IT is a delight to scavenge for minuscule and brightly-hued shells on the endless golden beaches from Gamtoos through Jeffreys Bay, Paradise Beach and St Francis to Cape St Francis . . .
Hailed by aficionados as the best shell beach, Jeffreys Bay boasts The Shell Museum and a book, The Sea Shells of Jeffreys Bay, offering a view of the abundance of treasures given up by the depths of the ocean.
The museum began in Jeffreys Bay local Charlotte Kritzinger’s home.
Kritzinger dedicated years to collect unique shells and marine life skeletons in boxes.
Her collection was enhanced through donations and exchanges. The shell museum was opened in 1998 to harbour this collection.
A recent addition is a display of Jeffreys Bay micro shells, which is believed to be unique to the region. It proudly displays more than 600 different kinds of shells, like the legendary cowry, rare paper nautilus, baby jam tarts, and a new species of cone – making it one of the largest collections in the country.
Local artifacts were added during an upgrade in 2019.
Book
In 1999, a special update and reprint of The Sea Shells of Jeffreys Bay by Douw and Elize Steyn was commissioned by the Humansdorp Museum Association, curators of the Jeffreys Bay Shell Museum, as the original book’s printers had closed down and the colour plates were lost.
A highly technical little book, it provides a comprehensive listing of all the seashells, the scientific and local names, making this an invaluable source of reference. A visit to Jeffreys Bay is not complete without a visit to the Jeffreys Bay Shell Museum located centrally on the Dolphin Beachfront of the town.
For more info, contact Petro Meyer at 082 852 4056 or petro.meyer@telkomsa.net.
