Collecting Other Shellfish

Moon Snail

Moon Snails are commonly eaten as Scungilli. They are sometimes very common offshore; more than that I can't say.



Conch

Large Whelks are sometimes eaten as Conch, but these are most often collected in bay waters.






clam

Clams live beneath the surface of the sand and would be difficult for a diver to collect.






Oysters are also found in shallow bay waters. Oyster diving in the Chesapeake Bay is a wintertime way to get in the water.


Basking Shark

Cetorhinus maximus

Size:
to 45 ft

Habitat:
open ocean

Notes:
harmless

The Basking Shark is second in size only to the Whale Shark, and much more likely to be spotted in our cool northern waters. Like the Whale Shark, the Basking Shark is a harmless plankton feeder. While the Whale Shark has a brown and cream checkerboard pattern on its back, the Basking Shark is more uniformly gray, making identification easy. It also differs in profile: while the Whale Shark has a broad square snout, the Basking Shark has a pointed conical snout, much like its cousin the Great White, for which it may be mistaken.