The orange scallop shell in the center of this picture is the elusive Sunrise shell of Hawaii. They are sought by everybody and the real locals adorn themselves with beautiful sunrise chokers or sunrise earrings. They are ludicrously expensive to buy and impossible to find. (look at the prices at this one site [drop the menus down to see the prices]). We have arrived at promising beaches an hour after sunrise to find them covered in footprints from people that have already combed the debris line for these shells.

Anyway, Etel has been combing the beaches for weeks in the hope that she will find one. Today we were collecting shells at our favorite site (see the new cone species I collected above) when I told her it was time to leave to pick the kids up from school. Right after I said that I heard her shriek out loud. I knew immediately what the shriek should mean but I did not believe it was possible. I sprinted to her and she told me that a wave pulled some sand back in front of her to reveal this wondrous shell. It is beautiful, huge and almost perfect.

The smaller shells around the Sunrise shell (Langford's Pectin Decatopectan noduliferum) are Judd's pectens (Haumea juddi), delicate and thin compared to the robust sunrise shell.