This week’s low midafternoon tides provided excellent beachcombing conditions around lunchtime. I found a variety of treasures, including pen shells, pear whelks, and hundreds of Atlantic cockles.

Thousands of coquina clams, tiny jewel-colored bivalves, are blanketing sections of the Texas coast this time of year.

This week, the Texas coast has seen an influx of lightning whelks washing up with the tides. Recognized as the official state shell of Texas, the lightning whelk is a fascinating marine predator that ...