Hi,
Want to trade?
Fred in MN
 
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> From: Paul and Rosie <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: any adventures to share
> Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 3:18 PM
>
> Aloha,
> I am new to the group and must admit I am not an avid
collector but I do
> enjoy
> looking up the shells you discuss on the list.  I thought
I would share
> how
> I got all two of the shells in my collection.
>
> I worked as a pilot on a tourist submarine in the
Caribbean from 1990-96.
>  We would take two
> passengers down to a shipwreck at 800 feet.  We used two
different subs
> that had a
> maximum depth of 1000 and 1200 feet.  Whenever we did
certain maintenance
> on the subs we would need to do a test dive to the
maximum depth for an
> hour.
> Another pilot and myself started to collect some of the
shells down there
> using a pretty
> crude scoop we temporarily put on the front of the sub.
It was on one of
> these
> test dives that I collected quoys slit shell at 950 feet.
 It was the only
> one we had
> ever seen.  At our regular dive site we would
occasionally come upon
> Adonsons
> slit shells and follow their progress for weeks as they
made their way
> along the vertical face
> of the Cayman Wall.  It always seemed odd to us that
these Adonsons slit
> shells would
> always be making their way North to South along the wall.
 It was on
> Another one of our
> test dives that I collected an Adonsons slit shell at
450'.  Our senior
> pilot had over 4000
> dives to the wreck and once collected a Top shell off of
the wreck.  He
> sent it somewhere
> for classification and it turned out to be a new species
of Top shell.  He
> decided to name
> his new species "Shipwreck".  At the height of our
shelling frenzy we came
> up with all sorts
> of reasons why we needed to do a "test dive".
>
> I would like to ask for some assistance from the group.
The book I have
> is not very
> extensive when it comes to the slit shells.  I do not
know the scientific
> name and am
> not even sure about the common name for either of the
shells that I have
> and would be
> interested in knowing them.  I would also like to have an
idea of the
> value of these shells.
> They are both in excellent condition.
>
> Thank you
>
> Paul Mayer
> [log in to unmask]