Fossil Shell History
The D. L. Brantley, Jr. Shell Mine in Arcadia, Florida

The sun was scarcely breaking the horizon as I passed warning signs fading into view like ghosts appearing in the morning mist. I had reached the entrance to the shell pit. Dust, pulverized by thousands of dump trucks marching like giant ants to and from the pit, gave the dirt road an eerie smoothness. Following the barely visible ruts brought us to the edge of the mining area. I was thinking how similar this must be to landing on some distant barren planet except for the loud drone of heavy equipment scooping out chunks of shell-bearing earth to fill the empty dump trucks.

Brantley Shell Pit - Last Shell Area - 2005

My first thought was about how many rare, yet to be discovered and named or just beautiful specimens will be hauled away - only to be crushed or used as land fill - forever lost to science or the fond gaze of a collector.

On the other hand, I was glad for a chance to rescue some specimens for my collection. D.L. Brantley, Jr., the owner, came over to meet and great me. He was overweight, like me, sporting a well trimmed beard. He called me "sir" and I replied "Just call me Bill." He grinned and said "Likewise, I am D.L." I was relieved that we started off without a hitch.

I was trying to be polite and listen to his every word but was stealing glances at the ground because I could already see cones, olives and thousands of extinct shells. I spied a coral specimen. It was a fossil shell hunter's paradise and like a dream vacation on a cruise ship, I planned to enjoy it immensely. I was not disappointed.

View of the floor of the shell pit - Notice the fossil cowry

I asked him how all this came to be. "A well was being dug," D.L. was amused with my curiosity, "and they hit shells. The rest is history." Large pits, now small lakes, testified to the fact that shells were not just behind the house where the well was dug but covered acres of land.

D.L Brantley, Jr. & Robin Rose

Fortunately I made several trips to the shell pit. Each time, D.L. would take the time to seek me out and shake my hand with enthusiasm. I enjoyed bringing him his favorite German beer and he, in turn, would tell me a tall tale - his favorite pastime.

This was no commonplace shell pit. Several rare shells are found here and nowhere else. In fact, a few new species were added to the rolls of science and named after D.L. and his girl friend, Robin Rose. Dr. Petuch, author of authoritative books on both recent and fossil shells, who has named numerous new species, discovered these new species in the very pit that I was scouring for shells to enhance my collection.

Vokesimurex Robinae
Petuch 2003
Named for Robin Rose

Recently, I received a call from Robin - not the type of call I like - D.L. had passed away on Father's Day (2005). I was stunned. Life is dear and I was pleased that on my last trip I expressed my joy to D.L about how much his generosity meant to me.

NowI when gaze at the shells I collected, I will think of my friend.

The family has stopped all mining operations. I was permitted one last field trip to stalk my favorite quarry - fossil shells. What had seemed like an endless supply of shells has been virtually depleted. The pit is a vast crater - with hardly a shell left to inspect. I took pictures of the area to document what is an end to an important event in fossil shell collecting history. Although I will miss collecting shells in this most unique shell mine, most of all I will miss D.L. greeting me with his strong handshake and bighearted smile.

Siphocypraea brantleyi
Petuch 2003
Named for D.L Brantley

Siphocypraea aspenae
Petuch 2003
Named for D.L. Brantley's daughter

- submitted by Bill Hoefer