-mile-long barrier island called Shell Island. This undeveloped stretch of beach, coast scrubland, pine hammocks and white sand separates St. Andrew Bay form the open waters of Gulf of Mexico. Shell Island is a sanctuary for marine wildlife and beach-lovers who are looking to enjoy a day at the beach in a beautiful natural setting, far from the condos and resorts to the north.
Shell Island is seven miles of undeveloped scenery between the Gulf and St. Andrew Bay. At one point, Shell Island was inhabited by Native Americans, Spanish Settlers, and even pirates.
Sand dollars, moon snails, conch shells, pin shells, periwinkles, whelk and olive shells are just a few of the indigenous seashells found here. And, as long as there are no creatures living in them, there is no limit to how many of these one-of-a-kind souvenirs you can take home with you
Shell Island is on the west coast of Wales about 7 miles north of Barmouth. There is a road leading to there that you drive on, but at certain high tides the sea covers the road.
When you visit Shell Key, you are essentially in the wilderness. There are no toilets – there is no running water – no trash cans or any other modern conveniences. It is up to you to bring everything you need to survive – and, more importantly – to leave nothing behind except footprints