Seashells at the Seashore

Only the shell in the middle is a keeper; the others are still alive and are not permitted to go home with anyone. See.......I'm putting them out in deeper water so they have a better chance of escaping both low tide and greedy tourists. In fact, I confronted one woman who was wading through the water clutching three whelks and searching for more. I inquired whether she was aware that Sanibel is a sanctuary island where it is illegal to harvest inhabited shells from the beaches (first offense is a $500 fine), and she promptly dropped one on my foot! Ouch! Like they say, no good deed goes unpunished, or as the DH informs me - MYOB. I don't know whether I felt compelled to rescue the gastropods from a horrible fate because I was concerned for their welfare or because if I couldn't have them, I didn't want anyone else to have them either. Truthfully, I could never kill any sea creatures - not even those pesky seagulls. After all, they are right where they should be. We, on the other hand, are merely intruders.