A Life of Adventure
Resident Bill Boggess is One Shell of a Guy
By Lynn Schneider for Shell Point Life
Bill Boggess is a rough, tough, sea loving adventurer with laughing
brown eyes, a wide smile, and the permanent tan of a man who has spent
years in the sun enjoying one of his favorite hobbies - collecting
seashells from Naples beach, the Ten Thousand Islands, the Keys,
Bahamas, and throughout the Caribbean and south Atlantic island beaches.
Bill moved to Shell Point in 2006. Because he loves the water, Bill
chose a unit overlooking the lagoon and river. "My view is spectacular!"
he said. " I can see everything - dolphins, tarpon, manatees, eagles,
and osprey."
On Display
A chance visit to Bill's home is an adventure in itself because he
currently has a large portion of his seashell collection on display. The
quantity of shells is amazing, particularly when you realize that he
didn't begin shelling until after he retired from his job as a civil
engineer in 1979 when he was 52 years old.
"Some called me an uncivil engineer," he quipped with a chuckle.
In 1984 Bill moved from Mission, Kansas to Naples, Florida. He took up
shelling as a hobby after he moved to Naples.
"I had always like the sea," said Bill. "I started going to the beach
daily and gradually begin picking up shells. Of course, I eventually
learned not to pick up everything."
The first shell that really excited Bill was the Horse Conch, which also
happens to be be the State Shell of Florida. "It always intrigued me,"
he said. "I was drawn to anything colorful, like the Olive Shell, the
Florida Fighting Conch, True Tulips, and Alphabet Cones. And of course,
everyone wants a Junonia. It's a fairly common shell, but it hardly ever
makes it onto the beach," he said.
Some of Bill's favorite places to go shelling were Naples beach and the
Ten Thousand Islands. "White Horse Key is very exciting," He said. "It's
like a wilderness."
According to Bill, to find the best shells, you must be inquisitive.
Even a little bump in the sand could turn out to be a nice 12 inch Horse
Conch! He says that during low tide or after a storm is when he really
found the most shells, and he says he would always see great shells
while scuba diving like he used to do in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
Out to Sea
Bill's adventurous side is evident in the photos that line the walls of
his home. He loved to go boating, scuba diving, taking underwater video
and photographs, traveling locally, and visiting the Bahaman out
islands. He had a deal with a Miami Beach live-aboard dive boat owner
that if anyone canceled within 24 hours of a trip, he could hop aboard
for half price and head out to sea for two weeks.
While Bill would scuba dive with sharks, stingrays, and eels, he claims
he has always been cautious and that always follows the rules. "If they
say don't go there," he said, "I won't go there!"
"My favorite thing about shelling was being by the water and people, and
finding unique shells," said Bill. "It's a wonderful world down below.
It's always fun to be shelling or diving with a group of people and come
together to compare your finds."
Bill is very knowledgeable about shells and can describe most of the
unique shells that he has in his collection, which includes many unusual
species. For instance, he has several Albinos, two of which are Albino
Horse Conch Shells - an eleven inch and a five inch. Albino Shells are
five times as valuable as others - and should be considered the most
valuable since they are rarely found. Bill's collection includes 157
species of univalves.
Bill is also intrigued by baby shells which he thinks are the most
fascinating and beautiful. He also loves the orange and yellow lion's
paws. They're uncommon and harder to find.
Intricate Arrangements
One thing that also makes Bill's collection particularly interesting is
the way that he has it displayed. His engineering background helped him
organize his collection methodically, but a certain artistic style also
comes out. He just wants it to be aesthetically pleasing, and that it
is! He uses shelves backed by mirrors on the walls and also displays
various parts of the collection on tables, protected by glass. He shows
the largest and smallest of each species next to one another to show the
extremes and he even includes the egg cases. He enjoys creating the
intricate geometric displays which are fascinating. "I'm not much of an
artist," said Bill, "but I think of this as my creative outlet!"
Bill shelled for 13 years and picked up his last shell in 1997. "I am
completely content with my collection." Today he explores something new
- genealogy. "I love searching the archives from my easy chair and
creating websites," he said.
Bill's life has come full circle. He is surrounded by his beautiful
shell collection in his home on Royal Bonnet (a building named after a
seashell" which is located in - where else?- a community called Shell
point!
Check out some of Bill's Shell
websites:
