Shells

[Strick]

Anyone have any good methods for cleaning, bleaching Shells and removal of the critters inside them. For instance, with some Sand Dollars I have layed them in the sun then soaked them in a bleach/water solution. But that doesn't get them perfectly white... Just seeing what everyone else does.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Strick,

I'd suggest just leaving shells, sand dollars & other forms of marine life where they are, dead or alive, and especially the latter.

Happy New Year.

DocVikingo

 

[SpyderTek]

Strick, I don't have any information on technique either so if you get some woudl you please forward it here or to me directly? Thanks.

SpyderTek

 

[Uncle Pug]

I found a fairly new drysuit....
Can anyone tell me how to remove the critter inside....
Without it stinking up the place to much....
TIA...

 

[Angry Turtle]

I would echo on Doc Vikingo's comment.

Definitely leave them alone.

People who collect shells at Sanibel and Captiva Islands (shell collecting primespot on Florida's gulfcoast) for example, are always reminded to leave live animals alone, and collect only empty shells.

If you collect live animals for their shells soon enough you'll end up without any shells at all.

:nono:

 

[DivingGal]

Originally posted by DocVikingo
Hi Strick,

I'd suggest just leaving shells, sand dollars & other forms of marine life where they are, dead or alive, and especially the latter.

Happy New Year.

DocVikingo

couldn't have said it better... if we keep taking marine life out of water, what will we have left?

 

[Zagnut]

Just water.

 

[SpyderTek]

Are these all the same people that were against the shark feeding ban?

just my opinion but since the overall population of divers in the world vs the over all population of Fishing boats, whaling boats, swimmers, shrimp boats, lobster boats, clammers (and other shelfishers) etc...

I don't know, you want to take a couple hundred tons of live shells over the lifetime of your diving that is fine by me. You still wont add up to the amount of "damage" done by one comercial fisherman in one day.

BTW, if anyone actually has an anwser to the question of the thread I would be interested to know also.

Opinionatedly,

SpyderTek

 

[Manogr]

please please please let the alive critters and their shells where they are...

I think that we may are justified to take one shell that we really like during a trip just to remember this trip etc etc but NOT the alive ones...

Don't forget that we are going diving to watch those things that you collect

Of course I have the same opinion for underwater killers... eh...hunters.... It is so stupid to kill the fishes that we are going to see !!!

Manogr

 

[Strick]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and I respect that, mine however...is different so I ask the same. If someone doesn't like the quesiton, don't answer it. I didn't want to start a discussion on the why's or why nots. The question was though, for shells that have been removed, what is the best way to clean them.