Shell Museum Holds ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ Annual Gala

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium held its annual benefit gala on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at The Community House on Sanibel Island.

The Enchantment Under the Sea gala was presented by Florida Trust Wealth Management, which has been the presenting sponsor for the museum’s annual benefit events for 22 consecutive years.

Attendees embraced the Back to the Future theme in attire fit for a 1950’s Saturday Night Dance, or in festive garb from the 1980’s. Guests enjoyed an evening of camaraderie, dinner by Savour First Choice Catering, and live music by The Rockefellers.

The event was a success, raising funds to expand the museum’s K-12 school programs through an exciting auction of original items and experiences, and a Paddles Up!

Funds raised at the gala will grow the museum’s capacity to serve more schools throughout Southwest Florida. The museum currently educates about 15,000 K-12 students annually and is at full capacity with a waiting list of schools that would like to participate.

The event’s proceeds will support additional vehicles, educational materials, and staffing needed to serve a broader network of schools, and, most importantly, will make these programs available at reduced or no cost to schools, most of which are Title 1.

All students participating in the museum’s school programs receive first-hand experience with live mollusks and marine life, shell identification games and interactive activities, and education about conservation, the importance of clean water, and our Southwest Florida coastal ecosystems.

For many students, it is their first exposure to shells, the animals that make them, and these educational themes.

“We are deeply grateful to our community and all of the gala’s sponsors, donors, and attendees,’’ said Executive Director Sam Ankerson. “They have made an investment in the museum and thousands of children of Southwest Florida communities for years to come.”

Click here for event photos and sponsor recognition.

About the Museum: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is a natural history museum and aquarium, and the only museum in the United States devoted primarily to shells and mollusks. Its mission is to educate and inspire an understanding of mollusks, their shells, and their habitats using exceptional experiences, collections, and science. Permanent exhibitions on view include the Great Hall of Shells, which displays highlights of the Museum’s collection of more than 600,000 shells, as well as the Living Gallery of Aquariums and over 60 species of marine life. For more information, please visit ShellMuseum.org or call (239) 395-2233.