Started by 11 year old Josiah Utsch after reading an article in the New York Times about the potential extinction of the Nautilus.  Josiah was quickly joined by his close friend and budding artist Ridgely Kelly (11 yrs old) and along with friends, family and the guidance of Dr. Peter Ward at the University of Washington, the boys are working to save the nautilus.  Please join Josiah and Ridgely in helping to protect  this living fossil.  Sadly, it is because of the beauty of its unique shell that this cephalopod is under threat of extinction.  Please help us raise awareness of the plight of these beautiful creatures and stop the senseless killing for their coveted shell.  Click here to watch a video of the nautilus which is SO much more than just a shell.

What We Do

We try to raise awaress about the nautilus and its precarious future.  In order to more fully understand the Nautilus, the populations most at risk, and how to most effectively help, we are raising money to fund the research of Dr.Peter Ward.
Dr. Peter Ward of the University of Washington  is a renowned Paleontologist and champion of the nautilus.  His research has been featured on PBS and recently in the New York Times.  Dr . Ward currently has a number of data gathering expeditions planned and it is our mission to help him fund these.  All funds we raise go to Dr. Ward's research.  These are bare bones enedeavors, relying entirely on volunteer work, all of the funds go to the direct expenses of boat rental and supplies. Click here  to read his article in the New York Times. Or click here to read more about Dr. Ward and his projects.

                            Nautilus jewlery

This horrible massacre of the Nautilus happens to make these necklesses while the true beauty of the nautilus lies in its gracful movments and its brilliant orange/red alive shell. Please stop purchasing this jewlery. Be mindfull that Nautilus jewlery doesn't always look like a shell. If the jewlery you're buying looks like mother of pearl ask what it's made of because it could be made of the inside of a nautilus shell

Thanks to Sadie one of our supporters we have a list of the biggest nautilus selling websites. Please help by sending letters to these companys and tell them to stop selling nautilus shell products!!

click HERE for a sample letter you can cut and paste written by 14 year old Isobel McCrum of London, England

www.onekingslane.com

www.seashellcity.com

www.seashellcity.com

stores.ebay.com/SHELL-SHACK-SEASHELLS/

 www.shellstorehawaii

www.seashellmarket.com

www.holidaysouvenirs.com

  thanks in part to your letters qualityshells.com and neimannmarcus are no longer selling nautilus!

If you really want to buy some cool jewelry, Josiah's school-mate and friend Tristram is selling very unique flyfishing gear as earrings.  He will donate 10% of his proceeds to SAVETHENAUTILUS. Visit Maine Ear Flies here

SAVE THE NAUTILUS is now an OFFICIAL NON-PROFIT!!!!(under the umbrella of University of Washington!)

Donate Today!

Give a gift that will make a difference (and will be greatly appreciated!)

You can send a check to :

savethenautilus.com

c/o Ridgely Kelly

333 Fogler Rd.

Bremen Maine, 04551

Or go to the "services" page click "donate" or simply click  HERE  to donate today.  We have just received formal non-profit status (under the University of Washington umbrella) and every cent you give helps to fund Dr. Peter Ward's (University of Washington) research expeditions.  None of the researchers are paid, all money goes directly to boat rental, gas and cost of actual supplies.  This is a very home grown and grass roots effort which we hope will continue to grow.  Please tell everyone you know about the plight of the nautilus, please help us get the nautilus on the official list of endangered species , and please let your friends know NOT to buy nautilus shell products.

How to help:

Write letters to ebay, amazon, etsy and  the nautilus sellers listed to the left and tell them to STOP selling nautilus shells! (Click here for a sample letter you can cut and paste or write your own). Spread the word, tell your friends and family that the nautilus is endangered.  Write or call your politicians and ask them to support the Nautilus getting listed on CITES so the trade can be stopped. Donate money to Dr. Ward's research to help gather the information required by CITES  to get the nautilus officially protected and end the legal trade of its shells. (*please note that in Dr. Ward's research expeditions, no one receives a wage and all expenses go to cover DIRECT costs (boat rental, gas, research materials- etc).  Here is the way Ridgely describes these data gathering expeditions:" they go out to count, measure, and weigh the nautilus population. Then prove to the goverment that the nautilus is a endangered species so that they will

stop the harvesting of this magnificient mollusk."

please click here to read the purpose and intention  of CITES and to find out why it is so important that we gather the data they need

 Why help? :

Humans have wiped out many amazing species including the Java tiger, the dodo bird, the passenger pigeon, the cape lion,  the quagga zebra, and many more. Lets not lose the Nautilus after it's been around for so long adapting to climate change, avoiding predators, and finding food. Only to be wiped out to make jewlery.