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.