Pat’s Wildways: Shell Shenanigans

It was the coldest day this winter so far. What the heck was I doing on the beach at Little Talbot Island all wrapped up in layers of winter clothes? It was not the best day for beachgoing, according to the weather forecast, but the tide was low, and the mission was calling. The right whale shell mosaic was to be constructed the next day and my friend Diane Stoecker and I had to collect our share of oyster shells to add to the artwork. Nothing like last-minute planning, but whatever.

I figured since we were collecting shells anyway, why not look for those rare Dosinia smooth clam shells that the Amelia Shell group likes to paint and give away. We can find oyster shells in many places here, but Dosinia shells only seem to be found on a little stretch of the Little Talbot beach, especially at low tide. So here we were.

Not surprisingly, Diane and I had the beach pretty much to ourselves – a long expanse of smooth sand with chilly waves washing in. But really, it wasn’t too windy or cold. In fact, it was near perfect! We happily set off in different directions, seeking our treasures. After an hour or so, we tired of our efforts and returned to the car with a handful of Dosinias and some dark oyster shells, but not enough. But that wasn’t a problem. I knew where lots of oyster shells were to be found.

Fifteen minutes later we were walking the shoreline of the St. Johns River along Heritage River Road, which leads to the Joe Carlucci Sisters Creek Boat Ramp. Bucko and I are regular visitors to the parking lot there, watching dolphins feeding in the changing currents, looking at vessels being worked on at BAE systems boatyard across the inlet, monitoring the progress of container ships with an app that identifies them and their travels, feeding a few feral cats and smiling at the family groups picnicking under the shaded roofs. I couldn’t help but notice the myriad oyster shells that line the shore. It was a perfect spot for us to fill our buckets with dark oyster shells and before long our buckets were full. After a great lunch of gumbo and a pound of fried flounder to bring home from the Sandollar Restaurant, we were done. Mission accomplished. And a fun morning too!

The next day, I carried my oyster shells to Main Beach, where the right whale shell mosaic was being constructed by dozens of volunteers with the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors. My Fernandina Observer colleague and friend Lauri Holton was directing the placement of the shells, as she has done for many other shell mosaics along the East Coast of the U.S. Besides the oyster shells that formed the main bodies of the whales she had a bag of Dosinia shells too. These shiny, smooth shells ended up with the place of honor, forming the eyes of these behemoths. Painted shells from the Amelia Shells group were on a table in front of Lauri, there to give away to children who happened by.

The Amelia Shells group (find them on Facebook) has more than 5,000 members who collect shells from our beaches, paint them creatively, and hide them everywhere for people to find. Some volunteers collect the shells (like I do). Others with an artistic bent (not me) paint and put stickers on them to identify them, and others hide them (like I sometimes do). This activity generates smiles all around when people find them, and even more so when they post their finds on the Amelia Shells Facebook Group for the artists to see where their shells ended up.

So, with the right whale mosaic project underway, the Amelia Shells group got into the action, too. The area around Main Beach was thoroughly “shelled”!​ I left the beach and walked along the Main Beach boardwalk and counted a dozen or so painted shells along the railings and on the picnic tables and benches in the area. Soon enough, some lucky people will find these shells, and maybe one out of 20 will actually post their find on Facebook, as suggested by the stickers on the shells.

All of this activity is free for one and all, and adds to the quality of life we are thankful to have on Amelia Island. It’s time to honor the good in our world and not focus on the bad. Collecting and sharing sea shells is a simple way to enjoy life here on the island. Happy shelling!

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com