Sandy Dann IV with Taryn The Shell Lady 090126

On this episode of Shell Talk, Sandy Dann catches up with Taryn “The Shell Lady” Ryan while she’s in Albany — not on holiday, but at summer school sharpening her shell photography skills and preparing for a series of talks on historic shell collections. Taryn shares a fascinating discovery from the southern coastline: the delicate violet sea snail that floats on a handmade bubble raft and feeds on blue bottle jellyfish. She explains how these tiny ocean drifters live, why they wash ashore together, and what makes cold-water species so different from Broome’s tropical shells. The conversation dives into biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and the powerful reminder that shells are more than beach treasures. They are homes, habitats, stabilisers of sand, and quiet contributors to the life of our coastlines. From Albany’s white sandy beaches to Broome’s warm waters, this yarn is a beautiful reminder to look, learn, and leave shells where they belong.