About the Knobbed Whelk Seashell and Mollusk

Found a beautiful knobbed whelk with a hermit crab inside, but got some photos.

When we go out boating in the backwaters along the Intracoastal Waterway in my area I love to stop at islands do some beach-combing.  It’s been cold here in Florida (okay, you don’t feel bad for me, I get it) but finally we had a sunny day in the 70’s, so we went out on the boat.

Among the larger seashells I have found while checking out the wrack lines (up where the tide deposits stuff) is the knobbed whelk (Busycon carica). Usually they are partial shells, or nearly unrecognizable from wear and tear.

The one featured on this page was found just off-shore along a camping island which was deserted the day I was there.  I’ve never found one this whole and beautiful.  It was exciting to see.

knobbed whelk
Beautiful spiral of a knobbed whelk

The water that day was clear, and cold for Florida at 62 degrees. It was January but in the 70’s and sunny. I was wading in the shallow water along the beach when my son spotted this knobbed whelk under the water. This shell was sitting at the edge of that black area of water you see in the photo. Continue reading “About the Knobbed Whelk Seashell and Mollusk”

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