Canaveral National Seashore

Shells you'll find at Canaveral National Seashore

The shells the wrack line reliably delivers here, plus the rarer finds patient collectors chase after storms.

• Common find

  Whelk

• Common find

  Lettered Olive

  Americoliva sayana

• Common find

  Moon Snail

• Common find

  Ark Shell

• Common find

  Coquina

  Donax variabilis

Notable finds

• Rare / notable

  Knobbed Whelk

  Busycon carica

• Rare / notable

  Scotch Bonnet

  Semicassis granulata

Reading the beach

There are no shops or crowds — walk any distance north of the Playalinda ramps at low tide and the wrack line renews itself with every pull.

Habitat features · Wilderness Beach · Barrier Island · Wrack Line · Storm Deposits

Shelling tips

• Bring water and sun protection; the seashore has no services once you leave the parking areas.
• The further you walk from a ramp, the better the shells — a mile in typically leaves the day-trippers behind.
• Time your visit for the morning after a fall or winter storm — the wilderness beaches take the biggest post-storm delivery on Florida's east coast.