🐚 OBX Shelling Guide: Seashells and Strange Treasures You’ll Find on Outer Banks Beaches

The Outer Banks offers more than just soft sand and salty breezes — it’s a beachcomber’s paradise. Whether you’re a casual stroller or a sunrise scavenger, the shifting tides and stormy weather make every walk a chance to discover something rare, beautiful, or just plain weird.

Let’s break down the common shells you’re most likely to find — and some of the unexpected treasures that sometimes wash up along OBX shores.

🐚 Common Shells Found on the Outer Banks

Here are the shells most beachgoers encounter, especially during low tide, after storms, or on less-traveled beaches like Pea Island or South Nags Head.

1. Scotch Bonnet

• North Carolina’s state shell

• Smooth, white, and egg-shaped with brown or tan checkered markings

• Rare but prized by shell collectors!

The elusive Scotch Bonnet shell

2. Whelks

• Often mistaken for conchs

• Spiral-shaped with a wide opening, can be up to a foot long

• Look for Knobbed Whelk, Lightning Whelk, and Channeled Whelk

3. Coquina Shells

• Tiny, colorful, butterfly-like shells often found in clusters

• Usually pink, purple, yellow, or white

• Watch them dig back into the sand when waves roll back — they’re alive!

4. Olive Shells

• Smooth, elongated, and shiny — like polished stones

• Ranges in color from gray to purple to cream

• Often found intact in the early morning

5. Ark Shells, Moon Snails, and Clams

• Rounded, often ribbed or fan-like in shape

• Easy to find on most beaches year-round

• Fun for kids and crafting!

💎 Unusual Finds: OBX’s Secret Beach Treasures

Now for the fun stuff — oddball beach finds that tell fascinating stories from under the sea (and sometimes the sky!).

1. Mermaid’s Purse

• Not a seashell at all, but the egg case of a skate or small shark

• Black or brown with horn-like tips

• Looks like a tiny leather satchel — hence the nickname

2. Sea Glass

• Weathered shards of glass smoothed by wave action

• Comes in colors like seafoam green, amber, cobalt blue, and rare reds

• Often found in more rocky or remote areas (like near old piers or jetties)

3. Fulgurite

• Created when lightning strikes sand

• Tube-like, crusty glass formation that looks like coral

• Very fragile and rare — a striking (pun intended) find!

4. Fossilized Shark Teeth

• Commonly found near Hatteras and Ocracoke, especially after storms

• Black, shiny, triangular — sometimes over an inch long

• Not technically shells, but a prized find for OBX beachcombers

🕒 Best Times to Hunt for Shells and Treasures

• Low tide is ideal — more beach is exposed

• Early morning (before the crowds arrive) increases your chances

• After storms or high winds, when the surf churns up deeper sand layers

• During spring tides or new/full moons — wider tide ranges mean more “fresh” shoreline

🧺 What to Bring for Your Shell Hunt

• Mesh bag or bucket

• Water shoes (some shells hide in tide pools or rocky areas)

• A small brush to clean shells as you go

• A sense of curiosity — you never know what you’ll find

🌅 Final Thought

One of the best parts of life on the Outer Banks is that every walk on the beach is a chance to uncover a bit of the ocean’s story. Whether you’re a casual collector or an amateur marine biologist, the OBX offers endless opportunities to connect with the coast in a hands-on way.

Have a favorite shelling beach or story about your best beach find? Share it in the comments! And if you’re new to the OBX, let’s talk about which towns offer the best shorelines for shell lovers.