Tigertail Beach – Sand Dollar Spit

To reach Sand Dollar Spit and the beautiful, pristine, soft sandy beach on the other side of the lagoon, you either have to wade through it, head south some distance to where the lagoon ends and make a turn to the north. It is best to park at the far end and use walkway 6, or rent a kayak or paddleboard and make it part of a day trip. It’s a bit of a trek to walk to the spit, but it’s definitely worth it. The beach here (which abounds with wonderful seashells) is absolutely breathtaking and totally natural. The walk to the end of Sand Dollar Spit has changed many times and no more so than over the past three years due to the impact of storms. The spit is so narrow in a number of places that breaches can occur, especially after strong tides. Areas of Sand Dollar will also be taped off in the summer to protect beach-nesting birds, eggs and chicks. So well camouflaged are the nests, eggs and chicks of shorebirds like the least tern, that they can easily be stepped on. So please keep your distance and never intentionally force birds to fly or run. Please respect posted areas and don’t feed wildlife. Many of Florida’s beach-nesting shorebirds that face conservation challenges can be regularly spotted on Sand Dollar Spit and Tigertail, including the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer, American oystercatcher and Wilson’s plover. No two visits are ever the same and you can walk for miles with just the lapping of the waves, the rustle of the seaoats and the cries of birds to keep you company. In my view it’s the best part of the whole beach and is well worth the walk, but don’t forget to take some water with you (it can get pretty warm out there!) and some shelling bags since there are over 200 different shell varieties that can wash up on these shores.