I am channeling my inner artist looking at these CHANNELED WHELKS as I look back on our shelling trip to the Carolinas earlier this month ( our first stop was … Beach Combing Trip To Portsmouth Island). I could have taken hundreds of photos of these incredishelly beautiful works of art as I saw them laying in the sand half buried in the islands of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
Seeing KNOBBED WHELKS and OYSTER SHELLS rolling up in the surf was a masterful sight to behold.
Mother Nature artfully placed a SAND DOLLAR as though she staged this still-life for me to photograph.
I didn’t find all of her still-lifes in obvious places. These 2 KNOBBED WHELK shells, an ANGEL WING and oodles of OYSTER SHELLS were behind a large wrack line of driftwood, seaweeds and various sticks from sea oats and sea grasses.
The EASTERN OYSTER SHELLS are so beautiful as well, especially the juveniles as they form stunning sculptures.
After searching for miles, we found an area filled with the sweet adorable miniature shells. There were even WENTLETRAPS!
And then, Whelp… another WHELK.
How can they be this gorgeous?
We found dried KNOBBED WHELK EGG CASES too. They are so similar to our LIGHTNING WHELK egg cases we find in Sanibel but the KNOBBED WHELK EGG SACK disks are little more oval in shape.
But this just may have been the find of trip…. a GIANT EASTERN MUREX. Boom Shellalaka! It may not have been he prettiest shell on the beach but it really is giant and it just seemed impossible that we would find one. I can’t claim finding it- our friend (our hostess with mostest) Karen found it then gave it to me. Omigosh really? We don’t normally bring home shells that we don’t find ourselves (we are fortunate to already have enough) but it is an amazing memory from that day and an awesome shell. Very cool- thank you!
Clark and I (in red colors) are still smiling from our shelling trip with Nanette, Helen, Jackie, Karen and Captain Dan. We met all of them in McClellinville, South Carolina where Karen’s buddy Captain Dan Scarborough took us out on his boat to the out islands. I can’t even explain how much fun it was island hopping out on the boat all day with this crew.
We brought back a few brilliant shells with different color patterns that look like Mother Nature had a field day with her architectural designs and paint brush.
Clark and I are so grateful to these Three Crazy Carolina Girls- Jackie, Helen and Karen for inviting us on this unforgettable shelling trip. Love these girls!
To join me on a shelling trip adventure in SW Florida…
Does Captain Dan run a shelling tour in South Carolina? If so, would you mind sharing his information. Thank you!
those were amazing finds – we found about 8 of those giant knobbed welks here on Mayport Beach (Jacksonville) last December – haven’t seen any since but always looking :)
Great finds! The colors will really pop once they are cleaned. Love to find the black ones. Always thought Portsmouth Island was in NC, must be 2.
You are correct it is in NC. Pam went there first, and then to a different spot in SC. These look to be the shells they found in SC.
Where in South Carolina did you go? I live there and we usually go to Edisto Island for shells.
Nice outing!
quite a coincidence: I was just there too! (well, just one island)….. you can take a ferry to Bulls Island from Awendaw (NE of Charleston) for $40 = they drop you off in the AM and you go back at 4pm. The shelling was good and there was tons of wildlife- we had to walk around alligators sleeping on the trail that leads to the beach several times.
google “Bulls Island Ferry” if you have been to Cumberland Island before its very similar- though a lot less people/facilities.
Hi Steve are the shells as nice there? I’m thinking of taking an outer banks trip next week
April GA
From Cape Hatteras south you really cant go wrong on the outer barrier beaches. As you go further south, you may find more varieties of shells. Besides the Outer Banks, places like that which are accessible by commercial boat service include Shackleford Banks NC (water taxis from Beaufort), Morris Is SC, Bulls Is SC and Cumberland Is GA….. Bulls Island is probably one of the places they stopped at in this post, great for whelks. As is Cumberland Island. There are usually at least a few in the drift high on the beach as in Pam’s photo.
Wow! I would love to go shelling! We dont have places like that here in Australia we have beautiful beaches but no shells! Is there a trip or group that take you shelling! And would I be able to bring them back to Australia what a wonderful experience that would be!
Hi ‘I found this shells at myrtle Beach one year ago it looks like a shell I don’t think it is how can I send you a picture of it.
Yes I want to know what kind of sea shell I have and how can I send you a picture of it.
I really have to stop reading your posts, because I never have enough vacation to follow in your footsteps. Very nice findings and beautiful pictures. Would have loved to be there and found some of these shells. :-)
Wow, such pretty shells, and from the Atlantic, no less. It is difficult to tell from the picture if that is a real angel wing like the kind found in SW Florida, or a false angel wing like the smaller ones we have here in New England. Large whelks can be found on the south side of Cape Cod at certain times of the year, but the colors are not as nice.
I can’t believe the colors. Amazing!
We are from Kansas and only get to the beach once a year and have longed to find shell’s like these for years. We are serious beachcombers my husband and I. Like I said we only get to do this once a year. What islands did you go too for shelling when Captain Dan took you out? Also, does he do tours for such as what he did for you, a shelling tour to certain islands? I know he would charge for this, but we are very interested, as we have never had the best of luck. And the Carolinas are our favorite place to vacation. Thank you for any help given. Michele Riddle.
read my prior comment and/or Google “Bulls Island Ferry” (Awendaw, Georgia)- a good option if you cant arrange a charter outing @ $40 per person for the whole day. All the alligators you can step around at no extra charge.
advance reservations might be a good idea if you do….
I brought back over 30 whelks and left many more behind. The best shelling there was to the RIGHT once you reached the beach, in the OPPOSITE direction from Boneyard Beach. They were in the Upper (High tide line) drift. But you can never predict.
Cumberland Island Ferry (Kingsland GA, about an hour north of Jacksonville FL) is another excellent and popular option…definitely make reservations in advance for that one!
OOPS Should have said Awendaw, South Carolina for Bulls Is Ferry (just north of CHarleston)