120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Kia kaha te reo Māori! 💜 Celebrate Māori Language Week with us!

The Shell Spotter’s Guide

Series: National Trust
4.52 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 33 ratings, 20 reviews)
Brief Description
Turn any beach into a treasure hunt with this beautifully illustrated book packed with surprising and delightful wonders of nature. Looking for seashells and learning their names is the perfect way to explore Britain’s coastline at leisure. It’s a nostalgic, simple pleasure, and a way to... Read More
Format: Hardback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Turn any beach into a treasure hunt with this beautifully illustrated book packed with surprising and delightful wonders of nature

Every shell has a story to tell. Discover the secrets of these treasures of the sea

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Turn any beach into a treasure hunt with this beautifully illustrated book packed with surprising and delightful wonders of nature.

Looking for seashells and learning their names is the perfect way to explore Britain’s coastline at leisure. It’s a nostalgic, simple pleasure, and a way to discover some of nature’s most exquisite wonders. From the common cockle to the blue-rayed limpet, The Shell Spotter’s Guide covers the beautiful and surprising range of mussels, oysters, periwinkles, scallops, cowries, and whelks found on our beaches.

This beautifully illustrated book, written by marine biologist Helen Scales, is the perfect companion for all aspiring shell spotters.

Series: National Trust

View all
  • Great British Walkies
    Dog-friendly country walks in Britain with places to eat and stay Supported by the National Trust, and includes their ‘pawprint rating’ system for dog-friendly places. Breathtaking walks that aren’t too challenging – 2-6 miles in length. Suggested stops. Walks are created with dogs in mind – all the info you need. Don’t just take your dog for a walk. Take...
    Paperback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • GROW
    Discover the joy of growing and using plants indoors and outdoors, no matter how limited your space. This beautifully illustrated book is a modern, fresh take on gardening that shows how anyone can grow their own vegetables, create a mini wildflower meadow, or learn how to make the most of their houseplants. And you don’t need your own garden to...
    Hardback
    $3500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Great British Food Tour
    The Great British Food Tour by Jenny Linford, supported by the National Trust, offers fascinating and entertaining entries about Britain’s greatest dishes and ingredients. This beautifully illustrated book includes recipes for 20 classic dishes. It explores regional specialities and national favourites, covering Britain’s diverse and vibrant food landscape. Do you know your Bedfordshire clanger from your Dorset knob? Your Kentish...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Cosy Cooking
    Cosy Cooking offers over 80 brilliant comfort food recipes that are perfect for when it’s cold outside or if you just need to warm your heart. These recipes are triple-tested and come with suggested variations to add value and to help use up ingredients you may already have. You'll find plenty of vegetarian and vegan options as well. This collection...
    Hardback
    $3499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Gardener’s Almanac 2026
    Information, inspiration, tips and trivia to help you make the most of your gardening year in 2026. Packed with new features and advice, the 2026 edition of this guide is a perfect gift for any gardener. Month by month, there’s timely gardening advice and information from the National Trust, together with inspiring writing and beautiful illustrations. Every month includes: Weather...
    Hardback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The National Trust Book of Nature-Friendly Gardening
    • How to make a beautiful garden that works better with nature. • Achievable, practical changes we can all make. • Benefits for health and wellbeing too. • Supported by the National Trust, who look after hundreds of Britain’s most important gardens. Does caring for your garden ever feel like a battle with nature? Are you worried when you see...
    Hardback
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Shell Spotter’s Guide
    Turn any beach into a treasure hunt with this beautifully illustrated book packed with surprising and delightful wonders of nature. Looking for seashells and learning their names is the perfect way to explore Britain’s coastline at leisure. It’s a nostalgic, simple pleasure, and a way to discover some of nature’s most exquisite wonders. From the common cockle to the blue-rayed...
    Hardback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Favourite Recipes
    Favourite Recipes offers 80 recipes for home-cooked meals that will make your day, straight from the National Trust's cafés. Meals that make your day The National Trust's cafés are a British institution, enjoyed by the millions of people who visit its historic houses and sites every year. For some, a stop at the café is a bonus; for others, it's...
    Hardback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • 100 Secret Walks
    100 delightful walks that reveal hidden treasures in our countryside – secret beaches, abandoned villages, mysterious caves, hidden waterfalls. Walks are 2-6 miles in length to maximise manageability. Every walk has ‘How to get there’ details and an easy-to-follow map, plus an OS Map reference. Supported by the National Trust This is the curious walker’s guide to Britain’s most unique...
    Paperback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Jams With a Twist
    Why settle for the same old jams when you could try something deliciously different? Jams With a Twist will take your jam making to a whole new level. Liven things up with alcohol, essences, cordials, syrups, teas, spices, nuts, nibs and kernels. Go foraging for exciting new ingredients. Create double- and triple-layered jams. Float fruit, flowers and herbs in your...
    Hardback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Soups
    Versatile, nutritious and easy to cook – soup is the original one-pot wonder. Inspired by soups from around the world, this beautifully illustrated book features 80 tried-and-tested recipes bursting with flavour, colour and goodness. From comforting classics to new and inspiring choices, you’ll be guided through the basics of making sensational soups. Find out how to swap ingredients, use up...
    Hardback
    $3699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Britain’s Landmarks and Legends
    Discover the history, legends and folklore of Britain’s most intriguing landmarks Britain’s Landmarks and Legends is a beautifully illustrated book that reveals the secrets and stories of fifty icons of Britain’s landscape. Some of these are natural wonders, such as Cheddar Gorge, Sherwood Forest, and the white cliffs of Dover. Others were made by our distant ancestors: the standing stones...
    Hardback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008641313

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 March 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: National Trust Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 162.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 112

About the Author

Dr Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer and broadcaster. She is author of many books about the ocean including the Guardian bestseller Spirals in Time, New York Times top summer read The Brilliant Abyss and the children's books What a Shell Can Tell and Scientists in the Wild.

Also by Helen Scales

View all
  • What the Wild Sea Can Be
    LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 No matter where we live, What the Wild Sea Can Be, Helen Scales observes in her bracing yet hopeful exploration of the future of the ocean. Beginning with its fascinating deep history, Scales links past to present to show how prehistoric ocean ecology holds lessons for the ocean of today. In elegant,...
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Around the Ocean in 80 Fish and other Sea Life
    Dive beneath the waves to meet 80 of the ocean's strangest and most surprising inhabitants. This beautifully illustrated aquatic world tour tells the fascinating stories of beguiling sea creatures and their ingenious feats of survival - from producing anti-freeze to enduring boiling temperatures - revealing the ways in which these seemingly remote creatures have shaped our own lives, whether through...
    Hardback
    $6100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Wild Seas Jigsaw - 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
    Discover the extraordinary ways the world's oceans and sea life are coming back from the brink and making remarkable recoveries in this stunning new 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, with 20 uniquely shaped pieces that give a new twist to puzzling. Beautifully illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors and accompanied by a fold-out poster with text written by Dr Helen Scales, discover...
    1000 Piece
    Game
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Shells... and what they hide inside
    In this board book companion to What a Shell Can Tell, award-winning marine biologist and documentary maker, Helen Scales, introduces children ages 2-4 to the wonders of shells. With over 40 flaps to lift creating interactive opportunities on every page and stunningly lifelike illustrations, children are encouraged to observe, engage with, and understand a range of shells and environments. From...
    Board book
    $4300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Around the World in 50 Fish
    Dive beneath the waves to meet 50 extraordinary ocean inhabitants in this 1000-piece puzzle. Piece together seahorses and clownfish in the shallows, then travel to the depths and spot deep-sea creatures like vampire squid and dragonfish. Discover the fascinating stories of marine life from around the globe on the fold-out poster guide. A 1000-PIECE JIGSAW featuring sea life from all...
    1000 Piece
    Jigsaw
    $5900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Wild Earth Jigsaw
    Piece together flora and fauna from around the globe in this 1000-piece puzzle, with 20 specially shaped pieces. Vibrantly illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors and accompanied by a fold-out poster with text written by Dr Helen Scales. Discover the extraordinary ways the world's land dwelling wildlife are surviving and thriving, find out how the Voeltzkow species chameleon was lost...
    1000 Piece
    Jigsaw
    $6100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ocean Art
    Artists have captured the marvels of ocean life throughout history. From fine art to scientific illustrations, these portrayals help us to appreciate and interpret the diversity of shapes, colours and patterns of the remarkable organisms that inhabit the oceans of the world. In Ocean Art, marine biologist and writer Helen Scales takes readers on a tour of ocean art, looking...
    Hardback
    $6900
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Into the Deep Sharing Puzzle
    This jigsaw puzzle has 180 pieces in two different sizes: big pieces for little hands and little pieces for bigger hands. They all fit together to make one complete puzzle, so the whole family can enjoy working together—kids and grown-ups, beginners and experts! Spot all your favourite sea creatures while piecing together the oceanic scene, from the Whale Shark and...
    180 Piece
    Jigsaw
    $5300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • What the Wild Sea Can Be
    SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION No matter where we live, we are all ocean people, Helen Scales observes in her bracing yet hopeful exploration of the future of the ocean. Beginning with its fascinating deep history, Scales links past to present to show how prehistoric ocean ecology holds lessons for the...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Pre-order
    The Deep Dark Ocean
    Travel to the bottom of the ocean to explore the hidden deep sea environment with marine biologist Dr Helen Scales. The deep sea is the biggest, most mysterious part of our planet. For a long time, scientists thought it was just a huge empty space, devoid of life: too dark, too cold, too much pressure and not enough food. Now...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Pre-order
    Out 24 Oct 2026
  • Oceanopedia
    Discover an incredible world hidden beneath the waves with this beautiful encyclopedia of our oceans and the animals that live in and around them. Our planet's oceans are home to a breathtaking array of animals. From the neon squid that roam the open waters and the floating forests of the Sargasso Sea, to glow-in-the-dark sharks and the angel fish of...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Return of the Wild
    Discover the extraordinary ways nature has come back from the brink in this collection of 20 environmental success stories from around the world, written by Dr Helen Scales and beautifully illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors. From humpback whale populations thriving again in the freezing seas of Alaska and the recovery of kiwi populations in New Zealand, to the setting...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    16% off
    Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Sapiens
    Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Invisible Women
    Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched exploration into the pervasive gender bias that infiltrates every aspect of our society. Through compelling case studies and thorough analysis, this book unveils the hidden ways women are systematically disadvantaged in a world predominantly designed by and for men. Perez's revelations stretch across various sectors including government policy,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Talk
    A Harvard professor shows how we can become better talkers - and why effective conversation will help us all thrive. Conversation is at the heart of our relationships and decision-making, but the science behind our everyday interactions, and how to improve them, is little known. In Talk, Harvard Professor Alison Wood Brooks provides fascinating insights into the power of effective...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Clean & Green
    Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Usually:
    $2999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Genetic Book of the Dead
    From one of the world’s great science writers, a book that explores the deepest principles of evolutionary history. In this groundbreaking new approach to the evolution of all life, Richard Dawkins shows how the body, behaviour, and genes of every living creature can be read as a book – an archive of the worlds of its ancestors. A perfectly camouflaged...
    Hardback
    $4900
    Elsewhere:
    $5499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Coming Wave
    The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the ultimate AI insider - the only book you need to read on this subject. An Economist, Financial Times, Guardian, Prospect and Sunday Times Book of the Year Shortlisted for the FT and Schroders Business Book of the Year This is the only book you need to understand our new world - from the...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Breath
    Discover the transformative power of breathing in Breath by esteemed journalist James Nestor. This revolutionary book delves into the science and history of one of the most fundamental human activities - breathing. From the bustling streets of São Paulo to the serene temples of India, Nestor embarks on a global journey to uncover the secrets of ancient breathing techniques such...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Tiny Experiments
    'A compelling new take on a timeless concern' - CAL NEWPORT 'I loved this profound, practical and generous book' - OLIVER BURKEMAN We're told productivity is all about single-minded focus, hard grind and big goals. Deviating from the linear path means failure. The problem: it's not true. In this transformative book, neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals the easier,...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.