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Shell Game1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Itinerary | Home
Ankle-deep in low tide, scanning the brilliant blue shallows, he saw it. He could hardly believe his luck – even living in the Philippines, amidst some of the most beautiful beaches on earth, he had never come across such a perfect specimen. A Glory of the Sea (Conus gloriamaris), once considered one of the rarest shells in the world. To find it, here, in this highly competitive shelling destination – Sanibel Island, Florida – he’s achieved the thrill of his three-year odyssey through the world’s shelling hotspots. Enthusiasts like this collector, whose story I heard on Sanibel Island, are part of a new wave who are turning beachcombing into an extreme sport. Avid shellers travel the globe’s most encrusted beaches in search of rare examples, much as birdwatchers tick off sightings in their birding books. The Philippines, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, Cape Cod, South Africa, Oregon and the Caribbean are among the most popular spots. On Sanibel, the thrill it promises is more local: “Find a Junonia” – a rare, brown-checked offshore shell coveted by collectors – “and you’ll get your photo in the local paper,” promises Gladys, the desk clerk at the West Wind Inn. Later, perusing the tidal chart Gladys gave me, I discover that this evening’s low tide is at 6:19 p.m., the best time for shelling. My friend Miriam is after the elusive Lettered Olive (Olive sayana) while the Banded Tulip (Fasciolaria lilium) had caught my eye in the lobby displays. We head to the beach, where dozens of people are doing the Sanibel Stoop: the requisite position employed when hunching over these sandy beaches, looking for seashells. With the sun still beating down at 6:30 p.m., modern-day treasure hunters line the shallow depths, in search of semi-buried riches. |
