- Take a jacket and hat during non-summer months
- Wear waterproof, non-skid shoes (NOTE: old sneakers will do)
- Use sunscreen and hat in spring and summer
Thursday, October 4, 2007
What to Wear When Collecting
Why Is the Shell Empty?
- Red tides from nitrates and phosphates
- Invasive non-native species
- Predators may:
- Bore holds and take contents
- Pry open contents
- Swallow whole and then discard shell later
What Time is Best for Shelling?
Go during low tide for the greatest expanse of beach and shells - check weather reports for low tide times.
Go after a storm - cold fronts can push water away from the beach, somewhat like a low tide and tropical storms can churn up the water to bring shells ashore.
Where Is the Best Shelling?
See Coastal Living Magazine (March 2007) for the complete story and map.
- Sanibel Island, Florida
- Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
- Bandon, Oregon
- Galveston, Texas
- Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii
- Flag Ponds Nature Park, Lusby, Maryland
- Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
- Eleuthera Island, The Bahamas
- Great Peconic Bay, Long Island, New York
- Stinson Beach, California
When Did Collecting Begin?
Aristotle – 4th century B.C.
- Wrote about mollusk behavior and anatomy in his History of Animals – 332 B.C.
What Am I Really Collecting?
Abandoned mollusk vehicles, traps, and homes – conchs, welks, etc.
- Made of calcium carbonate
- Secreted by the mantle of the mollusk
Echinoderms – sand dollars, sea stars
- Slow or no moving calcium bodies with tube feet
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