Where do the snails live?

Where do the snails live?

Murex trunculus snails live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient Israel, the tribe of Zebulun, located on the North-East coast, was attributed with having the chilazon. Archaeological digs have since uncovered mounds of broken Murex shells and remains of the dyeing industry on the North-Eastern coast of Israel. Today, since Murex trunculus snails are a protected species in Israel, snails for Tekhelet are obtained and processed outside of Israel (Greece, Spain) where they are caught and sold for food.