She also loves to find shells on the beach. Does anyone know the best place for this on Grand Cayman? Presumably NOT Seven Mile Beach because it's so busy and groomed daily?
And thanks for the good wishes, everybody. She's just completed her cancer therapy (for neuroblastoma) and is looking and feeling well. Now it's just wait-and-see and hope that it doesn't grow again.
She also loves to find shells on the beach. Does anyone know the best place for this on Grand Cayman? Presumably NOT Seven Mile Beach because it's so busy and groomed daily?
And thanks for the good wishes, everybody. She's just completed her cancer therapy (for neuroblastoma) and is looking and feeling well. Now it's just wait-and-see and hope that it doesn't grow again.
Very happy to hear about your daughter. I wanted to add a little of what I know about shelling in Grand Cayman. I only know because I looked it up because I love to collect shells and seaglass, and know that some places have restrictions. Grand Cayman is one of those places! now what you are picking up. Cayman Islands have a closed season for conch, so you can't take those because you'd need an export permit to remove these shells from the island for about six months of the year. Check to see when the season begins/ends. Some other things folks like to collect are also off limits at all times, which includes sea eggs, starfish, sea cucumbers and sea urchins.
Best times to collect are after a storm. Also look for these highly polished rocks in the water that look pearl-like!
Yes, I had heard about the restrictions on Grand Cayman. None of us wants to remove anything live, just small beach shells, glass, pretty stones - that sort of thing. Does this mean that the shell of a dead sea-urchin found on the beach would also be off-limits?
I had understood that if a tourist tried to take home just one or two previously-harvested conch shells, no-one was likely to object. Is that true?
When I was on Carriacou (about a billion years ago - well, really about thirty-some-odd) there were occasional piles of discarded conch shells on the beaches, each with a single slash where the animal had been severed for removal as food. No-one cared what happened to those shells. It looks like conch is still used as food, so what happens to those shells? It looks like a tourist needs a CITES permit now to remove one from the island.
I guess I should update everybody. We went on our daughter's Wish Trip in November and it was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed Grand Cayman and The Reef (the condo we stayed at). What a beautiful, friendly place. Shells? Not so much. Lots of coral, though. Elise did find one rather grotty conch shell on the beach. She bought a nicer one. She came home with a fun collection of old coral found on the beaches. No-one challenged anything we brought home.
Her health remains good although she's nowhere near out of danger yet. Thank you all so much for your help.
I guess I should update everybody. We went on our daughter's Wish Trip in November and it was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed Grand Cayman and The Reef (the condo we stayed at). What a beautiful, friendly place. Shells? Not so much. Lots of coral, though. Elise did find one rather grotty conch shell on the beach. She bought a nicer one. She came home with a fun collection of old coral found on the beaches. No-one challenged anything we brought home.
Her health remains good although she's nowhere near out of danger yet. Thank you all so much for your help.
That's so great to hear. Pushing lost of positive energy to your daughter so she can swim with dolphins many times again!
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During the cruise, I quickly learned that cruise food is every bit as big of a deal as the cruise itself. And when it comes to dining, the Carnival Miracle does not disappoint.
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