Any problems bringing conch shells back onboard?

[MamaParrotHead]

Just wondering if it's a no-no before I go getting my kids excited about getting a seashell from somewhere OTHER than a gift shop, LOL.

[K&RCurt]

We brought several conch shells back on the ship from Grand Turk with no issue.

 

However..since they were quite heavy and our bags were close to the 50# limit we decided to ship them home rather than pack them in our luggage. Our next stop after Grand Turk was San Juan, PR. We went to the post office there and got two of the "one rate whatever fits in the box" boxes, brought them on board and packed them up. When I went to leave the ship with the boxes the Security guards would not let me off the ship and sent me to the front desk fo a "Customs Form". The front desk had no idea what form was needed and they ended up calling the Port Agent who walked me down to the gangway, flashed her ID and escorted me offf the ship.

 

The shells got home safe before we did.

 

So if you plan on shipping them home, just carry them off in your back pack etc, don't box them up in a shipping package!

Edited February 26, 2010 by K&RCurt

[pabeachie]

i got one after the horseback riding on grand turk last year. i just put it in a bag and then in my suitcase, and brought it home. didn't have any problems.

[ellfin]

Funny story - Have you ever smelled a fresh Conch shell.

We were in T and C and sailed to Iquana Island. One of the girls on the boat insisted in keeping the the shell from the fresh conch we just ate.

 

It was either her or the shell that was going overboard.........

 

Do they ever STINK.

 

Of course the tourist ones have been cleaned. Or if you found one on the beach that is old. Mother nature has cleaned it up.

 

Just a note that there are only a few areas where live conch can be harvested.

[K&RCurt]

If you walk up the beach towards the right of the cruise pier there are hundreds of conch shells scattered on the beach, you just have to look. I would say it's about a 500 yard walk down the beach to where the shells are. No issues with odor, etc as they seem to have been there for quite some time.

[seashinesunshine]

Bring some zip lock bags so your kids can put shells or whatever in them and label them as to which island they came from. Also if there is any odor from a fresh shell, that will help. My son got a conch shell last cruise and brought it to school, they had done something to it to turn it into a horn and his music teacher had fun showing it to the kids. Natural music!

[tubasteve]

I appreciate that everyone wants a souvenir from their trip, but why would you take natural artifacts? Wouldn't it be a better lesson to teach the kiddies about being responsible conservators of the lovely places they're lucky enough to visit? :confused:

[ellfin]

Actually those shells are left overs from Mother Nature.

 

You are not taking "live" animals.

 

In this case we are the natural scavengers cleanin up the place.

 

Let's not take Saving the Planet too far here. Let's teach the kids sanity not absurdity.

 

In T and C they have Conch farms, and the locals know where they can and can't dive and take Live Conch.

 

The folks here are talking about all the shells that wash up on beaches all over the place. T and C it just happens to be one of those places wher they are easy to gert.

[KSCPA]

Actually those shells are left overs from Mother Nature.

 

You are not taking "live" animals.

 

In this case we are the natural scavengers cleanin up the place.

 

Let's not take Saving the Planet too far here. Let's teach the kids sanity not absurdity.

 

In T and C they have Conch farms, and the locals know where they can and can't dive and take Live Conch.

 

The folks here are talking about all the shells that wash up on beaches all over the place. T and C it just happens to be one of those places wher they are easy to gert.

I agree!! First Island (Antigua) I bought a conch shell (wanted 8 buck I gave them 5)

and then the second island (St Kitts) found 2 snorkeling!!

Thought I had made a great deal the day before!! LOL

My son treasures his shell that he snorkeled. Its a wonderful memory and your not hurting anything!!

[tubasteve]

The conch might be done with the shell, but it could still be used in the natural environment. I didn't say anyone was hijacking living animals and I'm not an eco-freak but I think it's a good practice to leave public places as you found them. I guess respect for people/places is seeming more absurd to people nowadays ;)

[KSCPA]

The conch might be done with the shell, but it could still be used in the natural environment. I didn't say anyone was hijacking living animals and I'm not an eco-freak but I think it's a good practice to leave public places as you found them. I guess respect for people/places is seeming more absurd to people nowadays ;)

There are so many, they are not endangered, and they will only eventually get smashed by the rocks and cut your foot on the beach....I know... I'm a Jersey girl!!

And I collect shells every year from NJ beaches, there seems to be more and more every year I go. I am not taking anything away from the environment, I am decorating my yard and preventing erosion!! LOL

Yeah, I guess your right, Its better to pay 8 bucks for them!!

[texancruzer]

Don't do it in the Bahamas !!! Big no-no. Live or dead.

 

I would definately check online with whats allowed and whats not first.

[bishop35]

We were just in Grand Turk and didn't have any problem bringing home a couple of Conch shells. As said before, if you go to the right of the the ship and keep walking you will find hundreds of Conch shells. Most of them are broken and it takes awhile to find a good one to take with you. It is beautiful to be there around sunset.

 

 

["Wandering Wino's&quo]

We were just in Grand Turk and didn't have any problem bringing home a couple of Conch shells. As said before, if you go to the right of the the ship and keep walking you will find hundreds of Conch shells. Most of them are broken and it takes awhile to find a good one to take with you. It is beautiful to be there around sunset.

 

 

 

Beautiful picture, thanks for sharing.

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

As said before, if you go to the right of the the ship and keep walking you will find hundreds of Conch shells.

 

To the right, facing the water or away from the water? Awesome picture by the way!

[bishop35]

To the right, facing the water or away from the water? Awesome picture by the way!

 

To the right if you are facing away from the water. You could walk off of the ship and then turn right.

[Princess-of-Quite-alot]

To the right if you are facing away from the water. You could walk off of the ship and then turn right.

 

Thanks!

[Maraprince]

Beautiful picture' date=' thanks for sharing.[/quote']

 

 

As you can clearly see, these shells are not in perfect condition to be sold. Most have some type of damage. The area referred to on Grand Turk is the conch shell graveyard.

 

MARAPRINCE

[gab1014]

I was surching this site and I though, hey, I have seen that picture before.

[4spring9]

Just back from GT (& cruise) Sunday. As you come off the ship, you'd go to your right. don't walk under the dock though as security doesn't like it.

Its a fun area to walk around & there are a bunch of shells, most broken to some degree. Wear beach shoes or risk cutting your feet as there are also a lot of rocks.

My son brought one shell back with him - in our suitcase - wrapped in a towel. I debated about letting him bring it back for some of the reasons TubaSteve suggested. It looked like there were a million of these shells getting broken up on the rocks with more arriving I'm sure daily/weekly. So I decided to let him bring it back. My thought is that he will cherish it, it will remind him of far off places, & in particular of that one family vacation. If the shells weren't getting broken on the rocks, I might have felt different about it.

 

Beautiful picture Bishop35 - it started raining while we were there & I didn't want to get my camera wet. Oh what a beautiful place!

[jtm22372]

we brought 2 home with us . we collect shells from everywhere we go and have some amazing ones . but its just the fun of remembering where you got them . sorry i see no harm in it:rolleyes:

[brandonguy]

Hows the swimming/snorkeling in this area??

[Catz4001]

shells are not finite.......the sea creatures make more all the time.

[pghsteelerfan]

This is an old thread that popped up again.

 

 

As for the original question on whether there are any problems bringing shells back onboard, I know that Carnival no longer allows this. Shells collected on the beach in ports (even small shells) are now banned and there have been several reports (here on CC and on a "social media" page) of shells been confiscated at security when getting back on board. These have been empty smaller shells from miscellaneous ports and also the conch shells from Grand Turk. Carnival's spokesperson made the announcement in February. Shells purchased are allowed but you must have the receipt.

 

Screen shot of that message:

 

Carnival's former policy (this is still displayed on Carnival's website, so Carnival needs to update this to avoid confusion)