The Bahamas Conch

Bahamas snorkeling tours are full of amazing sights, some flashier than others. While sharks, dolphins, and bright tropical fish may be attention-getting, they are only a small part of the vast ecosystem that can be found underwater. Smaller, quieter animals such as the Bahamas Conch deserve just as much attention, as they are both fascinating and beautiful when they are spotted in their natural habitat.

Conch Physical Features:

Conchs are actually large sea snails. The specie of conch most often found in the Bahamas is the Queen Conch. Its shell is a soft pink color on the inside and generally a more brownish yellow color externally. The shell doesn't develop until the juvenile conch is a few months old, and even then it differs from that of an adult. One main difference is that the juvenile's shell is missing the lip that keeps an older conch's shell from rolling.

It can take over three years for a conch's shell to fully form, and up to five years to reach full adult size and maturity, but when the shell is finally ready it is undoubtedly very beautiful. It is covered in spikes, ridges, and horns, and can host other sea life on it, including coral. Each shell is unique, and the marine life that grows on it only adds to its charm. One way to estimate the age of a conch is to look at the thickness of the lip of its shell - younger conch's have thinner, more fragile lips, while an older conch's shell is visible thicker and stronger.

Conch's can live up to thirty or forty years, though they usually only last a third that long. They are impressively large, though not intimidatingly so, and can weigh up to five pounds and be a foot long.

Conch Habitat:

Unfortunately the habitat of the Bahamas Conch is being threatened, and their numbers have been decreasing over the past couple of decades. Conch's prefer to live in shallow, sandy waters. They are often found in seagrass beds, where they can more easily get enough to eat, as well as coral reefs. They prefer warm tropical waters and are most often found near a coast.

Geographically they are known to live in the warm waters off the South Florida coastline, as well as that of Bermuda and the Bahamas. They can also be found further south, along the north-eastern coast of South America. While their propensity to enjoy habitats that mirror those preferred by divers and snorkelers make them easier to spot, it has also made them more vulnerable to overfishing.

Conch Eating Habits:

When conch are young and vulnerable, before their shell finishes forming, they only venture out from under the sandy ocean bottom at night to feed. In fact, they spend about the first year of their life burrowed down into the sand at the ocean's bottom. Young or old however, conch's are herbivores who enjoy feeding on seagrass and algae, and can often be found in seagrass beds.