Cowry Shell
I have been wondering about something ever since I began doing research for this blog and after reading a message left by a reader (on the sand dollar page), I would love to know where the shell shops get all those shells they sell.
A few of my larger shells were purchased at a seashell shop on Sanibel Island. I imagine it might have been Sanibel Seashell Industries which claims to be one of the oldest shops on the Island.
I have two large sand dollars and a big, pink Murex that I know I did not find along the beach. I also have a couple of large cowry shells that I believe were purchase there, and my favorite pink, or queen, conch shells were bought many years ago. They are now protected because of over harvesting.
Every site or blog I visit that talks about shelling, says the same thing: “Don’t collect living shells“. But where do those shops, with millions of shells, find all of their shells? One would have to imagine that the shells were found with mollusks still inside – at least some of them anyway.
I don’t know.
If it’s true, then, even though we are careful and environmentally correct in leaving the living ones on the beach when we go shelling, it’s okay to get in the car and go to the shell shop and buy gorgeous shells that were harvested for their beauty regardless of the fact that they were occupied by the creature.
I don’t know how to find out. If you have any insight into this, please let me know, although I think I already know the answer.
“Whole shells sold in souvenir shops are often dredged from the ocean floor, then killed and bleached”…, that’s an excerpt from an article in Coastal Living Magazine. So if we truly want to protect these living creatures…, we should not buy them in stores.
Thanks Maya. I guess I knew it was something like that. Thank you for that note of interest.