How to shellebrate National Seashell Day

Online Exclusive

national seashell day

National Seashell Day is on June 21st, the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Seashell Day to be observed annually in 2017. No matter where you live, or whether it's the first day of summer or winter, here are some fun ways to celebrate seashells.

handful of seashells

Head to the beach and grab some shells

Kick off summer with a trip to your beach to collect some empty shells. No shells on your beach? Collect sea glass, rocks, driftwood, or your favorite beach finds or do a quick beach clean up. Read about the shells you might find in the Outer Banks, and seashells found in Florida, and information and terms to help identify your seashells. Have you found any of the top ten Florida seashells? You might still find a few seashell egg casings on the beach this time of year, too!

Looking for some great places to find shells? See which beaches our readers said were their favorite shelling beaches.

Check out some of the National Parks and National Recreation Areas with beaches, including some parks where you can collect seashells.

Watch this video where Sarah Rosenbaum takes us to Southwest Florida to shell in one of the world’s largest Mangrove Forests.

Make art with your shells

Take some of your shells and grab your art supplies to make some coastal art. Here are a few ideas:

bowl of seashells

Display your shells

Gather some of your shells or other beach treasures and group them in a pretty bowl or on a shelf where you can admire them. See how sheller Amanda Collett displays her extensive collection of seashells.

Take a quick visit to Naomi Black’s tiny seashell museum in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, which houses her privately owned seashell collection.

lion paw shell on beach

Share photos of your favorite shells

Get inspired by the winners in the 2022 Beachcombing Seashell Photo Contest and take your own photos of you favorite shells.

See some of Amanda Collett’s collection of seashells in this short video.

no live shells

No live shelling

Seashells are homes to animals. Don’t take any shells that have a creature living in them—return them gently to the water. And don’t take too many shells, as they help create the sand we sink our toes into on the beach. Learn more about Sustainable Shelling and Ethical Shelling.

View Tina's collection of various tropical shells that can be found in Japan. 

hawaiian and florida shells

Tag your posts with #NationalSeashellDay so others can admire your photos!

How do you shellebrate National Seashell Day? Let us know in the comments!


Learn more about seashells

nature and history of seashells and collecting

Learn more about identifying shells, the history of seashell collecting, great shelling beaches, and the lives of the animals who make the shells we find on the beach. Articles ›

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published