PCB Shell Show: Gulf Coast Shell Club celebrates natural treasures
PANAMA CITY BEACH – The Gulf Coast Shell Club celebrates the area’s bounty this weekend during its 19th annual Shell Show.
“The show is exceptionally large this year - almost 400 feet of exhibits,” said event co-chair Jim Brunner, a Gulf Coast Shell Club member and former diver.
The show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Panama City Beach Senior Center, where exhibitors and dealers will showcase shells and shell decor from throughout the Southeast and Texas. Guests also can check out artistic and educational displays with information on species.
“We are, for the first time, awarding a new trophy named in honor of two Tulane Malacologists – Drs. Emily and Harold Vokes – who did a great deal of study of our local shells, especially fossils. This has caused quite a stir; we not only have several exhibits in competition for it but we have non-competitors coming in from North Carolina, south Florida, and Texas just to witness the initial presentation,” Brunner said.
Not surprising for locals, most shelling takes place in the Sunshine State. The state shell, the Florida Horse Conch, is the second largest gastropod in the world behind the Australian Trumpet and reaches a maximum of 24 inches. Northwest Florida has at least 637 shell species, you just have to know where to look.
Shelling is what brought Brunner and his wife, Linda, to Northwest Florida, and the couple now has more than 10,000 shells in their personal collection.
In 2011, the Brunners edited the Gulf Coast Shell Club’s 40-page color guidebook, “Seashells of the Florida Panhandle,” to help residents and visitors navigate the area. A second edition of the book was printed in 2014.
The club gathers shells each year during beach excursions. Two currents also meet at Cape San Blas, bringing in particularly unusual shells.
The best places to look for shells actually are not by the seashore, but instead are in sheltered bays and offshore in natural and artificial reefs, especially during the summer. The Empire Mica, 90 miles off Cape San Blas, is a top diving spot, as well as the S.S. Tarpon Underwater Archaeological Preserve 10 miles off Panama City Beach. Deep water finds include purple sand dollars and aggressive Red Tulips. The American Thorny oyster and Lion’s Paw are found offshore at 100 feet. Cawry can be found under ledges along with Shovelnose Lobster.
In May, my family trips to Mexico Beach and Crooked Island Beach netted glances at hundreds of live sand dollars of all sizes in shoulder-deep water – while crabs scurried along the sand. While live sand dollars are brown, the “the white ones are already dead.”
To keep them from being too fragile, Brunner recommends coating them several times in a solution of ½ water and ½ white Elmer’s glue.
This weekend, children will have chances to play games to win shells for their collections, while parents can pick up shell decor for the condo.
“We will have a make and take sand dollar painting, where they can color with markers,” Brunner said. “It’s supposed to rain like mad on Saturday – a good way to get kids out.”
But storms also can be the beginnings of a sheller’s delight.
“Crooked Island is best after a storm in the surf zone,” Brunner said. “Only about 10 or 15 of 600 species are there. Coquina come out between waves after a storm when the deeper water gets washed in.”
In Mexico Beach, my family spotted numerous coquina in shells of varying vibrant colors where the surf was breaking.
But experienced shellers look for a shell’s shape, rather than colors, following shell trails in sandy areas and searching for carnivorous species on hard vertical structures.
Just as the water would recede, my family watched the coquina bury themselves back into the sand.
“Kids love that,” admitted Brunner, who added I could even find a recipe for coquina soup.
Olives and tulips are common in this area, and Beach Drive usually has an abundance of conch. Collecting Lima pellucida in Florida is prohibited, though they are extremely rare in this area, and sea oats are protected by law.
It is illegal to catch scallops west of Mexico Beach. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (MyFWC.com), a decision has not been made yet whether recreational scallop season, June 25 to Sept. 24, will be canceled in Gulf County. The St. Joseph Bay scallop population was severely impacted by the 2015 red tide event.
The Gulf Coast Shell Club strives to educate the public about shells and help maintain the natural resources.
“On Saturday morning at the venue, Dr. Linda Fitzhugh from Gulf Coast State College will be accepting our yearly donation to her ongoing seagrass study program,” Brunner said. “We are happy that we were able to substantially increase the size of the grant this year. The longer grass allows scallops to establish themselves. ... The scallops are in the bay; we see them snorkeling.”
Members clean, oil, sort and bag shells for residents and visitors to buy at the annual show. Shiny shell surfaces are brushed with a mixture of olive oil and alcohol, while dulled surfaces receive a treatment of equal parts Clorox and water.
“We had a small craft session at Linda’s house this year,” said past club president Gwen Lawrence, who usually hosts the annual “workday.”
Some members even practiced during an “in house show” during the club’s regular April meeting at the Huntington club house.
“We have a lot of new members and they need to practice showing,” said Lawrence, who added this year’s crafts even include a faux snail parade.
Popular show purchases have included bags of shells, bigger shells such as Horse Conchs and Lightning Whelks, and some shiny shells, like Cawrys. This year also includes the return of shell ornaments as well as etched glassware and lamps.
“We have a couple of new vendors who sell a wide variety of shell related stuff – ornamentation and specialty dealers with good quality shells for people to buy,” Brunner said.
7 SHELLING SPOTS
West Beach Drive: You can snorkel, but during the winter and low tides is when you come across the best finds, such as True Tulips, the Giant Eastern Murex, the Apple Murex, Lace Murex and Shark Eye.
East Beach Drive: Find smaller shells here, such as rock shells.
Redfish Point: This is a good area to wade and snorkel, with an abundance of species.
Bay Side of Shell Island: The Florida Horse Conch can be found in bays to 90 feet offshore.
The Jetties: Find Terebras, Spiny Oysters, Deer Cowry, and, occasionally, Hairy Tritons.
St. Andrew Bay: Occasionally find Hairy Tritons and Helmets.
Crooked Island Beach: Go out shoulder deep to find live sand dollars of all sizes. This area on Tyndall Air Force Base is especially good for shells after a storm.
What: 19th annual show presented by the Gulf Coast Shell Club features local shells and handmade shell crafts; exhibitors and dealers bringing shells and shell decor from throughout the Southeast and Texas; artistic and educational displays; children’s games and activities for shell prizes
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 18, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 19
Where: Panama City Beach Senior Center, 423 Lyndell Lane, Panama City Beach
Admission: $2 for adults; $1 for children under 12; public invited
Details: GulfCoastShellClub.weebly.com
PCB SHELL SHOW
