With over 350 shelling trips (almost all on Okinawa during 4.5 years there) I
have many that were quite interesting and all for different reasons. There
was the time I was snorkeling in about 3 feet at low tide (the best time)
then I hit like a valley about 10/12 feet filled with staghorn coral. Not
much in the way of shells there and while I was deciding which direction to
go in, I saw a small area in the middle of all this that was only about 3
feet and hard reef. I turned over a few rocks and dead coral with no luck and
saw a piece of what we called saucer coral. So I turned it over as I was
leaving and I saw the beautiful mantle of a live Cypraea cernica. Always
found by divers and rarely live. I almost swallowed half the ocean. Gor it
home in my aquarium where it lasted about 5 days before it got zapped.
 
Frank Walker
Gems From The Sea
http://www.shellgems.com