Shell counting day: 48,000 seashells counted on Dutch beaches

The shells most commonly found on Dutch beaches during Saturday's shell counting day were the oval and semi-truncated beach shell, followed by the American jackknife clam. In Belgium, the Baltic clam was most commonly found.

A total of 85,000 shells were counted in the two countries, of which 48,000 in the Netherlands, said a spokesperson for the Naturalis museum in Leiden, one of the organizers of the official shell counting day. Overall, 50 different species were counted, including specimens that are less common on Dutch beaches, such as the Norwegian heart shell and a sun shell.

In the Netherlands, about 1,200 people participated in the shell counting day. Volunteers on the beaches handed out counting forms and helped identify the types of shells.

These are provisional results of the census day. The final results will be announced next week, including counts of shells on French beaches. Last year there was already a test with counting shells on the coast of Zuid-Holland.