Surfside Beach, South Carolina Seashells

Since moving to Surfside Beach I have taken up the hobby of collecting seashells and could not believe the amount or diversity of the shells available. I have cleaned and categorized over twenty different kinds and will share some of my best finds with you.

Sometimes it is hard to identify which type of seashell has been found because they can be similar to others so I purchased a book with large colorful pictures to help me know what type of shell I have discovered.

The first shell I found, and my most prized because it was my first, is an auger. The auger almost looks like a carrot and is sometimes orange and white striped although it comes in other colors. They can range in size from very tiny to 8 inches or more and can easily be missed because they can be so small.

In my whelk collection I now have four different sizes, the smallest being almost one inch and the largest over eight inches. They are in different colors and shapes and if it is large enough this is the shell you can put up to your ear and hear the ocean.

One of the prettiest shells I have found would be the olive shell and they are abundant on Surfside Beach. They are shiny and easily found because of the suns reflection. I have found both lettered and netted in all sizes.

Keyhole limpets are easily found but many are broken. I have been lucky enough to have several though that are in good shape and have not been torn apart by the ocean. The pen shells are another type that rarely survives the oceans currents intact but I have managed to find several where both halves were still attached.

There are plenty of clam and mussel shells available and they can be in several colors and sizes. They are not as pretty as some of the other shell found on the beach in Surfside but your collection would not be complete without them.

I have found that the best way to store my shells is to first make sure they are clean on the inside as well as the outside. Sometimes there is debris from the ocean still inside the shell and they can become smelly if not cleaned properly. A good shelling book will explain the best way to clean your shells.

I have a shelf totally devoted to my collection and visitors to my home can enjoy them also. I save empty jars and after I am sure the shells are cleaned properly, I sort them into individual jars and display them with a label describing the shells inside and on what beach they were found. Anyone interested in them can just pick up the jar and know what type of shell is inside. This has led to some great conversations and additional trips to the beach with others to teach them about shelling.

I have only touched on a few types of shells that can be found in Surfside Beach, South Carolina but I don't want to ruin it for you. If you visit here and keep your eyes open, you may find different types of shells that I haven't even discovered yet.

I hope I have piqued your curiosity about shelling and maybe you'll take up the hobby and get as much (if not more) enjoyment out of collecting and learning about shells as I have. See you on the beach.