| What tales the sands, shells, and seas can tell us | | | | more colors (shades of red, rust, brown, chocolate, |
| about their adventures around the world. Every minute | | | | cream, white) in the shape of a bird's wings. |
| of every day, the ocean's water moves the sand and | | | | Another popular shell is the keyhole urchin or common |
| shells around to a different spot, always moving. Most | | | | sand dollar. This animal lives in the shallows of the |
| of the time we crunch over the top of these and think | | | | coastal area, burrowing under the sand for protection, |
| nothing about them. On occasion, something about the | | | | and it feeds on algae and other soft food sources at |
| color or shape of a shell prompts us to bend over and | | | | the shoreline. The legend of the sand dollar links to the |
| pick up a colorful shell or oddly shaped piece of | | | | Christmas story because some collectors determined |
| driftwood, but with over 700-1,000 species of shells | | | | that its markings symbolize the birth, crucifixion, and |
| and untold numbers of grains of sand and other | | | | resurrection of Christ. |
| particles on the beach, trillions of items, we tend to | | | | The lettered olive, the South Carolina state shell, is |
| take them all for granted. However, their stories are | | | | shaped a bit like a tube or roll with a smooth surface in |
| diverse and fascinating! | | | | a brownish-green-cream color. Not large |
| While people often find shells along the populated | | | | (approximately 66mm in length and 20mm wide), the |
| beaches of North and South Carolina, some places | | | | lettered olive has a low spire and no teeth. The |
| are still better than others for shell hunting. Also, timing | | | | gastropod who lives inside pulls his mantle flap over |
| plays a role in shell hunting, such as searching at low | | | | himself to seal the opening when threatened, so if you |
| tide or after a storm. For example, during the summer | | | | collect a lettered olive, first determine if the shell's |
| of 2008, the Grand Strand beach renourishment | | | | inhabitant still lives there before taking the shell home. |
| project brought in many deep-water shells, pumped to | | | | Certainly, the shell's occupant would prefer to be left |
| the surface along with the fresh sand brought to | | | | there on the beach by the water. |
| strength the shoreline. Finding unusual shells from these | | | | Of course, finding sea treasures comes with |
| deep-water treasures at Cherry Grove or North | | | | responsibility, and with shells the responsibility is to |
| Myrtle Beach or around Grande Shores Resort at | | | | ensure that the wildlife stays at the beach. Oftentimes, |
| 77th has been especially exciting this year! Other | | | | people collect the "perfect" sand dollar or shell, |
| places to find shells along the Carolina coastline include | | | | forgetting that it already has an owner, the sea |
| Huntington State Park, Hilton Head, Isle of Palms and | | | | creature who lives in it. Look carefully at the items in |
| Sullivan's Island near Charleston, Edisto Beach State | | | | your collection bucket for movement, color variations, |
| Park (north end), and the Cape Romain National | | | | any difference between live or dead items. Sometimes |
| Wildlife Refuge. Certainly, these are just a few, not all, | | | | an inhabited shell is hard to discern and not inclined to |
| of the prime spots, and many people love to find their | | | | move around to tell you that he is there, so look |
| own spots to keep secret for themselves! | | | | carefully. Dead sand dollars, for example, are white or |
| How can you uncover the secrets of these shore side | | | | pale in appearance, whereas a living sand dollar is dull |
| resources? One way is by identifying shell names. Find | | | | gray or brown and fuzzy. When in doubt, leave it at |
| a good reference book, web site, or CD. Once you | | | | the beach. |
| know the name of something found on the beach, you | | | | Collecting seashells enriches our lives for many |
| can learn more about it from your sources. One of the | | | | reasons, not least of which is their reminder of our |
| more common shells in the Carolinas is the turkey-wing | | | | walks along the beach to find them-endless summer. If |
| shell. This washes up frequently on our Carolina shores | | | | you have collected Carolina shells, we hope they will |
| and has been found as far south at Venezuela and | | | | remind you of our shores so that you will come back |
| east to Bermuda. Measuring just over two inches long | | | | some day soon and see what new treasures have |
| and oblong in shape, with one side bulging out and the | | | | washed up on the sand. |
| other side fairly straight, the shell usually has three or | | | | |