The temperatures at 5am on this Christmas-eve morning were in the mid-thirties, which is well below normal for this area of Florida.  I turned on my headlamp and looked for shark’s teeth as I walked along the shell line.  The Gulf had calmed down from a recent storm system.  At times, sounds of the surf meeting the beach were complemented by calls from the seagulls and terns.  Once the sun rose and lit the morning sky, I saw the magnitude of shells that had washed up from the previous day’s rough surf.

View of the shell line during sunrise

Shell, lit by the sunlight

Glowing

Amongst Company

Washed-Out Barnacles

For Venice Beach, the shell washes were impressive that morning.

Shore bird, investigating my sitting area, looking for a handout.