Conchs and a Sea Star

Conchs (pronounced conks) are part of the mollusk family and create beautiful shells. I always thought they lived in their shells and moved into bigger ones as they grew (like hermit crabs), but they don't! They start out like jellyfish and float around, eventually building their shell around them and adding to it as they grow. Thanks, Franklin at Treasure Cay Marina for the info!

It is illegal to possess a conch shell if there is a live conch inside.  You can't even eat conch from the US because years ago, they were overharvested, so if you want to eat local conch, go to a Caribbean island to try it.

Its eyes reminded me of the crab in Moana that sings "Shiny". Every time we looked at the eyes, we'd bust out laughing.

I have always wanted a conch shell and never bought one because I wanted to find one myself. Just the day prior to these pictures, we bought one from the blue roadside store in the previous post. Then we saw these. We looked, but didn't touch. 🐚 Something about creepy crawlies in an undisturbed location gets to me.

 

While we played on Twin Sisters Beach, I saw a small shell, about the size of my fist. Curious, I picked it up and saw there was a live creature inside. Being a teacher, I called the kids over and we started to observe it. We noticed that it was more likely to come out underwater, so we got it to come out and were able to see the whole thing! When it was out of the water, there was a slime of sorts that it seemed to produce and excrete. Not wanting to harm it (or get slimy), we put it back in the sand where the waves were crashing, open side down, just where we found it.

Some serious A House for Hermit Crab vibes. Good thing that was a book we decided to bring on the boat with us!

After leaving our conch friend in the sand, we spent some time playing in the water and snorkeling. The water was so warm and calm, it was a perfect way to finish our afternoon. Everyone was on the hunt to find more marine life, but we weren't having much luck. Another family, exploring and snorkeling by the Twin Sisters boulders, found a sea star. The kids noticed and wanted a closer look at it. They got to feel it and hold it (Bear didn't want to) before the family set it back where it was discovered.

This sea star had long, thin arms. When flipped upside down, we saw all of the tube feet.

When we got back to the boat that night, we learned that conchs live in water and on the sand. The slime is a self-defense mechanism! They use their foot-type appendage to launch themselves into the air. I believe that is what this little guy was trying to do while we were intrigued by him. I love how our travels have taught us so much while inspiring more learning.