Large conch shells?

[stanw]

Anyone know where you can find the large conch shells that are used in the Polynesian islands and other places where you blow into them and make sounds? I would like to dive for them, though I am also interested in just buying one.

Thanks.

 

[koozemani]

The Turks and Caicos. On Provo, you can go to the conch farm and get them in the gift shop. They're basically host a conch shell with the end lopped off. It does take some practice to get them to sound right. I bought a couple for my boys last year. You could probably make them yourself, but it was so much easier to buy them cleaned and polished. State side, I would say eBay.

We did collect conches on a snorkeling trip, but those were turned into ceviche and could not converted into horns, but we did get to keep the shells.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

You can get them in the Conch Republic, or any where in FL for that matter.
While diving for shark teeth in Venice we saw serveral on the bottom and if I knew how to extract the meat I would have brought up a few.

ZDD

 

[DennisS]

You can get them in the Conch Republic, or any where in FL for that matter.
While diving for shark teeth in Venice we saw serveral on the bottom and if I knew how to extract the meat I would have brought up a few.

ZDD

It's a good thing you left them

68B-16.003 Queen Conch, Regulation.
(1) No person shall take or harvest any queen conch from the land or waters of the State of Florida, or possess, transport, or land any queen conch, wherever harvested, except as provided in subsections (3), (4), and (5) below.
(2) No person shall kill, molest, harm, or mutilate any queen conch anywhere within the borders of the State of Florida.
(3) The provisions of this chapter shall not be applicable to queen conch imported from another country; provided, however, that any wholesale or retail dealer in queen conch meat, queen conch shells or products made from queen conch shells shall maintain invoices, receipts, bills of sale, bills of lading, or other documentation affirmatively showing that all queen conch meat, queen conch shells or parts of queen conch shells in such dealer's inventory were imported from a foreign country.
(4) In accordance with Section 379.244(2), F.S., the Commission may issue permits to collect and possess queen conch for experimental, scientific and exhibitional purposes.
(5) It is not unlawful for any person to take or possess queen conch shells from the land or waters of the State of Florida, so long as such shells do not contain any living queen conch at the time of taking, and so long as a living queen conch is not killed, mutilated, or removed from its shell prior to taking such shell; provided further, that possession by any person, while in or on the waters of the State of Florida, of conch meat or of any queen conch shell having an off-center hole larger than 1/16 inch in diameter through its spire shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(6) The presence of queen conch aboard a vessel in, on or above the waters of the State of Florida, while one or more persons from such vessel are overboard, shall constitute prima facie evidence that such queen conch were harvested from state waters in violation of this chapter.
(7) Any queen conch which is accidentally caught during the course of other lawful fishing activity shall not be deemed to be taken, harvested, possessed or molested in violation of this chapter, so long as such queen conch is returned immediately to the water, unharmed.

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

It's a good thing you left them

68B-16.003 Queen Conch, Regulation.
(1) No person shall take or harvest any queen conch from the land or waters of the State of Florida, or possess, transport, or land any queen conch, wherever harvested, except as provided in subsections (3), (4), and (5) below.
(2) No person shall kill, molest, harm, or mutilate any queen conch anywhere within the borders of the State of Florida.
(3) The provisions of this chapter shall not be applicable to queen conch imported from another country; provided, however, that any wholesale or retail dealer in queen conch meat, queen conch shells or products made from queen conch shells shall maintain invoices, receipts, bills of sale, bills of lading, or other documentation affirmatively showing that all queen conch meat, queen conch shells or parts of queen conch shells in such dealer's inventory were imported from a foreign country.
(4) In accordance with Section 379.244(2), F.S., the Commission may issue permits to collect and possess queen conch for experimental, scientific and exhibitional purposes.
(5) It is not unlawful for any person to take or possess queen conch shells from the land or waters of the State of Florida, so long as such shells do not contain any living queen conch at the time of taking, and so long as a living queen conch is not killed, mutilated, or removed from its shell prior to taking such shell; provided further, that possession by any person, while in or on the waters of the State of Florida, of conch meat or of any queen conch shell having an off-center hole larger than 1/16 inch in diameter through its spire shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
(6) The presence of queen conch aboard a vessel in, on or above the waters of the State of Florida, while one or more persons from such vessel are overboard, shall constitute prima facie evidence that such queen conch were harvested from state waters in violation of this chapter.
(7) Any queen conch which is accidentally caught during the course of other lawful fishing activity shall not be deemed to be taken, harvested, possessed or molested in violation of this chapter, so long as such queen conch is returned immediately to the water, unharmed.

Aren't those laws just guidelines?

 

[Dewit2it]

Also make sure they're in checked baggage if flying. Not carry on! Mom lost a beauty that way!

 

[FF93USAFA]

I've seen a lot of horse conch's diving off Venice. Is that what you saw?

 

[Zodiacdiverdave]

I've seen a lot of horse conch's diving off Venice. Is that what you saw?

yep. Are they the right ones to eat?
ZDD

 

[Danielle's_Dives]

We got a nice big one off the Corn Islands in Nica. Some nice lobster guy off season cleaned it for me for $5 and a few rum and cokes

 

[Hank49]

My mom had a horse conch shell with the tip clipped off when we were kids. She would give it three bursts of three blasts and it was time to come home for dinner. You could hear it all over the neighborhood.
And no, horse conch isn't as good to eat as queens.