Spring break for our boys is less than three weeks away and that means we’re heading back to Isle of Palms to spend a week in the sunshine with the sand between our toes, and enjoying the company of extended family. It also means I’ll be back on the hunt for shells, one of my favorite things to do at the beach. In addition to looking for whelks, olives, oysters, and any gnarly shell that catches my eye, I am excited to look for fossils.
I’ve kept an eye out for sharks’ teeth and even took some focused time to sift through shards of shells in the hopes of finding some, but I have never found any at IOP. I did find some at Myrtle Beach several years ago, but never at IOP. What I did find, though, was a fossilized lion’s paw shell. When I initially unearthed it from the sand, I thought it might be a rock or a bit of natural concrete, but as I examined it closer, I could see the shape of the shell. I wasn’t really sure what it was, but it looked old and crusty, which is a winner in my book! I put it in my shell back and researched it later to discover it was a fossil of a lion’s paw scallop.
Since then, I have found several more, all at Isle of Palms. One was sitting right by the beach access when I stayed at Wild Dunes last April.
And I found several small ones, clumped with other bits of fossilized shells.
I sort of love finding these, because they are easy to miss. I think most people discount them because they are crusty and, especially when surrounded by sand and crushed shells, don’t look like much. Even when I picked a couple of these up, I didn’t recognize they were fossilized lion’s paws until I got them home and looked closer. Of course, they are easy to identify once washed and photographed…
I think what draws me to these is they are a piece of ancient history, just scattered on the beach, and I can go on a little treasure hunt to find them, clean them up, and take them home. It makes me feel like a bit of a scientist when I’m unpacking all of my specimens after a beach trip.
And, even in their crustiness and age, I think there is beauty in them. I display them on small plate stands and rested on books on our living room shelves. I often walk over, lean in, pick up a fossil, a clump or coral, or a shell, turn it over in my fingers, and just appreciate it. My free, natural sculptures and curiosities.
It’s all a part of experiencing awe in our amazing world. I don’t just walk the beach looking for shells for the sake of finding shells. I walk the beach with wonder, openness, and curiosity, ready to find whatever there is to find, to research it, admire it, and to wonder some more. Whether it’s walking on a beach, a wooded trail, or through your neighborhood, there is always something to wonder about.
So, I can’t wait to go back and see what I find this year. Of course, you’ll get a daily beach haul update! And, of course, I’ll have an opportunity to lose another shell collection competition with my mom…
Marian,
This is the first time I have ever heard of a fossilized lion’s paw and now I have to be on the look out for them. I live outside of Charleston and Isle of Palms is my beach of choice when I go. I have been collecting shells since I was a small child on vacation in Narragansett, Rhode Island. If there is a beach and I can get to it, I am collecting shells. Good luck on your hunt for the goodies the sea shares with us and I hope you and your family have a wonderful vacation.
Pam Emma
My mom was a sheller who spent most of winter on the west side of Florida near Siesta Keys…….had a wonderful collection of shells and made her 5 children and herself many beautiful shell lamps before she went to heaven. I always appreciate your collections…..and this has nothing to do with that, but I need to restate how much I truly love how you made your fireplace surround so perfectly historic looking. It just looks so right. And I am not a huge fan of color and pattern – but that color you painted it and the bookcase is just so serene and gorgeous. Hope you love it as much as you had hoped. Have a great vacation right around the corner. We are enjoying gorgeous snow from a big snow storm 2 days ago. It is sunny with an intense blue sky today – the perfect winter’s day. Though I’d love to be planning a trip to the beach.
I like to beach comb on Amelia Island in Florida. I find lots of shark teeth and olive whelks and have just learned about fossilized pectens as well. They’re not too hard to find.
I’m another avid collector of fossils, but since I live in Michigan, mine are found in land-locked areas, some of them even in driveways or near rivers, or lakes. Anyplace I am, I find my eyes searching the ground. It’s such fun to find new specimens and try identifying them. Lots of pretty or unusual-looking stones come home in my pocket. Happy hunting.
Shells are just more expensive of God’s gratuitous beauty- even if they are just ancient carcasses.
Looking out my window at the snow falling in central VA today, it’s hard to believe spring break is less than three weeks away! We were in IOP and Mt. Pleasant the same week as you last year for my husband’s 70th birthday but this year we are going in late March. I hope in between beach days and shell collecting, you will venture out to some of the great vintage and antique shops in the area. I would highly recommend Mt Pleasant Antique mall. It’s only a short distance down the road from IOP. They do have a great Facebook page to check out. The place is quite large, and they have some great vendors there.
You are so right. There is much to be in awe of God’s creation. When we hit the beach, it’s in Michigan. We have our own collection of rocks and fossils from the lakeshore. You never know what you will find.
I live near the ocean in Northern California. One of my prized finds is not beach glass (have lots) or even shells. It’s a fossilized sand dollar!!
Your vision of looking at shells in a different way is inspiring. Here in Hawaii the beach provides many shell opportunities. I will be viewing shells with a new eye and curiosity … hidden treasures in the sand.