lisavinnie

I have planned a family trip to Turks & Caicos in May. A friend just informed me that May is a terrible month to go because the Conch mate on the beach making it difficult for children to go/get to the water. Is there any truth to this? Thanks!

Ted

I think you have the conch mixed up with the thimble jelly fish mating in May & it usually is for only about one week & it can be in April or May but the exact week you never know. I wouldn't worry about it though!

Robert

Lisavinnie; Unfortunately, the Caribbean's Queen conchs are dwindling fast. Don't fret about their mating habits; they reach sexual maturity about age 4, and begin mating between April and August. The female Queen conch lays long, gelatinous ribbons of hundreds of thousands of eggs. They are free floating and aren't on the beach. The young are plankton themselves, and eat other free-floating organisms. The Natural Order gives the Conch larvae only six days to make it to the ocean's bottom habitat of either sediment or seagrass, or they'll never metamorphize into adults. Actually, it would be a great event for your children to witness. Too bad, but homo sapien is depleting the Queen conch population more than crabs, turtles, stingrays, and sharks. We like them to much for their beautiful shells as souvenirs. Of course conch salad, cracked conch, fried conch, conch chowder, and conch fritters aren't bad tasting. Robert