A field guide to Seashells
Beach finds from the North Sea, Baltic and Atlantic
Twelve shells you can find on the beaches of the North Sea, Baltic and Atlantic, from cockle, mussel and scallop to periwinkle, whelk and cowrie, with their size and where they turn up.
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- Common Cockle Cerastoderma edule Up to 5 cm · sandy shores, mudflats
- Blue Mussel Mytilus edulis 5–10 cm · North Sea and Baltic
- Great Scallop Pecten maximus Up to 15 cm · Atlantic, Channel
- European Flat Oyster Ostrea edulis Up to 11 cm · Atlantic, North Sea
- Soft-shell Clam Mya arenaria Up to 12 cm · North Sea and Baltic
- American Razor Clam Ensis leei Up to 17 cm · North Sea
- Baltic Tellin Limecola balthica 2–3 cm · Baltic, Wadden Sea
- Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea 2–4 cm · rocks, groynes, mudflats
- Common Whelk Buccinum undatum Up to 11 cm · North Sea, Atlantic
- Pelican's Foot Aporrhais pespelecani Up to 5 cm · Atlantic, North Sea
- Common Limpet Patella vulgata Up to 6 cm · rocky Atlantic shores
- Spotted Cowrie Trivia monacha About 1 cm · Atlantic, Channel
Not to scale – sizes give typical shell length.
Collect only empty shells; in national parks such as the Wadden Sea, check local rules first.