Collecting in Bali

by John, Jenny, Alex and Charlotte Whicher
Photography by John Whicher

In the summer of 2002 we spent our holidays in Bali indulging our usual interests in scuba diving, shell collecting, exploring the countryside and trying the local culinary delights. We were at the extreme east of the island, four hours by road from the fleshpots of Kuta and Sanur. The area is very underdeveloped, just a few small family run "hotels" made up of little self-contained cottages. Not self-catering, for food in the little local restaurants was excellent and dinner for four cost less than $20. Wonderful countryside and beaches. The skyline dominated by Gunung Agung, a 9,000ft volcano. Major eruptions in 1962, '64 and '74. The 1964 one covered the area in lava flows down to the sea, killing 3,000 and making 100,000 homeless. The other big volcano has a magnificent caldera filled with a crescent-shaped lake about 20km across with an active central cone.

---

The diving and snorkelling were very good on pristine reefs and lots of shells and a very fine wreck from WW2. Most of our shell collecting was done wading or snorkelling on the reefs within a couple of miles of our hotel.

We did not collect a large number of shells though we got a good selection. Notices on the beach asked us to preserve the reef, so in deference to that we were sensitive about collecting live shells. There was no ban on collecting, either from the sea or the beach, but we tried to be eco-friendly and collect only one or two of each species. The major problem, as always, is cleaning and the ants really couldn't be relied upon to always complete the job! One day snorkelling just opposite our beach we found a flat area of rocky bottom between patch reefs covered with about 20 very large Lambis chiragra Linné, 1758; we collected a couple thinking that we could get more at the end of the trip but never saw them again. Another day the same rocky patch was covered with Conus distans Hwass, 1792 and Conus marmoreus Linné, 1758; never saw them again either. Where were they hiding? We found several fine large Vasum ceramicum Linné, 1758 in about one metre of water just opposite our hotel.

---

Conus marmoreus Linné, 1758

Returning to the airport we dropped in on the (now) infamous Kuta Beach. There were a selection of locals selling shells, particularly Cassis cornuta Linné, 1758 and Chicoreus ramosus Linné, 1758, very fine large specimens; after much negotiation we got them for £1 or so. You have to select carefully as they have a habit of grinding the outer lip.

This article by John, Jenny, Alex and Charlotte Whicher was first published in our magazine Pallidula in April 2003.

Species list
Arca ventricosa Lamark, 1819
Bursa tuberosissima Reeve, 1844
Cantharus undosus Linne, 1758
Cardita variegata Brugiere, 1792
Casmaria ponderosa Gmelin, 1791
Cassis cornuta Linne, 1758
Chicoreus brunneus Link, 1807
Chicoreus ramosus Linne, 1758
Collisella striata Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
Colubraria sowerbii Reeve, 1844
Conus coronatus Roding, 1798
Conus distans Hwass, 1792
Conus emaciatus Reeve, 1849
Conus imperialis Linne, 1758
Conus lividus Hwass, 1792
Conus marmoreus Linne, 1758
Conus miles Linne, 1758
Conus monachus Linne, 1758
Conus musicus Hwass, 1792
Conus striatus Linne, 1758
Coralliophila erosa Roding, 1798
Coralliophila neritoidea Lamark, 1816
Cymbiola aulica Sowerby, 1825
Dentalium elephantinum Linne, 1758
Drupa morum Roding, 1798
Drupa ricinus Linne, 1758
Drupa rubusidaeus Roding, 1798
Glycymeris amboinensis Gmelin, 1791
Haliotis glabra Gmelin, 1791
Haliotis planata Sowerby, 1833
Lambis chiragra Linne, 1758
Lambis scorpius Linne, 1758
Latirolagena smaragdula Linne, 1758
Latirus gibbulus Gmelin, 1791
Latirus lanceolatus Reeve, 1847
Latirus polygonus Gmelin, 1791
Latirus turritus Gmelin, 1791
Modulus tectum Gmelin, 1791
Monodonta canalifera Lamark, 1816
Morula biconica Blainville, 1832
Morula granulata Duclos, 1832
Nassarius velatus Gou1d, 1850
Nerita albicilla Linne, 1758
Nerita costata Gmelin, 1791
Nerita exuvia Linne, 1758
Nerita plicata Linne, 1758
Nerita undata Linne, 1758
Oliva annulata Gmelin, 1791
Oliva reticulata Roding, 1798
Patelloida saccharinoides Habe & Kosuge, 1966
Periglypta reticulata Linne, 1758
Pterynotus elongatus Lightfoot, 1786
Rhinoclavis sinensis Gmelin, 1791
Stomatia phymotis Heibling, 1779
Strombus labiatus Roding, 1798
Strombus luhuanus Linne, 1758
Strombus microurceus Kira, 1959
Strombus mutabilis Swainson, 1821
Terebra crenulata Linne, 1758
Terebra dimidiata Linne, 1758
Terebra subulata Linne, 1767
Thais echinata Blainville, 1832
Thais echinulata Lamark, 1822
Thais hippocastanum Linne, 1758
Trachycardium angulatum Lamark, 1822
Trapezium sp Tridacna squamosa Lamark, 1819
Trochus stellatus Gmelin, 1791
Turbo bruneus Roding, 1798
Turbo chrysostomus Linne, 1758
Turris cryptorrhaphe Sowerby, 1825
Turris nadaensis Azuma, 1973
Tutufa rubeta Linne, 1758
Vasum ceramicum Linne, 1758
Vasum turbinellum Linne, 1758
Zierliana woldemari Kiener, 1838