The frog shell is not extremely pretty as it tends to be covered in “limy deposits”. The St. Thomas Frog Shell (Bursa thomae) got it’s name because it was first discovered in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. It’s a small shell, growing only to a little over an inch long.
Another frog shell – the California Frog Shell (Bursa californica) is commonly found in Baja California where it is frequently pulled up in crab and lobster traps. This species is larger and can be up to 5 inches in length. Info taken from National Audubon Society’s Field Guide to Shells
I am not a seashell expert, just an everyday person who has taken an interest in identifying the Florida shells I have collected over the years.
This page is about how and why the seashell identification blog began.
The east coast Florida beaches never offered up a lot of shells, but coquinas and arks were regular finds. Of course back when I took my kids to the beach, I didn’t know any shell names. I knew the popular sand dollar and starfish (sea star) but never found those. And I certainly didn’t give much thought to the marine snails that made the shells.
My Early Blog Photos From 2009
Tiny Coquina Shells
Coquina Rock
“Sea Cookie” Sand Dollar
Cone shell
Lightning Whelk drawing
Elegant Dosinia
Gibbose or Gibbosa Olive
Sundial bottom
Cute shells with stripes and spots
When I began working at Zazzle, back in 2007, I used some of my photography to make products to sell. That led to beginning this blog. I began writing from my New Hampshire home and used photos of the shells I had collected over the years.
Believe me, I barely knew what a blog was, and it’s been a learning experience for me. My about page has more info, so I won’t go into my life history, but these days I use the blog for more than writing about seashells. It is now also part of my online stores where I have linked pages at the top menu of this site.
We Bought a Boat!
Once I returned to Florida to live, I knew I needed to get away from the crowds by escaping to the water. So, we bought a boat. It’s a Hewes Redfisher flats boat. That may mean nothing to you, but basically it’s a small boat with low sides made for fishing. The draft is shallow so we can go into some quite shallow water. It allows us to travel through the backwaters along the Indian River lagoon area and stop at sandy beaches that show up during low tide.
Now, I can also write about my travels to find shells and sea life because I live in Florida again. Instead of only combing the ocean beach, I can now explore islands along the river. Because they are rarely visited by beachcombers, I find lots to photograph.
Help Identifying Seashells
I began trying to identify all kinds of seashells, but have narrowed it down to the shells of Florida. Some of these shells are also found elsewhere, but the variety is too massive to cover well.
Once I had enough photos, I could create pages to help readers identify commonshells they might find while visiting Florida.
I’ve also created free, printable coloring pages for home and homeschool use. I like to think that kids would enjoy learning about marine snails and other sea creatures. See more at the dropdown links at the top of this site.
Some Favorite Island Visits
Here are some truly wonderful and favorite creatures of the sea I encountered while beach-combing.
Giant Red Hermit Crab
Spider Crab
Every day out on the water is a good one, but sometimes I get lucky and see some unique creatures. The Giant Red Hermit Crab was one such find. I see hermit crabs a lot, but none like this one!
The Spider Crab was another odd creature I encountered while beach-combing in shallow water. Click the photos to read more.
Our first trip to stay at Silver Springs Campground was a lot of fun. This is a beautiful spot to camp, and is just down the road from Silver Springs and a chance to paddle the Silver River.
The queen conch (pronounced “konk”), or pink conch, is becoming endangered. The strombus gigas can grow to be quite large and has a pearly pink inside.
The shells I own (in the photo below) were purchased many years ago at a shell shop…can’t even remember where, but probably on Sanibel Island or Fort Meyers in Florida.
The Queen conch is an edible sea snail and a prized delicacy in parts of Florida and the Carribbean has been overly fished as a food source. This mollusk is found in the tropics from Bermuda to Brazil and fortunately some areas now have strict guidelines against over fishing. (See the links below for more info).
