Explore the unexplored. View some of the world''s most beautiful sea shells from one of the Caribbean''s richest molluscan habitats: A Grenadine Shelling Adventure

Written by: Kathleen E. Hoover
Publication Date: November 10, 2009

---

 

At 2 p.m. on November 18, 2009 Robert Masino will present a program titled, A Grenadine Shelling Adventure to Union Island.  Robert has completed 150 shell collection trips and 2600 night-dives, so it’s not surprising that he refers to the ocean as his second home.  He has dedicated much of his adult life exploring and recording the special moments of a thirty-year association with the Caribbean molluscan fauna.

 

“I can't remember a time when I wasn't interested in seashells. I enjoy finding them, watching their behavior, and photographing them. When I was in high school in New York City, I wrote a paper on the seashells of Long Island, New York, an early hint of what was to come, even before my first chance to dive a reef in 1986,” reported Masino.

 

Robert Masino is a freelance photographer and writer. His website, NakedConchology.com, features photography of his joys in discovering the shells of beautiful tropical islands and he shares rare glimpses into the secret lives of Caribbean mollusks.

 

Masino’s Shell Museum program will explore the unexplored and view some of the World's most beautiful sea shells from one of the Caribbean's richest molluscan habitats.

 

Located just 40 miles south of St. Vincent, Union Island, the "cross - roads" of the Grenadines, is often called "Little Tahiti" due to its high, almost vertical peaks which, on a clear day, are visible from St. Vincent's capital of Kingstown.

                            

The town of Clifton is a bustling place by Grenadine standards. The open - air market bustles with Unionites and a sprinkling of tourists filtering in and out of local art stores and fruit marts.

                             

Along its shore, pastel wooden guest cottages are hidden among fruit trees and bougainvilleas. Union Island's landscape is one of the most picturesque in the Grenadines.

 

This untouched, unspoiled and undeveloped island in the southern Caribbean is a haven for flourishing colonies of the rare and stunning Conus cedonulli dominicanus where it seeks refuge beneath the rich sand of quiet bays. The pure, crystalline waters and rich volcanic sand are doubtless responsible for their local success.

 

Explore the unexplored, and view some of the World's most beautiful sea shells from one of the Caribbean's richest molluscan habitats.

 

The program is free with Museum admission.  For additional information, call Diane, Orvis Thomas at 239.395.2233.

 

 

<< Previous Page