Conch – pronounced Konk – is a familiar staple on many Caribbean menus and Cayman is no exception. Officially a member of the gastropod family, the meat of this seafood can be eaten raw in salads but more commonly it’s found cooked in fritters , marinated or as part of a seafood stew or chowder.

Here in Cayman, Conch season runs from 1^st November to 31^st April and there is a catch limit of five per person or ten per boat per day, whichever is fewer. Nobody may purchase or receive more than five conch from Cayman waters per day, because populations had decreased drastically due to overfishing.

However, when caught sustainably, there is no reason why this meat should not be a part of everyone’s diet. Elsewhere in the Caribbean there are even conch festivals, such as in Turks & Caicos, where restauranteurs compete for the best or most original conch dish. Grenada is fond of using it in curries or spicier soups and in Puerto Rico they prefer marinating it in orange juice in a ceviche.

Aside from the meat, the shells are quite beautiful and often used for superb artisan jewellery – check out Caymanian talent at the craft market for some of the artwork produced there. The full shell itself is famous too for being a wind instrument similar to a hunting horn or trumpet; here in Cayman it’s long been used as a signal and to open festivals such as Cayman Brac’s Pirates Week. Rarest of all are the pearls which range in colour from white, brown and orange to the gorgeous and most recognizable pink pearls so beloved here in the Caribbean.