Grand Turk - conch shells

[beshears]

I had never been to Grand Turk (don't remember) before. Yes, I would say the Space Shuttle and the whale may be new in the center,or the surrounding area of the center. I'm glad you found your shell/s also. You know they say when you "knit/crochet" there should always be a flaw, so if our shells are not perfect, we can STILL be happy with them. :)

[mitsugirly]

Here is a map and it will show you the location.

 

(It's number 14 on the map)

 

[mitsugirly]

Carnival Corporation built a cruise ship port at the south end of Grand Turk in 2006.

 

 

This was built (opened) in the beginning of 2011 I believe.

 

 

Grand Turk Cruise Center and the community of Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands celebrated the grand opening of a unique exhibit commemorating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mercury space program and the historic 1962 splashdown of the Friendship 7 capsule off the coast of Grand Turk.

 

Located on the south side of the Grand Turk Cruise Center, the free exhibit features amazing replicas unique to the Mercury space program, including a scaled 20-foot-tall Atlas rocket and a full-size, three-dimensional replica of astronaut John Glenn in spacesuit, and, of course, a detailed replica of the Friendship 7 capsule, which splashed into the Atlantic in 1962, a few short miles from the island of Grand Turk.

 

 

 

Storyboards at the exhibit depict the accomplishments of the NASA space program and detail the differences in space equipment of yesterday and today while offering an overview of the current space program and future plans.

[pghsteelerfan]

I had never been to Grand Turk (don't remember) before. Yes, I would say the Space Shuttle and the whale may be new in the center,or the surrounding area of the center. I'm glad you found your shell/s also. You know they say when you "knit/crochet" there should always be a flaw, so if our shells are not perfect, we can STILL be happy with them. :)

 

I agree...the flaws are actually what make them even better and give them each a unique "personality". :)

 

Carnival Corporation built a cruise ship port at the south end of Grand Turk in 2006.

 

 

This was built (opened) in the beginning of 2011 I believe.

 

 

Grand Turk Cruise Center and the community of Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands celebrated the grand opening of a unique exhibit commemorating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Mercury space program and the historic 1962 splashdown of the Friendship 7 capsule off the coast of Grand Turk.

 

Located on the south side of the Grand Turk Cruise Center, the free exhibit features amazing replicas unique to the Mercury space program, including a scaled 20-foot-tall Atlas rocket and a full-size, three-dimensional replica of astronaut John Glenn in spacesuit, and, of course, a detailed replica of the Friendship 7 capsule, which splashed into the Atlantic in 1962, a few short miles from the island of Grand Turk.

 

 

 

Storyboards at the exhibit depict the accomplishments of the NASA space program and detail the differences in space equipment of yesterday and today while offering an overview of the current space program and future plans.

 

Thanks for the map with the exact location...we walked right past where it is now located since that is exactly how we got to the "graveyard" side of the beach. I'm sure we'd have seen it if it had been built when we were there. Since that was May 2010, it was either under construction (can't remember if there was construction at the time) or not even started yet. We'll see it for certain next time. Thanks again. :)

[beshears]

The map is nice, but to me, it is easier to say it is just a few feet from the Space Shuttle and the big whale.

[kona_wahine]

We went on an excursion where they cleaned a conch and gave us a taste. We got to chatting about the shells. We were told the "graveyard" are actually old shells. The one they cleaned was nice, bright and shiny. They gave it to a lady in the excursion. You can usually buy them if you go the opposite way on the beach. I've bought from locals both times. The shells I bought were gorgeous. I did pick one up at the graveyard. It's certainly not a beauty but it's more a sentimental thing.

[mitsugirly]

We went on an excursion where they cleaned a conch and gave us a taste. We got to chatting about the shells. We were told the "graveyard" are actually old shells. The one they cleaned was nice, bright and shiny. They gave it to a lady in the excursion. You can usually buy them if you go the opposite way on the beach. I've bought from locals both times. The shells I bought were gorgeous. I did pick one up at the graveyard. It's certainly not a beauty but it's more a sentimental thing.

 

Of course they are old shells...unless someone came and dumped some there that same morning. I'm sure they are shells from around the island where people/restaurants serving conch on their menu go to dump the shells...where they sit and the ocean runs up on them, decaying them and critters declare them as their new home and such. :D So you will never get a "new" shell unless you are on a trip or somewhere that they freshly catch it, take the conch out and hand to you. The ones you purchase in stores and on the side of the road in places are also "old" that have been cleaned up and polished to make it pretty. :)

[pghsteelerfan]

 

Just couldn't resist. :D

 

One of my Grand Turk graveyard "keepers" from 2010.

[SMSACE6]

Yes as long as there's not a live creature in it....not a pleasant smell when it starts to rot :eek:

 

:o I found this out the hard way....on an airplane:o

 

I sure got some "stink eye" looks:D Pun intended:D

 

it was a long time ago...I was young and stupid, learned my lesson. Was also not a conch shell, but just a few random pretty shells I picked up on the beach, the morning before my flight home.

Edited May 31, 2015 by SMSACE6

[beshears]

Kona, I agree with you. When I picked up my shell (no it was not perfect), I was HAPPY because I had found it, and it was what I was looking for. :)

 

Yes, I could have paid for a "perfect" shell, but then it wouldn't have had as much meaning to me, as if "I" had found it, like I did in the graveyard.

[Juligan]

How did you get that onboard without it breaking? It looks very fragile.

[Juligan]

here's a photo.

 

 

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How did you get those onboard in one piece? They look fragile

[Cruzlover7]

How did you get those onboard in one piece? They look fragile

 

 

 

I put each sea fan in a magazine and the others lightly wrapped in my towel. Only one sand dollar broke on the plane ride home. Here is a picture of how they are displayed along with some of my wooden carvings collected from the islands.

 

 

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[mitsugirly]

I put each sea fan in a magazine and the others lightly wrapped in my towel. Only one sand dollar broke on the plane ride home. Here is a picture of how they are displayed along with some of my wooden carvings collected from the islands.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

OMG, that's beautiful! :) <3

[Cruzlover7]

OMG, that's beautiful! :) <3

 

 

 

Thanks Mitsugirly! I look at it everyday to relive the days on the beach. Someday I hope to retire and live at the beach.

 

 

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[Profix]

here's a photo.

 

 

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These are pretty awesome can you tell me which beach you were able to find these at?

 

thank you

[Cruzlover7]

I found them on Grand Turk. We went to a beach club (forgot name) we took a taxi to get there.

[VAL57SMITH]

This is the first I have ever seen someone post there's not a conch graveyard here now.

 

Can anyone confirm this?

 

Back in 2007 there was a enormous conch graveyard. The last time I was there in 2013, there was hardly anything left.

[pghsteelerfan]

Just a heads up regarding bringing sea shells back onboard Carnival ships. I posted on another thread about two months ago, so will post here as well. In February, Carnival's spokes person, John Heald, announced on his social media page that sea shells were not allowed unless it was purchased in port and receipt for it can be provided. This is the actual quote: "Please don't try and bring sea shells on the ships - they are not allowed and we have to throw them back into the sea before departure. Cheers." His following comment was, in all caps: "I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IF YOU PURCHASED THEM AND HAVE A RECEIPT THAT YOU CAN BRING THEM ON THE SHIP." I'm just glad we were able to get to Grand Turk in 2010 when this was still allowed, so I was able to keep mine.

 

I have seen reports of other cruise lines confiscating them from people when getting back on the ships, so I'm now not sure which cruise lines allow passengers to bring them back.

[beshears]

I cannot tell you if there is a conch graveyard or not, but last year there was when I brought back a nice big shell. As I was with 7 others, we got us a SUV and drove to a beach, and found our "own" shells. I was told we could not bring them back, but all of us who had shells, they never took them away. Maybe because they were HID good???

[pghsteelerfan]

I cannot tell you if there is a conch graveyard or not, but last year there was when I brought back a nice big shell. As I was with 7 others, we got us a SUV and drove to a beach, and found our "own" shells. I was told we could not bring them back, but all of us who had shells, they never took them away. Maybe because they were HID good???

 

Next cruise we take, I'll definitely be doing some "hiding" myself. Some smuggle alcohol, so maybe start smuggling shells. Glad you got yours back on the ship. :D

[beshears]

All I know is we did not pack the shells in on bags that we carry on the flight, and maybe that is the reason there was no problem. I even brought back sand dollars, and my d-i-l did too, but these were not from the grave yard, but a beach that we went to when driving around. I know last year the conch graveyard did have shells, and some big ones as well. I wound up with a nice blue one, and it is in the middle of all my other shells on my living room floor. :)

[Nitemare]

What I'm reading is:

 

Screw the rules and why they are there, I'm getting what *I* want and to heck with everyone else!

[pghsteelerfan]

What I'm reading is:

 

Screw the rules and why they are there, I'm getting what *I* want and to heck with everyone else!

 

Well, according to Carnival's website, the *rules* (yes, these rules that we are breaking or plotting to break) still state that it is OK to bring them back on board as long as they appear clean/sanitized (see the last item under the exemptions list): https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2261/~/carnival-cruise-line-additional-prohibited-items%2C-exemptions-and-other

 

When we were down at the graveyard in 2010, all the shells I saw on that beach were cleaned out and empty with no smell and many bleached white from being beached and sitting in the sun. They weren't dirty and had no smell from animal residue. We had no problem getting them back on and we weren't "hiding" them...they went right through the scanner and nothing was said.

 

 

This is a new rule and Carnival's spokesperson mentioned it on his social media page about two months ago and others followed up with comments confirming that they had shells (and in a few cases, sea glass) that were confiscated when getting back on board. BUT not everyone who sails on Carnival follows his page. Of course, when people questioned "why" this new rule was being put into place and enforced, there was never any reason given. If Carnival is going to start changing/enforcing rules in regards to sea shells being brought back on their ships, then they really need to get their website updated and list sea shells collected from beaches in ports under the prohibited items. That is the main reason I posted the "heads up" that Carnival was no longer allowing them back onboard...so that people would no ahead of time!

 

As for screwing the rules and why they are there, getting what *I* want and to heck with everyone else...can you prove that you have never driven above the speed limit or rolled through a stop sign. Have you gone through your whole adult life without breaking a rule? Again, not looking for an argument, but make sure you have a perfectly clean slate before calling others out.

Edited April 5, 2017 by pghsteelerfan

[beshears]

All I can say is I was NOT trying to hide anything when I came from Grand Turk/Cacios bringing the sand dollars, shells,nor anyone else did either, as they were in our beach bags, and they went under the screen when we got on ship. These had not been setting out in the sun a long time, but there wasn't really much smell to them, like some might have. Who knows. ;)