WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Sea Aquarium, the Queen Conch Hatchery, and Corendon Resorts officially launched a pilot project on Wednesday for the reintroduction of the queen conch (Aliger gigas), locally known as karkó, in Corendon Mangrove Bay.  

As part of this project, 20 sea snails (10 male and 10 female) were released on Wednesday into the underwater rocky area of Corendon Mangrove Bay. Prior research has shown that this location offers an excellent feeding ground and habitat for the conch. Specimens were observed in the past in the bay, having made it their natural habitat.

The aim of the pilot, initiated by the Curaçao Sea Aquarium and the Queen Conch Hatchery, is to study whether the released animals can successfully reproduce.   

“Corendon Resorts is pleased to participate in this project. Sustainability and the protection of nature on Curaçao are of great importance to us, and through our collaboration with the Curaçao Seaquarium and the Queen Conch Hatchery, we have established a wonderful partnership,” stated Biray Ogut, Managing Director of Corendon Hotels.  

According to the scientists involved, the outlook is highly promising. The scientists will closely monitor the development and progress of the population through periodic field research and weekly observations during the queen conch’s breeding season, which lasts from July to November.  

The conch is a large seashell from the family Strombidae. The species is common in the Caribbean but is increasingly threatened by overfishing and habitat loss. With this initiative, the partners aim to contribute to the recovery and protection of this iconic species.  

The photos capture the moment the conchs were released. Tourists were eager to assist the scientists in releasing the sea shells.