“It’s been forever since I found a Scotch bonnet,” and “Finally found a whole last October on Ocracoke Island. Hunted for many years for that one,” and “I’ve been on the hunt for a Scotch bonnet & only find broken ones!” are all remarks people have made regarding the never-ending appeal of finding an intact Scotch bonnet. The Scotch bonnet is not only an exciting beach find; it’s also been North Carolina’s official state shell since 1965.
Scotch bonnets were so named because the colors – often a mix of cream and orange squares – form a plaid pattern, similar to what’s seen on kilts traditionally worn by, you guessed it, Scots, and because the shape of the shell resembles that of caps that used to be worn by Scottish peasants.
Scotch bonnets can be found from North Carolina aaallllll the way down to Brazil, and are part of the Helmet family. The Helmet family includes a large variety of sea snails, including bonnets and helmets, which live primarily in shallow, tropical water. There are 70 known living species of helmets and bonnets living in North America’s waters alone, and these gastropods – literally, “stomach-foot” – slide around the ocean floor feasting upon algae, invertebrates, some small fish, and even each other, whilst parading their beautiful patterned, whorl-formed shells. Scotch bonnets typically grow to be a maximum of three to three-and-a-half inches long, while other snails within the Helmet family can grow to be over 16 inches! Wowza! So, how did these carnivorous-sometimes-cannibalistic-creatures-in-wonderfully-patterned-shells become North Carolina’s state shell?
In the mid-1960’s, Moncie Daniels, a state representative from Dare County, introduced legislation calling for the Scotch bonnet to be the state’s official shell. In order to get support from the other 170 legislators Daniels promised each member their very own Scotch bonnet. Unfortunately, Daniels was only able to find two Scotch bonnets. As a result Daniels’ colleagues grew wary about selecting such a rare find as the state shell, and Jimmy Johnson of Iredell County said Inlanders "…don’t want to spend their time…horsing around for something that’s extinct!” Representative Johnson, it is said, continued by suggesting the chicken eggshell become the official shell of Iredell County.
Dan K. Moore, the Governor at the time, reportedly ignored Johnson’s suggestion and recommended shell experts weigh in to help with the decision. After weeks of campaigning and with help from State Senator Ashley Futrell of Beaufort, the bill naming the Scotch bonnet as the state shell passed a senate vote on May 21, 1965. Futrell was even able to acquire a box full of Scotch bonnets, so he handed one out to each of his fellow state senators. And here’s another fun fact: North Carolina was the first state to adopt a seashell as a state symbol.
Ocracoke and Portsmouth are well-known among shell-seekers as the best places in NC to find the elusive Scotch bonnet.
Happy shelling!
