Thomas, Kelly Bates find two rare conch shells in Florida search

While shelling in Sanibel Island, FL, recently, Belleville City Councilwoman Kelly Bates and her husband Thomas finally found “the one!” Well, it actually was “the two!”
While shelling near Lighthouse Beach, Thomas found a Junonia and just two days later found another with Kelly by his side. The two have been shelling for more than 10 years and this was the first time they had found the holy grail of shells. Up until then, Kelly had treasured the five broken pieces of Junonia she had.
The Islanders they shared their excitement with were floored that they found two within four days. Some of them commented that they have been shelling for over 30 years and have still not found one!
“Finding Junonias is like searching for Morel mushrooms. Once you find them, you hold onto the secret spot of your find,” Kelly said.
She explained that Junonia snails live on the ocean floor and their shells don’t often wash up on the beach. Once a Junonia dies, its shell is more likely to stay buried than to travel the 60 to 150 feet to the sand. Hurricane Ian likely helped contribute to its find, Kelly said.
Kelly is considered a Conchologist as she is well-versed in identifying shells. The Bates collection has more than 10,000 shells the couple has personally collected over the years from Sanibel.