Best times of day to collect shells are at night when they are most active.
Get a tide table for your area. The general rule of thumb is two hours before
low tide until two hours after low tide. There are some areas where the tide
comes in like a freight train, so find out for your area. DON'T get stranded
on an unfamiliar reef.

Keep checking your watch so you don't lose track of time. If there are
natives out on the reef looking for edible shells and they start to head back
in, there may be a message in their action.

Great shelling and remember to return every stone, rock and piece of dead
coral to it's original position.

Frank (No snow, but getting cold, and I got one, in Massachusetts)