But only the slow-moving snails get caught at low tide with their shells exposed. Most snails are sneaky, and it takes a discerning eye to find their hidey-holes.
Examine the picture below. You'll see a) Adam's hands holding a sharp oyster knife in an activated position and b) a place on the tideflats where the seaweed has been disturbed. This is where the moon snail is hiding.
Oyster fan was skeptical, too. How could a snail so clumsy bury itself so adeptly? But Adam deftly excavated the snail with his oyster knife: 
and exposed the sneaky snail. 
Another clue that there are many more moon snails on the beach than first meets the eye: the beach is absolutely littered with moon snail egg carcases: 
Great post! Can’t wait for the colder weather to get out to the woods.