Seashells, which are usually the dead
empty shells of marine mollusks, often wash up on the shores but
there are certain beaches that routinely have an unusually large
accumulation of seashells washed up on them. Most beaches in the
world are primarily composed of rock particles such as sand, grit,
gravel, pebbles, etc, but in rare cases the beach is composed
entirely of seashells, both broken and whole valves.
Here are 4 such unusual shell beaches
in the world.
Shell Beach, Western Australia
Shell Beach is located 45 kilometers
south-east of Denham in the Shark Bay region of Western Australia.
Stretching for over 120 kilometers, this beautiful snow-white beach
is made up of millions of tiny shells and they go up to 10 meters
deep!
The seawater in the L`Haridon Bight has
a high salinity due to both the geomorphology and local climate of
the area. This high salinity has allowed the cockle to proliferate
unchecked, since its natural predators have not adapted well to this
environment. When the cockle die of natural deaths then are washed
ashore, and this has been going on for thousands of years completely
covering the entire beach.
The shells also forms the sea floor,
stretching for hundreds of yards from the shoreline. On the upper
parts of the beach, away from the water line, many of the shells have
become cemented together, in some areas leading to the formation of
large, solid conglomerations.
The shells are mined under special
license nowadays for production of calcium for poultry feed and
exotic mulch for gardens and planters. In the early years of Denham,
blocks of the solidified shell deposits were mined and used as
materials in building constructions.
Sanibel Island, Florida, USA
Sanibel Island attract visitors from
all around the world, partly because of the large quantities of
seashells that frequently wash up on the beaches. One of the reasons
for these accumulations of shells is the fact that Sanibel is a
barrier island which has an east-west orientation when most islands
are north-south. The east-west torque of Sanibel’s south end acts
like a shovel scooping up all the seashells that the Gulf imports
from The Caribbean and other southern seas.
Seashells have created an economy for
Sanibel's residents since the time of the Calusa Indians and are
highly integrated into the culture and the economy of Sanibel. As
many as 20-30,000 visitors come to Sanibel and its neighbor island
Captiva each week at peak season, drawn by the desire to walk
Sanibel's beaches and its shells. They parade along the sands doubled
over in a stance that’s been dubbed the “Sanibel Stoop”. Shells
can be purchased at local shell shops, or can be seen on display in
the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, in some of the glass display tables
at the Sanibel Cafe, or at the Sanibel Shell Fair in early March.
Shell Beach, Saint Barthélemy
St Barts Shell Beach, also called
Grande Galet, is easily the most popular and frequented beach of the
island. Many visitors and cruise passengers head over to inspect the
bounty of shells washed up over the coastline. This beach is bevy of
unique shells and conchs that are constantly changing and evolving
the shoreline.
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
Jeffreys Bay is a town located in the
Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Although not as spectacular as
Sanibel or the Australian Shell Beach, Jeffreys Bay is famous,
nonetheless, for abundant seashells, great seafood and calamari. The
town’s Shell Museum houses more than 600 shells from species all of
the world makes it one of the largest shell collections in South
Africa and attracts shell fanatics from all over the globe.
In September, the town holds the Shell
Festival. This festival has been held here for over 20 years, and it
has become a tradition for many local travellers and families from
all over the country to congregate in this small town to celebrate
the shell in all its shapes, sizes and uses.
Jeffreys Bay is also a popular tourist
destination because of its surfing opportunities. It is one of the
five most famous surfing destinations in the world and hosts the
annual Billabong Pro ASP World Tour surfing event at Supertubes
during July.
Know any other shell beaches? Tell us
in the comments.
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