The Common Whelk is a quite a large marine snail with a spiral shell.  It can be found all around the coast of England in both shallow  and deep waters on sandy and muddy sea beds, as well as on gravel and rock.  Although this snail is quite common it is quite difficult to detect because it blends well into the background of its environment. 

The Common Whelk has a grubby-looking spiral shell which is a yellowy brown colour with lighter and darker markings around the spirals.   The shell is attached to the whelk’s back.  The shell  can grow up to six centimetres in length and can reach a height of around ten centimetres.  The front part of the shell has a broad opening which the snail quickly retreats into if it feels threatened.  It closes the entrance with the back of its foot for more protection. The Common Whelk has two stubby-looking tentacles which stick out at the front of its head and it has a quite a long flat tail.

Common Whelks enclose their eggs in protective capsules which are attached onto rocks, shells and stones.   The mass of capsules are a yellowy cream colour and a single capsule can contain up to a thousand eggs.   Young whelks hatch out of the capsules and the empty masses of capsules, known as ‘sea wash balls’, can be seen washed up on our beaches.