Whether
you are a casual collector who picks
up bits and pieces from the sand without bothering to identify them or a
serious shell nerd, Laura Rusinko, president of the Grand Strand Shell Club,
has valuable advice to offer about finding shells.
“The
best time to look for shells is low tide or as the tide is going out,” she
says. “This gives seekers a chance to see more shells.”
In
addition to serving as president of the local shell club, she also runs the club’s membership, puts out a shell
newsletter and books speakers on the topic — needless to say, she knows
her shells.
Often
serious shellers each like to keep their own little “secret” spots for finding
the best shells, but well-known places for beachcombing in Myrtle Beach include
the state parks, as well as some of the less crowded beaches like Pawleys
Island and Cherry Grove.
The Shell Club often collects trash and glass while combing the beach. There’s the
univalve, made up of one shell, and the bivalve, which consists of two shells.
While
Rusinko and her fellow club members often rely on each other’s expertise to
help them identify tough specimens, an easy way for visitors to classify shells
is with a colorful shell book such as “Living Beaches of Georgia and the Carolinas”
by Blair and Dawn Witherington.
There
are also tons of great online resources for identifying shells such as Seashells.org, ILoveShelling.com or SeaShell-Collector.com
and even some great local guides including Myrtle Beach State Park’s
Beachcombing Guide and the shelling guide at FunBeaches.com.
Rusinko’s
advice is to start by giving the shells a good soak in clean, fresh water to
remove excess sand. Particular shells may need special treatment so serious
collectors should look up the shell online and see how it should be cleaned.
“Time
and patience determine how clean your shell collection will be,” she says. “We
always enjoy seeing the crafts people
make with their shells,” Rusinko said.
