The best part about shelling is the thrill of the hunt. Finding the big ones. Those gorgeous, once every 100 times out at the beach shells that you can repurpose for almost anything – centerpieces, crafts or just stand alone decorations. 

But how do you find them? Well, we did some browsting of some of the best shelling blogs on the internet and have put together a brief blog outlining some of the best possible tips to find the best possible shells. Let’s jump right in!

Hunting for shells after a storm

One of the best times to go hunting for shells is after a storm. The more powerful the storm, the more powerful the currents and strong currents make for strong shelling – particularly if you’re out there looking for the bigger ones; as they’re more likely to get moved around and thrown up onto the beach. So if you’re on the lookout for something rare – venture out after a storm. 

Off season shelling

As we’ve discussed dozens of times on this blog, the ocean is beautiful year-round and that includes the offseason. But believe it or not – the ‘offseason’ might be prime time for rare shells. Not only do you have more churn in the ocean than during normal beach roaming months – but you’ll also have half the traffic – whether that’s other shellers or animals. And with more churn and less traffic – that means a higher volume of great shells to choose from. 

Tidal pools and marshes are hot spots

Enclaves, marshes and pools can be great places to find rare shells. However, we do leave this tip with a significant caveat – which is to check with local rules and regulations to make sure that you can comb those areas. Many ARE protected so we want to make sure that stays that way. Also be mindful that in these areas, the shells may already have an owner. If you find crabs, mussels, urchins and the like – leave them be. 

Full moon, full bucket

Full moons tend to produce extreme waves that will cause the churn we mentioned above and lead to better shelling conditions. Now when you combine that full moon with a low tide or a recent storm? You’ve got supreme rare shell finding conditions. 

Hopefully you avid shellers out there found this blog to be helpful. If you’re looking for bulk shells or souvenirs, give us a call today and we’ll be happy to help. Until then – good luck!