Home › Shell Guide › Jingle Shell
Jingle Shell
Anomia simplex · Size: About 1 to 2 inches
Thin, translucent and slightly wavy, in silver, gold, orange or pearly white. Beachcombers string them together because they chime in the breeze.
How to identify it
Paper-thin and glossy, with a shape that follows the surface it grew on. The lower valve has a small hole where the animal attached.
Where to look near Sarasota
One of the lightest and most plentiful shells on Gulf beaches, often found in drifts along the shell line.
More shells to look for
Finding jingle shells with a guide
Jingle shells are the shiniest thing on the bottom under the light pod. They are plentiful on our beaches and a favorite for kids to collect during the tour.
Fun Florida Tours runs a guided night shelling and snorkeling tour in shallow Gulf water at Siesta Key, Sarasota and Anna Maria Island. You wade in from shore with a guide, the group shares one bright LED light pod that lights up the bottom, and the water stays under 4 feet deep, so you do not need to be a strong swimmer. After 60 minutes in the water we spend 15 minutes on the sand for show-and-tell, where guides name everything the group found. Empty shells are yours to keep; anything alive goes back.