Hi ya'll

Me and 2 of my friends are possibly planning a cruise to the Western Caribbean. The places we would be visiting are Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Mexico, Belize, and Isla Roatan. We are very excited but I was just wondering if you can keep the shells you find at any of these locations. I know some countries have strict policies. Please let me know! We are planning to cruise on the Carnival "Legend" so any information about the particular ship and any of the locations will be appreciated greatly!!!!

Thanks, Jaymee

<b>NO, NO, and NO again!</b> Not only is it illegal to take natural objects from the protected waters in these islands, most of the shells still have living creatures inside that you will kill.......and they will get really, really, really smelling in your luggage before you get home. You'll end up tossing them because of the awful stink and will have destroyed a beautiful living creature for no reason.

Look at it this way -- about a million and two people visit those same beaches every week - week after week, year after year, if they all felt the way you do and took home just one little shell - YOU and your friends would find a completely empty ocean. What fun would that be? It always seems harmless to take just one or two pretty shells, but if you get to take them, then so does everyone else and that won't leave much for the next group to see - not to mention the next generation.

Take pictures instead. The little underwater cameras are easy, cheap and really fun.

I think Jaymee meant the EMPTY shells on the beach. If people didn't collect those, the beach would be totally covered with shells--impossible to walk on!! That's what Christmas Island (on the equator) was like when we visited.

The companies that make jewelry, and other items from empty shells surely collect them from the beaches!!

Lots of people do collect empty shells from the beach. If you are on a beach that is a National Park or Marine park there will be a sign that prohibits taking anything at all from there. I agree with lindam - if they are emply bleached out shells it would be fine.

Well, I still say, if <U>everyone</U> collects the "empty" shells, those beautiful beaches would be......EMPTY.

Just don't make the mistake of putting those nice empty seashell you collected into a fresh water fish tank.
Corals are definitely illegal. Most "dead" seashells are not with some conch type being exceptions. It also depends on the location of the beach (National park, World heritage site etc), the country and where you bring your seashell to (your hoke country)
I am not going to be judgemental here, how about take a close up picture of a sea shell at its natural habitat?