alainaflute
Greg
Jody
E.G.D.Colors of Sunset: Gould’s Wedge Seashells
Posted by Jody on August 19, 2013
A while back, Alaina and I visited family in Gardena, California. Of course, when we had some free time, we made a beeline for the beach! Redondo Beach is situated on the Santa Monica Bay, about 7 miles south of LAX. It was practically a straight shot from our hotel, so off we went to enjoy the sun, sand, and surf of the beautiful Southern California coast.
The City of Redondo Beach has a marvelous beachfront. Redondo County Beach has a friendly neighborhood feel to it that is quite refreshing. Joggers, friends walking and chatting, and parents pushing smiling babies in strollers were all out enjoying The Esplanade, which overlooks the beautiful, wide sandy beach and the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean beyond. Down below, people had the same happy demeanor on The Strand, the paved path along the sand. Everyone seemed quite cheerful. Maybe that’s because the beach was surprisingly uncrowded and parking was very easy to find. Perhaps it was the Southern California sunshine or gorgeous views of the Palos Verdes Peninsula to the south. Or maybe, like us, it was simply because they were at the beach!
Redondo Beach ~ View From the Esplanade
Beachcombing was our plan, and we were very pleased with our morning of shelling. This is what we found: Gould’s Wedge Shells (According to The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Shells: Donax gouldii, aka: Bean Clams)! But if I were to name these seashells I would call them “Sunset Shells”. Gould’s Wedge Shells are the all the colors of a beautiful Southern California sunset: gorgeous pinks, and blues, and purples, and oranges, and yellows. No doubt there were also California Donax, or Wedge Clams, in our mix. The California Donax seashells lack the colored rays and bands and are a little more elongated than the Gould’s Wedge Shell. And, just like sunsets, no two are the same.
Beach Treasures from the Sands of Redondo Beach, Southern California
Gould’s Wedges are little (5/8 – 7/8″) bivalves that are found in sand on surf-washed beaches from Monterey, California to Mexico’s southern Baja California peninsula. They live in the intertidal zone, where the sand stays wet, submerged just about an inch or so below the surface. Look for these small, colorful beauties as the waves pull back into the sea and the clams scramble to dig deeper into the sand.
Now that’s “One Shell of a Find!”
~~~
Wingclipped said
Wow they are lovely! Did you polish them before taking that picture?
Jody said
Nope, that’s how they come! They are pretty special, aren’t they?
raastha said
I like each and every write up…….Thank you from a beach lover!!!
Jody said
Awwww, you are too kind! Please feel free to contribute a guest post. We really enjoy sharing with other beach lovers!
Guest posts: https://beachtreasuresandtreasurebeaches.com/submissions/
raastha said
does that mean I can share my experience too
Jody said
Absolutely! Yes! I’d be thrilled!!!
raastha said
thanks
shazzarob said
What gorgeous pebbles. 🙂
Jody said
The deep, rich colors of these seashells always amaze me! It’s hard to stop picking them up – no matter how many I’ve already collected!
Ruth said
Thanks for the post, we are heading to LA next Easter so will take a trip to Rodondo Beach and look for those lovely shells
Jody said
Wonderful! That should be a very lovely trip!
Jeanne In Utila said
I never get tired of seeing the diversity of shells and how they vary from beach to beach. Thanks for the stroll on Rodondo!
Jody said
You’re welcome! You are so right. Variety is very much the spice of life (and the beach!) I’m so glad you came along! 🙂
Marian Fritzemeier said
I’m writing a blog called, Sea Shell Collector Learns Ecology Lesson, that I will connect to parenting. I found your site while I was looking for the types of shells my visitor may have found on So. California beaches. Thanks for the info.
E.G.D. said
Happy to be of service! Good luck with your blog.