According to Myra, although St. Thomas has an abundance of beautiful beaches few of them have many collectible shells. “Brewers Bay Beach is my favorite for shelling,” she explains. It is located on the University of the Virgin Islands grounds, directly across the road from the Reichhold Center for the Arts.

“Here’s what you need first,” she explains. “A storm! I’m not talking Hurricane; a tropical depression will do. Get to the beach as soon as it stops raining. Every collector for miles around knows that a good storm washes shells ankle deep up onto the beach at Brewers Bay.” She adds this warning: “Try to put up with the terrible stink. Dead and dying shells give off an offensive odor.” Try to arrive at low tide, when the most shells are exposed and accessible, lying at the water line, often mixed with smelly seaweed and other flotsam. Veteran shell enthusiasts have discovered that the best and glossiest shells contain live or newly-dead animals. They require painstaking cleaning but the beauty of the shell is compensation for the work.

Myra advises shell collectors to bring a sturdy net bag. Hers is 14 inches long, with a draw string. Similar bags can be purchased at any dive shop. Inside this bag, or a pocket if you’re wearing shorts, you will want to put a small plastic bag for special shells or tiny ones that might fall through the net bag. “Most of the shells, even at Brewers, will be broken and quite small, maybe two to three inches at best,” Myra explains. Some collectors search especially for broken shells though Myra herself is very particular, looking mostly for shells suitable for craftwork.

Walking from end to end of Brewers Bay Beach, ankle deep in smelly shells, bending down, is hard on the back and exhausting, even when children or other visitors offer to help. “But shelling is addictive and you’ll soon become hooked,” Myra insists. Even if it seems very cloudy you must use lots of sun screen and wear a wide brimmed hat. It’s prudent to wear a tee-shirt even in the water.

Which brings us to the second, less tiring, way to collect shells. Now you will need a mask and snorkel, which can be bought or rented at any dive shop. Then as Myra instructs, “Floating like a beached whale, you will swim the edge, face down just under the surface.” At Brewers Beach there is a sandy shelf close to shore, about 18 inches high. The shells gather at the base of this “mini-bank.” They look bigger and better under water. Besides, this method of shell collecting is both cool and fun, and there’s no strenuous bending over. But don’t forget your net bag and remember your back will be exposed to the powerful tropical sun.

The third way to collect shells is for the truly serious collector, who wants to find the larger shells. Besides a mask, snorkel and a bigger net bag, you will now need fins. Your fins will help you dive the few feet to the bottom, still close to shore. The larger shells you’re after are in the sea grass and can be hard to spot. Be careful; taking live Conch shells, for example, is against the law at certain times of year.

Dockside Bookshop and some dive shops carry books with useful information about finding, cleaning, identifying and displaying shells. Two of Myra’s favorites are A Field Guide to Shells of the Atlantic by Percy A. Morris and Caribbean Seashells by Warmke and R. Tucker Abbot. Both books feature lots of shell pictures and will teach you not only the common names of shells but their scientific Latin names as well.

Once you’ve collected an assortment of clean St. Thomas shells what’s next? Myra suggests you label your shells. “Get a small notebook and black marking pen,” she instructs. “ID each shell and mark it with a number. Enter this number in your notebook and write the name, using both the common and Latin terms. You may want to add the date you found the shell and the location. Do not under any circumstances paint or dye your shells. My motto is, ‘Don’t mess with nature.’”

The really big beauties, such as Queen Conchs, Tritons or Helmets or large Whelks look great on a mantel or bookshelf. It’s wise to keep pink conchs away from direct sunlight since they easily fade, though as Myra says, “They’re still beautiful anyway.” Smaller treasures such as cockles, scallops, cones, cowries and olives can be displayed in an aquarium, a glass fronted cabinet or a on a glass table top. You may also want to explore shell crafting, which is not only fun but sometimes even profitable.

There are certain tools you will need to begin shell crafting, the most basic being a small drill and lots of 1/16th drill bits. You will need to use thin pliers, and then green covered wire to create flower stems; tweezers and fish line (monofilament) for stringing shells. Myra buys Elmer’s Glue All “by the gallon” and plenty of Super Glue as well. Both glues dry clear. “Shell flowers make wonderful gifts and shell beads sell very well when crafted into bracelets, earrings and necklaces,” Myra confides. She also makes frames around small mirrors and says, “Shell wreaths are great for Christmas presents.”

To learn more about shells you may find in the US Virgin Islands', take a look at our shell identifier - you may even want to print out our full-size version and take it with you to the beach!