Chania, Greece
Fly to:
Crete/Chania
“
This beautiful port town is rich in cone
shells, especially around the small harbour.
Stavros Beach, to the northeast, is a great
spot for beachcombing and snorkelling.”
Phaselis, Turkey
Fly to:
Antalya
“
The historic town and harbour of Phaselis
is only accessible by boat and dirt road
–
but it’s worth it. It’s a unique setting
for shell collecting, because you can
do it among the columns and walls of a
forgotten city dating back to 700BC. The
antique harbour area has sunk into the sea,
creating a flat surface only a metre below
the water line that’s rich in shells. The
Chiton olivaceus snail here is quite dark,
with a contrasting white pattern.”
5.
Conus
gloriamaris
Where to find it:
Ok, you have to go to the
Pacific or Indian Oceans
for this one
Why it’s so special:
The Glory Of The Seas was
for years considered the
rarest shell (throughout
the 19th and 20th
centuries there were
fewer than 100 available),
and therefore the most
valuable. In 1792 a
collector bought one and
smashed it to keep the
value of his own shell high.
But then divers found its
habitat on the sea floor off
the Philippines in 1970, and
the value plummeted. It’s
still beautiful, though
What’s it worth?
NOK128
for a small one, rising to
thousands for a larger
specimen.
Stavros Beach,
Chania, Greece
5.
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