Hi again all conch'Lers.
To clean any sells that have no operc. Put them in a
container of Pine-Sol for a few months. It will remove all
of animal except the foot but it can be spued out with a
narrow atachment on your hose. The smell is contained in
the container until you open it to clean., then it is
really bad. But the insides do come out.
Fred in MN
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> From: Peggy Williams <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: collecting materials
> Date: Monday, November 09, 1998 7:31 AM
>
> I like 3-4" high pill bottles to collect into, and often
carry them in my
> hand. I used to use one of the smaller net bags you can
get in dive shops
> to carry collecting equipment in (and larger shells, when
I found them),
> but was told on one dive that my bag was dragging on the
coral. I
> immediately discarded it and have since found (been
given) a great bag
> about 8" long made of heavy plastic mesh with velcro
opening. It holds two
> of my favorite containers, a glove, a zip lock bag or
two, and a knife for
> collecting chitons. I can also get a few shells in the
bag along with all
> that, and it doesn't drag badly. If I'm in shallow coral
I flip it to my
> back to keep it out of the way (it's on a belt).
>
> I also use film cans, but not while collecting. I prefer
Fuji film cans,
> which are clear (or semi-opaque) and they're sometimes
hard to open,
> especially at depth with water pressure keeping them
closed. However, these
> film cans are about the only container I've found that
are watertight, and
> I put small shells in alcohol in them until I can get
around to cleaning
> them. Several film cans will fit in a small refrigerator
box for transport
> home.
>
> One thing: when you're collecting into closed containers
the first thing
> you should do when you get in the water is fill each
container with water
> UNDERWATER so there are no air bubbles in them. Even a
tiny bit of air will
> cause the container to float out of your bag the first
time you open it and
> you may lose container, shells and all!
>
> As for dive boat operators, it depends greatly on where
you are planning to
> dive. In resort areas, many operators will tell you it's
against the law to
> collect shells - but that may only be their law! In the
Bahamas it's
> against the law to collect anything on SCUBA but
snorkeling is ok. Here in
> the Sarasota area you can collect on SCUBA if you have a
fishing license
> (or if the boat captain has one) but you need to have a
captain who's
> willing to let you collect, and most of them here are. In
Palm Beach,
> however, it's harder to find a captain who'll let you
collect. They get
> paranoid that you're going to rape the reef or disturb
the coral.
>
> You should always check with the dive operation before
you go to see that
> you can collect LIVE shells as well as dead ones, and get
it in writing
> that you can show the captain and divemaster when the
time comes. I've had
> divemasters try to reverse the boss's permission at the
last minute.
>
> It helps to point out that shellers are especially
observant of the
> environment - possibly more so than most other divers,
since we're looking
> at minute areas instead of the big picture. Responsible
shellers always
> return rocks to their upright, original positions to
preserve any creatures
> living below them, try not to disturb coral (where few
shells live anyway)
> and leave marred specimens, juveniles, and shells laying
or tending eggs
> behind to reproduce.
>
> I once visited a place where the divemaster was reluctant
to allow me to
> collect. After the first dive, I had a pill bottle with
some great shells
> in it - Latiaxis, chitons, muricids, etc - all less than
1" in length, and
> two Xenophora, which amazed everyone. The divemaster put
me off in a bay
> after that dive, mentioning that I could swim in to shore
and there are
> Helmet shells there.
>
> I think we should all try to improve the image of
shellers in such people's
> eyes as often as possible. Far more damage is done to the
marine
> environment by boat anchors, development, septic systems,
beach
> renourishment, etc, than be individual shellers. There's
no way one shell
> collector can impact much of a species' numbers - we just
can't cover the
> territory that well.
>
> How did I get on this soapbox? I'll get off now.
>
> Peggy Williams
>
>
http://www.mindspring.com/~shellelegant
>                                   Peggy Williams
>                                    Shell Elegant Tours
>                  PO Box 575     *     Tallevast FL 34270
>           (941) 355-2291  *   [log in to unmask]