Shell house

The exhibits at the Shell house have been collected by beachcombers for almost 60 years. There are shells from our coastline and some exotic shells on display that have been donated over the years

Along our coast there is a huge variety of molluscs. They are not so exotic as those found in warmer waters but they are all tough. The shells found here have adapted to warm and cold currents plus the wild pounding seas.

At the museum are examples of the giant turban or Alikreukel. This is found on the Southern coast and has been harvested for millennia. We know this from studying ancient middens along the coast. However, this mollusc has been over-harvested and is somewhat endangered. Middens, which are the trash heaps of ancient cultures give us a guide as to what people ate, and also give us a guide on the size these shells could reach if left long enough.

The museum has an example of an abalone shell 17 cm across. It takes 13 years to grow to just 11cm This species has been almost decimated due to over-harvesting and this was banned in 2008. There are however abalone farms working on replenishing the stock.