What will Sanibel be like in 50 years? Hard to say. But residents at that future time will have an idea of what it’s like today. A time capsule is to be placed at 11 a.m. Saturday at city hall. One of the items included in it is a junonia shell.
Jose Leal, science director of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel, explains its appeal. Although he is no stranger to the Sanibel stoop, he’s never been lucky enough to find a junonia shell.
"It is the holy grail of shell collectors and beach walkers," Leal said.
Although it may be the most sought-after, the junonia is not the rarest shell.
"There are species that are rarer," Leal said. "But the thing is that in addition to being uncommon, it is a very attractive seashell, I mean, as an object, is really nice. It has a nice size. It has that beautiful ivory-colored background with chocolate brown spots."
Besides junonias, there are more than 10,000 entries in the museum’s shell collection.
"And some of them are really, really, really, I mean, literally, one of a kind," Leal said.
Shell collectors on the island were selling junonias for about $10 each when Leal arrived 30 years ago. Now, you can find them at an online auction anywhere from $60 to a broken one to well over $200 if intact. But the real triumph is finding one yourself. The best time is during or after windy winter storms, Leal said.
When it acquires a new shell, the museum just rinses it with fresh water and lets it dry. But if you want display your shells, there’s a method.
"You can make a little mix of water, 50-50, water (and) Clorox and let them soak there for an hour, a couple of hours. That will help get rid of anything that has grown onto that shell."
He cautioned against exposing them to light.
"Sunlight or light of any kind will make the shells fade, will break down the pigments on the shell structure. So we want to keep them as far from sunlight as possible."
The time capsule ceremony is open to the public and will be followed by food, games, activities and entertainment.
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