Whelk Egg Case String

Busycon egg capsules

Markings and exact colorations may vary.

A long string of parchment discs, each once holding dozens of tiny whelks.

Typical size
6–30 in
How often it turns up
Common
Collecting
Usually legal to collect

Shake one gently. If tiny shells rattle out, return the string to the water. Dry, empty strings are fine to keep.

Handling
May be alive

How to tell it apart

  • Chain of coin-sized papery discs
  • Tan or cream, dry and rattly
  • Up to two feet long

Found one?

Photograph it and BeachNut ranks the likely matches with a confidence read, then logs it to your collection with the beach and date.

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