Seashells I’ve found in NC!

Written By Mia Doty
a shoreline covered in countless colorful shells in the foreground, with the teal blue tide and a beautiful orangey pink sunset in the background

One of my favorite things about being at the beach has always been the seashells! I definitely inherited my mom’s love of beach-combing (she’s a pisces)! In Wilmington, NC, and the nearby areas I’ve been so lucky with all the amazing shells and other treasures I’ve found.

an array of scallop, conch, clam, and other seashells on a pink towel in the sunlight

The first time I ever went out looking for shells when I moved here was by far the biggest success I’ve had. I was North up Wrightsville Beach at high tide and the surf was super choppy. Not necessarily the conditions I would have chosen if I had done my research or really cared more, but I’m glad I went!! I found so so so many gorgeous, complete conch shells. I literally texted my sister, who lives here, if it was legal to just pick them up to keep! Sadly I have never had this luck again, but it made for a very special Christmas. My mom nearly cried when I gave the cleaned up shells! This time was also early in the dredging project we had going on awhile ago, which I think might have had something to do with these special shells being readily available.

an array of shells on a paper towel covered plate on a glass table. the perimeter of the plate is lined with sand dollar fragments, and inside are jingle, spiral, clam, and scallop shells, plus ballet slippers and lots others.

Whether I go to Wrightsville, Kure, or Carolina beaches, I typically find tons of sand dollar pieces, scallop shells, spiral shells, and super fun coral pieces.

hand holding a purple, live, sand dollar above the ocean tide

To my surprise I’ve also found quite a few sand dollars here! The one in the photo above was still alive so I put it back in the ocean.

a hand holding a small gray white sand dollar above a floor of seashells

I’ve only ever found sand dollars here at Wrightsville beach. The one above I found higher up the beach in a huge pile of shells.

close up shot of a ton of seeashell fragments

I’m pretty good at finding tiny spiral cone shells too. If I sit in one spot, using higher on the shore, my eyes can zero in on the tiniest of shells. Also I like collecting the bigger broken spiral shells for wire wrapping, but these tend to be closer to the tide.

a tray of seashells, coral, seaglass, and rocks

I have a huge collection of scallop shells too. Even though I’ve found these at all the nearby beaches, I found most of them in Kure Beach / Fort Fisher. I’ve also found quite a bit of sea glass. Not at any beach in particular, but usually higher on the shore.

a large tray of a wide variety of seashells, sea glass, rocks, and coral

My mom’s favorite shells are the ballet slipper ones which I tend to find at Wrightsville. I find a ton of the shiny ones at any of the beaches here.

the beach on a bright day, a shot of the sand covered in countless shells and shell fragments

Most people like to go at low tide (which is great too), but I find a lot of success higher up on the beach regardless of the tide.
I hope this gave you some info into beach combing / shells in the Wilmington NC area! Thanks for reading! :)

Mia Doty
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