SANIBEL ISLAND, Florida - I am not a collector, except on Sanibel. I have plastic bins in my basement and garage, filled with shells collected over the years on the beaches of this barrier island.

At first glance, the beach on Sanibel Island looks like the type of beach typical of Florida’s Southwest coast: a wide stretch of coastline with soft sand and the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Johnnie Ennis recently fulfilled one of his big goals in life. His hobby is looking for shells that wash up on Sanibel Island. He is a shell enthusiast and has been for quite some time. So when he ...