SEASHELLS!!

[INTJohn]

And Moar Seashells!! as promised

Above and below are pix of many different seashells I’ve collect from various beaches I’ve visited while on this trek. Most are from Florida beaches from Jacksonville to The Keys but some are from North & South Carolina.


Jonny boi as always livin such a great life!

 

[peteg59]

Nice work Jb!
Not sure of your interest, but there must be a market for the more pristine ones somewhere?

 

[INTJohn]

Nice work Jb!
Not sure of your interest, but there must be a market for the more pristine ones somewhere?

No interest in markets and I really have no “pristine” shells. They’re only value is to myself and my personal enjoyment & experience.

jonny boi livin the Good Life too good!

 

[INTJohn]

I think this shell is worthy of its own post



This shell is only my third Triton shell I’ve found. The other 2 being a Doghead Triton and the 2nd a Goldhead Triton. This one above I found at MacArthur State Park and is called Atlantic Hairy Triton and the “hair”, known as periostracum, has been completely removed by wave action revealing a beautiful “baldness”.

intjonny

 

[INTJohn]

The following shells will hold a special place in my shell exploration experience.

Above 3 Horse Conch shells and below 2 Lightning Whelk shells; all 5 found 2 weex ago while here at Lovers Key State Park. The large Horse Conch above in the middle I’m going to have my friend make into a shell horn when I return to The Keys next week.

These 5 shells are victims of Hurricane Ian which struck this area 15 months ago:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ian
I found them over 250 yards from the current Gulf shoreline on Lovers Key. I also found another half dozen of each species that were broken. After the storm the only persons with access to the park for months were employees and clean up crews all of whom had first opportunity at collecting the large shells like the ones shown.

After the Gulf side reopened in May ‘23 countless persons have been able to pick over the beach area prior to my arrival here 18 days ago.

My plan: I suspected no 1 had entered into the hurricane wind & wave broken & twisted brush & tree line 250 yards from shore that only a rabbit or a raccoon could get thru soooo; well since I’m the only 1 stupid enuff to look there ahh thaz a wha I did. Didn’t go over 75 feet and found the first one.
Awesome! I thought and I was ecstatic that my hypothesis was confirmed and only fed my enthusiasm & motivation. After spending the better part of 2 mornings searching a 1 mile long area I had made my discoveries.

Can’t wait to have that 13.5” Horse Conch Shell made into a horn!!

jonny boi as always just plain livin toooo daaamn great!!

 

[INTJohn]

Got my Horse Conch horn back!
Am major ampt!!


I’m torn as to cleaning it all pretty or leaving it beach bum skruffy and it sounds frikkin AWESOME!!

Yep, leanin toward beech bum skruff
jonny boi beach bummin the beach bum dream!

 

[INTJohn]

Yep; have enuff shell horns now to start my very own shell horn rock band



Yeah thaz wha jonny boi talkin about.
Ain’t sayin jonny boi jus sayin

 

[INTJohn]

Shells I found yesterday morning:
3 juvenile Queen Conchs, both halves of 2 Sunrise Tellins, Hawkwing Conch, Doghead Triton and an Atlantic Partridge Tun.


……and yesterday afternoon snorkeling at low tide; above & below; an awesome flared Queen Conch shell.

This shell will be absolutely beautiful when cleaned and I hope to find another 1 today.

jonny boi still shellin like a felon

 

[INTJohn]

Shells found yesterday morning as the tide begin to rise. Found these off a reef wading in 2 to 3 feet of water. From left: 9 Queen Conchs, 3 Sea Biscuits, a Milk Conch and a Fighting Conch.

jonny boi lookin for a good day 2maro

 

[INTJohn]

Last week while exploring a low tide mud flat estuary near Lovers Key, discovered an 8” long horse conch eating a lightening whelk. Pik below.


The next day while exploring a different mud flat estuary about a mile away, discovered the above 13.5” smooth shell Horse Conch. Pictured above & below. The pik below is the same shell after spending several hours picking the barnacles off.

After I soak this shell in a bleach water solution for 8 to 12 hours it will be beautiful. I’m always somewhat flabbergasted when I find these large shells; either alive or dead and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it.
It’s fun!
intjonny boi livin too good

 

[INTJohn]

Above & below: pix of a Lightening Whelk that was very recently killed by a boat motor propeller while the boat was being beached by recreational boaters. This is the third such shell I’ve found over the years that has been killed in this manner; by a beaching boat propeller.

If you zoom in on the inside upper left of the shell, some of the animal meat still remains attached to the shell.
I also found a dead manatee years back that was also killed by a boat.
**** happens as sooner or later something murders all of us……..
INTJohn

 

[INTJohn]

Above & below: I finally found a Purple Seasnail shell!


They’re a very unique kind of shell to find as they actually float on top of the water in the open sea with the purple side toward the sky. They make a clear bubble membrane that enables them to float and the lighter underside blends in with the sky to protect it from predators below and the purple blends in with the deep to protect it from predators that are above. Great evolutional adaptations for survival.

This particular shell has a small chip out of the opening but hey it’s my first ever find & it’s still a keeper.
Yes it is!
intjonny boi

 

[INTJohn]

Above & below shells found yesterday (13 Feb) at Apollo Beach area; Canaveral National Seashore.
Above: 6 Knob Whelks; 2 Scotch Bonnets, Lightening Whelk and a lil Pear Whelk.
Below are 6 more Knob Whelks


Had a blast finding the knob whelks in the top pik as it was totally impromptu on a cool morning and I was dressed accordingly.

Had to get wet tho for those knob whelks. . Was just walking along the ocean beach when that largest one washed up about 200’ away and wave took it back disappearing into the surf. Next wave brought it back and then it disappeared again.

I was like Damn! I’ll get wet for that 1! And off came the blue jeans and after it I went wearing just my Hanes. Spent the next hour running up & down the sand in my underwear chasing shells but man! What fun!

Those in the lower pik I found later in the afternoon the last hour or so before it was time to leave the park.

jonny boi having another great day at The Beach

 

[INTJohn]

Above: These are the shells I gave to my buddy’s wife while visiting them this weekend.
Below are shells I’ve bleach water cleaned that I’m keeping.

The large horse conch in upper left corner after being cleaned is the one below after I took off the barnacles couple weex back but b4 cleaning.


jonny boi luvin ma kleend shells

 

[user 22017]

The large horse conch in upper left corner after being cleaned is the one below after I took off the barnacles couple weex back but b4 cleaning.

jonny boi luvin ma kleend shells

It turned out very pretty.

 

[INTJohn]

Cause every1 knows that seashells r gr8 chik b8; gotta include this:



jonny boi sayin……..

 

[vanbrat]

Cause every1 knows that seashells r gr8 chik b8; gotta include this:



jonny boi sayin……..

I knew there was a reason I wanted to go to Florida....

 

[INTJohn]

Above: yesterday I stumbled into some rare to extremely rare finds. No, not the sand dollar or the worm shell but the pieces of sea glass. While the green and the clear pieces are most common, the light blue and the dark blue pieces are considered rare and the orange piece sitting on top of the clear frosted piece (for contrast) is considered extremely rare and ranks as number 1 rarest color of sea glass to find.
https://seaglassjewelrybyjane.com/colors/#



Above are this morning’s finds. A Deer Cowrie, an Atlantic Murex, 2 Hawkwing Conchs, a wave worn Lace Murex and a wave worn Keiners Knob Whelk.

another great sunny day at the beach!
intjonny

 

[INTJohn]

Todays beach haul. A lil Keiners Knob Whelk and a soggy sandy Abe. That 5 bux will go towards my gin fund.

Easy come; Easy go
jonny boi.

 

[RonDean]

Is it weird that I see the above pictures and all I can think about now is sauteing them with a little white wine, lemon, and butter?

And I worry about all those poor little sea creatures that now must use plastic and glass waste to hide in after some big land creature has taken all the shells away.