True whelks can be found at low tide in the shallow waters of the British Isles, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Whelks are several species of edible marine gastropod molluscs found in temperate tropical waters around the world. They have hard shells built from calcium carbonate extracted from seawater. They are scavengers and carnivores, as well as a popular food for people all over the world. Although whelk is the name commonly used to refer to these sea snails, they are not all closely related.
The scientific name Buccinum undatum refers to the true whelk found in North Atlantic waters near Europe. They can be found alive at low tide in the shallow waters of the British Isles, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The snail is about 4 inches (about 10 cm) tall and 2 inches (about 6 cm) wide, and has a hard, light-colored shell that is covered by a thin, yellowish-brown skin known as the periosteum. Europeans claim that these large edible snails taste best when boiled in seawater.
In the United States, the term whelk refers to another large edible species known as Busycotypus, and is much larger than those found in Europe. They can grow up to 16 inches (about 40 cm) tall and have solid cream, tan, or light gray shells. Snails are scavengers with large, muscular feet, capable of piercing the shells of clams, crabs, and lobsters. Various species like to eat Busycotypus, including sharks, gulls, crabs, and humans.
The periwinkle is found along the rocky coast of Scotland in the North Atlantic. The term periwinkle is interchangeable with what the people of Scotland call whelks. This small gilled gastropod has a dark shell and feeds on algae or small invertebrates much like the whelks found in other parts of the world. A popular food among people all over the world, Scotland exports around 2,000 tonnes of snail a year; it is considered an important export.
Another large variety of edible whelk that is not closely related to the species found in the United States or Europe is called Cittarium pica. It lives on the coasts of the West Indies and is a popular food in the Caribbean, where it is also known as wilk. These whelks are often boiled and eaten in numerous recipes on the islands. They are found living under rocks in shallow coastal waters of the Caribbean, Mexico, and other Latin American coasts. The wilk has a large black shell with white stripes, is about 13 cm in diameter, and feeds on algae.