Sometimes people return unwanted shells they have to a beach rather than toss them in a trash can. I have done so myself but am very careful to return shells to their appropriate beach/region of origin. In recent years giving them away at shows is a much better way to dispose of duplicates.
Had a man who brought to me to ID a Conus figulinus. He found it partially buried in a beach in SE North Carolina, USA. The lip was even trimmed!
Our club had a "stump the experts" several years ago and had several Indo-Pacific shells show up that had been found on NC beaches.
Walter Sage once had a person bring a shell to AMNH for him to ID. She found it on a beach along Long Island. It was a Eustrombus gigas. She insisted she found it there to which he replied he believed her but that in life the animal had lived elsewhere.
Recall that some years ago there was scavenger hunt for a COA convention in Florida that involved shells planted on a local beach which got snared by an unsuspecting tourist who thought she was simply finding pretty shells - many of which were not from Florida. Conventioneers educated her about what she was finding and let her keep her prizes.
Heard of a man from a good friend who planted a shell he bought locally on beach for his wife to find. He felt sorry for her failed effort to find such while on a family vacation. Unfortunately the shell was a Cassis cornuta and the beach was here in North Carolina. He knew it was shell not from here. She found the prize and was thrilled. He kept his secret for many years. He had to let the cat out of the bag when she heard of our shell show and wanted to bring her shell for us to ID which she had never been able to identify herself with any shell guides. She reasoned we would surely know what it was despite his first effort to tell her we likely would not give her the time of day.
Can't remember where I heard that people enrich beaches for the pleasure of their guests. Urban legend?
John Timmerman
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
-------------- Original message from Michael Blied <[log in to unmask]>: --------------
I've heard people speculate about the placing of shells by resorts to make the guests happy, but never saw any actual evidence until my trip to Sanibel in January, where out of the Gulf I dug a slightly worn Babylonia. There almost has to be another explaination because A: There is no need to plant shells on Sanibel, and B: I would think the resort owners there would be a little more knowledgable about what they are planting.----- Original Message -----From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">John TimmermanTo: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 3:02 PMSubject: Re: [CONCH-L] Daytona Beach CommercialThat's even better than flipped negatives, which are all too common. Thought that was what it was leading up to.
Or, was he picking up a shell that had been placed there by an ocean front hotel owner to make their guests happy.
I get it. It was a prop. Too bad they didn't use something vaguely believable, like a Junonia!
John Timmerman
Wilmington, North Carolina
-------------- Original message from Lyle Therriault <[log in to unmask]>: --------------
Hello Listers,Have any of you seen this newest commercial for Daytona Beach ( FL. ) tourism?You have the perfect woman and perfect man joyfully strutting down the beach, waves in the background, and he reaches down to pick an African land snail shell ( Achatina species) off the beach, I am certain of it! ( and picking it with a look on his face like WOW, look at what I found, implying you can do the same if you go there, in my opinion)Anyhoot, I had a good chuckle at that. The commerical would have been so much better had he not reached down for nothing, since they groom the beaches there anyways!Lyle TherriaultWhy Wait? Move to EarthLink.