“To walk a beach with an open heart, at a slow, luxurious
pace, allows the eye to perceive greater offerings from
the sea and the mind to clear. Each new day a new tide
presents opportunities for those with the patience and vision
to look for the beauty in change.”
Richard LaMotte
The Foreword to Beach: a Book of Treasure
No walk on the beach is complete without finding a whelk of some sort. Of the
four types of whelks found on our coast, the most popular is the knobbed whelk. There
are also lightning, channel and pear whelks. Each is distinguished by various shapes and
knobs. The unusual feature of the lightning whelk is that it has its opening on the left side
rather than the right where all other whelks open. This is peculiar to the South Carolina
lightning whelk. Whelks are gastropods or large snails. They live off of clams and other
mollusks.
In addition to these many shells, a common sight on our beaches is the horseshoe
crab. Contrary to what most people believe, most of these shells are just that: shells. The
horseshoe crab molts these shells much as a blue crab does. Whelk egg cases are also a
frequent treasure. They are small circular paper-like capsules all strung together like a
snake. Inside each capsule are hundreds of miniature whelk shells. When they are dry
you can shake them like a rattle. Another common finding is a round gasket-like ring.
This is from the moon shell. The eggs of the moon shell snail are mixed with sand and a
gelatin-like mass and formed into a round “sand collar.”
Other interesting items you may find are sponges of many sizes and shapes and
sea corals of many shapes and colors. The next time you walk on the beach, take time to
enjoy the treasures of the sea.
Shell Collecting
Etiquette
Seashells play an intricate role in the balance of Kiawah’s
marine environment. Keep these things in mind when colleting shells
to take home and consider takeing just one of each kind shell you see.
Shells provide homes for many animals. Hermit crabs rely on discarded
shells when they outgrow their current one and many other invertevrates, such
as oysters and barnacles, use discarded shells as a hard substrate to attach to.
Many shells have living animals inside of them, even if you cannot see them.
Always double check before taking it home.
Mollusks use calcium from the water to help build thier shell.
As shells break down and dissolve they put calcium back into the
water for new shells to use and grow.
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