There are few more enjoyable ways to spend a relaxing afternoon than at the seashore collecting ornate seashells. But there is no need to fly away to some exotic tropical locale to begin the fun. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you will find local beaches as rich in fascinating treasures as any place on earth--or at least you will once you have this handy eight-fold guide to show you where to look and how to identify what you find. Those whose interest in shellfish is mainly gastronomic will also find this waterproof guide an essential tool.

Rick Harbo, B.Sc., is one of the Pacific Northwest's leading marine writers and photographers. Author of the bestselling Tidepool and Reef, The Edible Seashore, Guide to the Western Seashore, Shells and Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest, and Whelks to Whales, Harbo is a diver, teacher of marine life courses and a senior marine biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Nanaimo, BC, where he lives with his wife and children.