Late last month, longtime guest Robert Y. from Cincinnati, OH was lucky enough to find this huge Lightning Whelk on our Ocean’s Reach beach. His wife said that the treasure was found during high tide on a rough ocean day, and while they have been hunting shells for many years, this was their best one yet!
A lightning whelk can range in length from 2.5 to 16 inches (6 to 40 cm). The vivid “lightning” streaks on its shell gives the sea snail its name.
Lightning whelks are unusual in that they have a counterclockwise shell spiral, and as such, lightning whelks are usually referred to as “left handed.” Many Native American tribes believed that the “left handed” spiral made the shells sacred and thus harvested them for religious ceremonies. Others made practical tools out of them, and the shells were commonly used as cups and bowls.
- Fun Fact: While you’ll see many a lightning whelk around Sanibel, it’s actually recognized as the official Texas State Shell, sho’nuff!
