Coquina or Butterfly shells!

These are Coquina clams!

Last weekend we went shelling on Pensacola Beach in Florida.  

We found an abundance of Coquina clams.

We brought them home to boil in order for them to open. (This is only half or them.)

After boiling!  If you look carefully you can see little animals inside the shells.  They are edible - some people make a chowder out of them!

This shell is opened and appears like a butterfly!  The shells range in colors like oranges and browns to purples and blues!



Watch this amazing video of live Coquina digging in the sand!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfIF3crUG7Q