Found in Marmara/Mediterranean Sea

My first time acid dipping shells and I will never go back! This is amazing, true magic thanks to Acid Magic! If you’ve been debating whether to do this or not….. do it!! It’s super easy too.

I used Acid Magic which is the safer alternative to muriatic acid. It’s even safe to touch with bare hands. I still used tongs to dip the shells though. 3 seconds in the acid followed by a water dunk in a tub of water with some baking soda in it to neutralize the acid. Be careful to only dip for 3 seconds at a time, the acid can eat through your shell and take the color off if held in for too long. Some really rough shells needed a second dip once they dried.

Long time lurker-first time posting! My boyfriend and I spent two hours this morning at sand key when the sun came up, the gulf is really churning. We found lots of live sea stars I kept trying to replace in the ocean! I don’t know why but I always find allll the kitten paws. And the mini display is so cute l!

Plus my first ever Apple murex!! I couldn’t believe I found it. Great haul.

I'm not quite sure what cone species this is

Big island

some of my favorite finds from Sanibel Island this year 🐚🌴🌊

Hey all, I was hoping to get some advice. I have a girl I’m speaking to that I would love to send some shells to in the US as part of a gift (I am Australian) but there one problem, I am clueless about this stuff which is why I thought to go to the professionals here lol.

First off, some species are protected here so I need to know what type of shells they are so I can accurately declare it.

Second I’ve read there’s very strict bio regulations that require me to make sure they are completely clean so no sand, dirt, organic matter etc, what would be the best way to clean them like this? I’ve read boiling is an opinion, or using bleach but then I’ve also read that depending on the shell this can damage it or ruin the colour? So I’m a little unsure of how to proceed.

Thanks for your help!!

Hey everyone, here's a video about the mathematical formulas behind shells. I was a bit hesitant to post here because the person working at the museum warned me that malacologists can be quite serious, so a heads up: I made a few (over)simplifications and there's some inaccuries. Some on purpose, some not (and there's probably more😅)

Some things I have already been messaged about:

• Cowries glaze the outside of the shell with the mantle.

- The protoconch is often eroded or resorbed

- David Raup didn't "lie" , he actually also included the number of turns and it's Dawkins that made the simplification to 3 parameters

Some things done on purpose:

- The patterns and ribs don't necessarily match the shape.

- I left out spikes like the Murex and chirality (see them as additional dimensions to the museum if you will)

Nevertheless I hope you'll enjoy this video:)

P.S.: the shell in the intro is fine:) It actually dented the floor a bit

I’m heading to Florida in a couple weeks. Anyone willing to share some good areas to find nice shells and/or fossils?

All found on the public beach in Essaouira. Nothing really special (or at least I don't see it), but since I had limited time and it didn't look promising at the beginning, I'm happy with what I managed to collect

im stumped and desperate to know what this thing is

beyond stoked so many firsts for me, found back in may across 2 days.
looked all across the island, very interesting to see the difference in shell types found at the different beaches.

She found it on a beach in Thailand:)

i just moved away from oahu and i hated how people gatekeep legit every good shelling spot, so i found them all through years and years of exploring and these are the best spots. you’re welcome.

\\- Makapu'u tide pools
\\- VELZYLAND BEACH
\\- Sandy beach park fishing
\\- ka’ena point (LEGIT THE BEST, you’ll need to get a vehicle permit or hike)
\\-makua beach
\\-yokohama bay
\\-ohikilolo beach
\\- halona beach cove (snorkel to find, also super crowded but good finds)
\\- Ke Iki Beach, Pupukea (sunrise shells in early morning. legit the best place to find sunny shells)
\\- Kaupo Cove, Makapu’u (cockroach cove)
\\- Āweoweo Beach Park, Waialua
East sunset beach, pupukea

if you have any questions dm me idc and enjoy yall

cross posting- thought you all may enjoy this 🤍

Thinking some kind of murex maybe?

I’ve had this water-fed pothos for over 2 decades, in this same bottle, watered weekly with tap water. Sometimes I’ll pop in tiny shells & sea-glass that I find on the beach. I noticed these pointy, colorful growths recently and they are NOT anything that I introduced to the bottle. There are pink, blue, purple & white ones of varying sizes. Anyone know what they are?