grand turk...conch graveyard

[FloatingSunGoddess]

Has anyone gone to the right of the pier???? I heard it was called Conch graveyard...and you could pick up conch shells.....How far do you have to walk??...Is it safe???....Thanks for your input!!!:):):)

[pghsteelerfan]

Has anyone gone to the right of the pier???? I heard it was called Conch graveyard...and you could pick up conch shells.....How far do you have to walk??...Is it safe???....Thanks for your input!!!

 

Yes, we were @ the Conch Graveyard in May 2010. It's really not a far walk, just about 15 - 20 minutes. Part of that walk is having to go through the Duty Free (Dufry) shop (it's set up that way). Once through that, head right and you'll see the walkways leading to the beach. The beach just to the right looks very rocky, but there is a sand path above the rocks. The "graveyard" is just before the "point". There are also some very nice conch shells just around that point all over the beach. I was able to find several very nice ones in the water (between ankle and knee deep) and had a hard time choosing which one to keep.

 

I noticed you're sailing Carnival (we were on Carnival Glory), so you should not have any problems bringing an empty conch shell back on board. I've read some posts (don't know if you've seen those or not) where others had to dump their shells before boarding, but they weren't on Carnival ships.

 

I'll attach some pictures so you can actually see what it will look like. Hope this helps.

 

View of "the point" from the ship

 

Conch graveyard

 

Beach & conch shells just around "the point"

 

Conch shells in the water just around "the point"

[FloatingSunGoddess]

Fantastic!! Thanks!!:)

[eandj]

If you pick up a shell from the beach, make sure you have washed it out with soap and water before bringing it back on board!!!! Even if it looks empty, the fact is you are carrying onboard "thingys" that are growing/living on the surface. And the stink with some can get gross. You can always buy one from a shop where they have been cleaned out well.

 

If directly from the water, it is considered a home for animal life. And you are not allowed to take those. That would be like removing a piece of coral from the ocean.

[FL Naturelover]

OMG! Too funny. My husband and I walked that way on our honeymoon cruise aboard the Emerald Princess. When I talk about it I always refer to that area as Conch Cemetary. Don't know what else to call it. I too picked up some conch shells (1 for me and 1 for SIL) along with a dead sea urchin. Beautiful. Had no problem taking them on the ship hidden in our beach bags. Dying to go back to Grand Turk for some more exploring.

[pghsteelerfan]

If you pick up a shell from the beach, make sure you have washed it out with soap and water before bringing it back on board!!!! Even if it looks empty, the fact is you are carrying onboard "thingys" that are growing/living on the surface. And the stink with some can get gross. You can always buy one from a shop where they have been cleaned out well.

 

If directly from the water, it is considered a home for animal life. And you are not allowed to take those. That would be like removing a piece of coral from the ocean.

 

Did you end up with a "stinker"? :) I thought of the "stink" issues (from posts regarding stinky shells I read on here before our cruise) and packed some zip lock freezer bags to put them in for the trip home. Large zip lock freezer bags (1 gallon - 2 gallon) are best. Once back on the ship, I washed them out really well and even used the shampoo provided on the ship. Once we got home, I had no problem with any leftover smells, but I soaked them in half bleach and half water for a couple of hours, just in case, then rinsed them out really well and let them dry out.

 

Almost all of the shells at the "graveyard" have already been harvested of the animal (which is used for food, like conch fritters, conch salad, etc.) and the shells are then discarded. I'm pretty sure that's why it's called the "conch graveyard". The best way to tell if the shell is empty is by the "harvest hole" on the top part, or spire, of the shell. They put a hole in them to cut the animals out. I really looked mine over well, just in case anything else was in there (only sand). I'd also recommend rinsing them out while still at the beach to get any sand out.

[pghsteelerfan]

OMG! Too funny. My husband and I walked that way on our honeymoon cruise aboard the Emerald Princess. When I talk about it I always refer to that area as Conch Cemetary. Don't know what else to call it. I too picked up some conch shells (1 for me and 1 for SIL) along with a dead sea urchin. Beautiful. Had no problem taking them on the ship hidden in our beach bags. Dying to go back to Grand Turk for some more exploring.

 

I found a dead sea urchin too! :) I was gently holding the sea urchin I found (about the size of an egg) so it wouldn't get smashed in the shell bag. It was pretty windy the day we were there & the wind blew it right out of my hand and it pretty much just shattered on the rocks as we were heading back to the cruise center. I was so bummed. Glad yours made it back.

[FL Naturelover]

No stinky shell for me. I too was very careful to make sure no one was living in it. Only smell is typical ocean smell.

[eandj]

Dying to go back to Grand Turk for some more exploring.

 

 

We have spent 4 weeks of land vacations at Providenciales on the Caicos island. The most beautiful and popular city of the Turks and Caicos Island chain. Don't go back to Grand Turk. :o You want to spend your time at Grace Bay, "Provo". Not many tourists spend time here because it is pretty expensive for lodging and especially food and is mostly populated with condo resorts and private homes. Take a look at these pics if you liked the water and sand at Grand Turk. That's actually how we ended up falling in love with the T&C Islands. One stop during a cruise a few years ago and we were hooked to the Grace Bay. No other place...other than maybe Anguilla, is like Providenciales. And you can eat all the conch you'd like freshly pulled from the waters...it's great! Check out this site....

http://www.google.com/search?q=grace+bay+providenciales+turks+%26+caicos+islands&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7PRFA_en&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=TUyPT83nG-Wf6AGAqfmNBA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CGUQ_AUoAQ&biw=991&bih=529

[FL Naturelover]

The natural undisturbed beauty of Grand Turk is what I love. I hate it when all the hotels and condos move in and destroy the natural beauty of an island. Grand Turk is heaven on earth for me. I live in FL. I have hotels and condos on the beaches on both coasts.

[eandj]

There are many cays and opther Caicos islands to explore right from Provo. Trust me naturalists LOVE the area. A wide variety of places to stay from resorts to cottages and all are convenient for day trips to the surrounding cays and smaller islands that offer the natural beauty. We rent a car and drive to the secluded untouched areas of the island and have taken the ferries and boats to the nearby cays. It's amazing. Just a larger area to cover than Grand Turk. Still rec that you visit more than the tiny Grand Turk if you have days to explore. ;) We love that we can have the conveniences of a resort. And then jump in the car and be swimming thru rock caves in minutes.

 

http://www.wherewhenhow.com/turks-caicos-islands/middle-caicos/

 

http://www.sailrocksouthcaicos.com/south-caicos/natural-wonder

[FL Naturelover]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully one day I'll be able to make it there. For now I'll put it on my bucket list. Maybe one day I can win the Powerball and visit all these beautiful places.;)

[pghsteelerfan]

Thanks for the info. Hopefully one day I'll be able to make it there. For now I'll put it on my bucket list. Maybe one day I can win the Powerball and visit all these beautiful places.;)

 

Same here! ;) We were at a Sandals all inclusive (adults only) in Jamaica several years ago and they had books in each of the rooms with beautiful pictures from all of their resorts (including Beaches - which is for families). When we saw the pictures of the Beaches in Turks and Caicos (Providenciales, along Grace Bay), we fell in love with it. When we got back home, I looked up Grace Bay and saw so many beautiful pictures and would really love to go there for a week. Budget just won't allow it, so we're banking on Powerball or Mega Millions. Wishful thinking. :)

[tracyanns]

The natural undisturbed beauty of Grand Turk is what I love. I hate it when all the hotels and condos move in and destroy the natural beauty of an island. Grand Turk is heaven on earth for me. I live in FL. I have hotels and condos on the beaches on both coasts.

 

North Caicos is awesome for this...actually a lot of the island is a wildlife refuge. Not too much on it...some houses you can rent a bit here and there...a true untouched piece of paradise!

[Tennessee Rose]

While on stingray excursion at North Sound, Grand Cayman, the boat captain dove in the water & brought a conch back up. He harvested the animal, cleaned it right there, and cut bits for people try. I don't eat fish/seafood, but did end up with the shell! I ended up wrapping it in my Carnival towel & put it in my tote bag. No questions asked when getting back on Inspiration. Going through the lobby I stopped at Guest Services and asked if I could somehow get a plastic bucket or tub and some bleach to wash the shell I had brought back.

 

They said "oh, no, we will have your steward take care of it for you". Well, by the time I could get back to the room---about 5 minutes, she was waiting for us. She got cleaning liquid and a brush. I was going to clean it, but she insisted she would clean it for me. She scrubbed it some, then had her assistant come finish cleaning it. We left for dinner and came back to find it all clean and pretty and sitting on the shower floor. I tipped her an extra $10 for cleaning my shell. It never smelled. I had no problem getting off the ship with it either. It is now displayed in my sunroom next to the shell I bought from a fisherman through the iron fence at Ocho Rios!

 

I wrote date and place where I got them on small pieces of paper and tucked them inside each shell. Love the memories.

 

Now, when I take my sister on her first cruise on Breeze in December, we will be looking for a shell for each of us on Grand Turk! :)

[FL Naturelover]

While on stingray excursion at North Sound, Grand Cayman, the boat captain dove in the water & brought a conch back up. He harvested the animal, cleaned it right there, and cut bits for people try. I don't eat fish/seafood, but did end up with the shell! I ended up wrapping it in my Carnival towel & put it in my tote bag. No questions asked when getting back on Inspiration. Going through the lobby I stopped at Guest Services and asked if I could somehow get a plastic bucket or tub and some bleach to wash the shell I had brought back.

 

They said "oh, no, we will have your steward take care of it for you". Well, by the time I could get back to the room---about 5 minutes, she was waiting for us. She got cleaning liquid and a brush. I was going to clean it, but she insisted she would clean it for me. She scrubbed it some, then had her assistant come finish cleaning it. We left for dinner and came back to find it all clean and pretty and sitting on the shower floor. I tipped her an extra $10 for cleaning my shell. It never smelled. I had no problem getting off the ship with it either. It is now displayed in my sunroom next to the shell I bought from a fisherman through the iron fence at Ocho Rios!

 

I wrote date and place where I got them on small pieces of paper and tucked them inside each shell. Love the memories.

 

Now, when I take my sister on her first cruise on Breeze in December, we will be looking for a shell for each of us on Grand Turk! :)

 

 

Wow, surprising that they did that for you. I kept mine a secret.

 

I have a question about the conch that was harvested from your shell - Did they eat it raw?

[Morgansmommy]

That's awesome! I too hid mine. Brought three back and gave two away. Mine is in my garden. Never had a smell. I had a hard time deciding which ones to bring back. Got ours right off the beach but down by the point there were MANY sand burrs and the farther away from the water you go the more there were. Ouch!! Wear shoes!

[Tennessee Rose]

Wow, surprising that they did that for you. I kept mine a secret.

 

I have a question about the conch that was harvested from your shell - Did they eat it raw?

 

Oh, sorry for late response. But yes, he just cleaned it with a large knife then starting cutting pieces off and giving it to people to try--raw. He ate some first so people would see it was okay! It appeared to be very firm and completely white; looked like large shavings of coconut. :)

[FL Naturelover]

Oh, sorry for late response. But yes, he just cleaned it with a large knife then starting cutting pieces off and giving it to people to try--raw. He ate some first so people would see it was okay! It appeared to be very firm and completely white; looked like large shavings of coconut. :)

 

 

I love seafood but not raw.

[JS0219]

We have spent 4 weeks of land vacations at Providenciales on the Caicos island. The most beautiful and popular city of the Turks and Caicos Island chain. Don't go back to Grand Turk. :o You want to spend your time at Grace Bay, "Provo". Not many tourists spend time here because it is pretty expensive for lodging and especially food and is mostly populated with condo resorts and private homes. Take a look at these pics if you liked the water and sand at Grand Turk. That's actually how we ended up falling in love with the T&C Islands. One stop during a cruise a few years ago and we were hooked to the Grace Bay. No other place...other than maybe Anguilla, is like Providenciales. And you can eat all the conch you'd like freshly pulled from the waters...it's great! Check out this site....

http://www.google.com/search?q=grace+bay+providenciales+turks+%26+caicos+islands&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7PRFA_en&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=TUyPT83nG-Wf6AGAqfmNBA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CGUQ_AUoAQ&biw=991&bih=529

We were lucky enough to spend one week there - it was the best vacation of our lives!! Absolutely amazing! We are going to be stopping in Grand Turk in Sept., and know that it will be nothing like Provo, but water will be gorgeous nonetheless. Thinking about renting a golf cart to tour and find some out of the way beaches.

[bahama daydreamer]

We brought 2 back from the graveyard last year. The farther down the beach you go the better they are. Do wear shoes as you will be walking through lots of broken shells.

[TrqoisWtrs]

I love seafood but not raw.

 

If you get a chance, you should at least try this. We also did an excursion in Cayman where they caught some live conch and made conch ceviche. OMG. So yummy. Lime juice, onion, salt & pepper and fresh conch, served on saltines on a beautiful beach. Can't get much better than that.

 

You can make ceviche with other seafood too. Just google for a recipe.

[Christisrisen]

We must check this out- our son loves colllecting sea shells :O)

[MissRabbit]

this is awesome information. I've gotten a conch from Jamaica and 2 from Nevis, so it'll be nice to add one from Grand Turk to the collection.

[jms2362]

If you get a chance, you should at least try this. We also did an excursion in Cayman where they caught some live conch and made conch ceviche. OMG. So yummy. Lime juice, onion, salt & pepper and fresh conch, served on saltines on a beautiful beach. Can't get much better than that.

 

You can make ceviche with other seafood too. Just google for a recipe.

 

Lemon or limes cook the seafood from the acid in them