This is a Queen Conch, shell plus conch inside. The underside is beautiful pink fading to cream colored glossy lining while the outside is sand-colored and blends in with the bottom of the ocean floor. It isn’t nice to take the shell plus conch out of the ocean, but I had to get a picture. You cannot harvest conch meat in Key West, even though you see it for sale in restaurants . “Conch fritters” appear on almost every menu and are considered a local specialty.
The conch itself is like a crab, and sits way inside the shell. you can see his claw if you look closely at the crevice in the shell. It’s a mollusk, also the second most well-known snail in the world, after escargot from France.
The shells are sold in tourist shops in Key West, but since harvesting Conchs is illegal, these shells come from Haiti. So, if you’re in town doing some Key West snorkeling and you come across a Queen Conch, admire it but leave it there.
Recently the vis on the Gulf side has been super clear, so we tried some backcountry snorkeling. Usually, if you go north out of Key West the water is murkier and greener than on the Atlantic side. For just a few days, however, it cleared up and we got to see what’s in the water out there. Turns out there are some nice coral patches that look very healthy. Take a look.
