Welcome, shelling tourists, to NC!

Be prepared to not find much, especially compared to Florida. There's
usually some beachdrift with micros at Ft. Macon, just north of Atlantic
Beach. The offerings have been getting sparser and sparser in the past two
years.

Cape Lookout is fairly good at times. It offers both the exposed ocean beach
and the protected sound environment. I saw lots of broken-up Cassis
madagascariensis (I think it's form spinella). There's a woman who collected
3 live Tellidora cristata on the sandflats many years ago; I certainly was
looking for them.

Portsmouth Island is supposed to be good for collecting. It probably is
right after a nor'easter, lots of Scotch Bonnets, Phalium granulatum, I've
heard. But generally the exposed ocean beaches have their shells pounded to
dust on the outer banks.

I found one good spot for beach drift on the sound side of Hatteras. I'm
planning to go back there when I have enough time. That was good for micros,
and not everybody is enthusiastic.

If you go to Southport, there's a waterfront where you can find some
intertidal species under rocks and debris. It's also a place where you can
find antiques, not only in the shops but right there with the shells. The
citizens used to dump their trash right in the port at the start of the 20th
century and old buttons, ceramic doorknobs, ancient nautical equipment and
occasionally gold coins show up.

I'm sure there are other spots to shell in NC but maybe someone else should
step forward and spill the beans.

Good luck,

David Kirsh
Durham, NC

> From: [log in to unmask]
> Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 22:02:18 EST
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: NC Shelling
>
> Dear Conchlers,
>
> I just noted a request for info on shelling the Outer Banks.  We too are
> headed up that way in a couple of weeks, although we'll actually be staying
> in Atlantic Beach, south of Morehead City.
>
> I would certainly appreciate hearing from any of you who have any experience
> shelling in that area or the southern portion of the Outer Banks.
>
> Thanks so much!
> Carolyn Petrikin
> Clearwater, FL
> [log in to unmask]