The Caicos Conch Farm is located at the tip of Leeward Settlements. It is easily reachable from any part of the Turks and Caicos Islands. For instance, there are only 15km between the farm and the popular COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos which is on the main island. You can opt for a tour of the farm which lasts for about 3 minutes. As there is nothing but conchs to see and admire, this time duration is quite sufficient for an educational experience. The farm raises conchs from veliger to the stage of an adult. The tour includes taking you through different stages of growth of each conch and explaining the process of raising. The farm is spread across an area of about 10 acres, where there is an egg hatchery, a place for the metamorphosis, and an area dedicated to the post-larval development. There are also 80 grow-out ponds on the shore and 150 pens off-shore. The importance of the farm lies in its place in Caribbean customs. The Queen conch has always been a key element of the Caribbean diet, while the shell of the conch has made itself useful in making weapons, tools, jewellery, and as raw material for constructions.
Although you could have seen a Queen conch from virtually any Caribbean luxury resort once upon a time, overfishing has made the species into an endangered one. While there are rules and regulations in place to avoid this situation, they are not as effective as they should be. Thus, the Caicos Conch Farm helps not only to increase awareness of these species but also helps the continuation of its natural life by farming them commercially. Thus, paying them a visit while you are in Turks and Caicos Islands will not only improve your knowledge about a species of aquatic animal that you usually do not come across, but you would also be contributing to preserving a small but vital part of nature for the future generations.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.