Dear Conch-L folks:
 
Here's a shell related question.  In about two months I am planning to
be in Isla Margarita with a small group of shell collectors.  This is a
fairly popular shell collecting destination in the caribbean and should
be well known to some of you.  Since I have never been there, I am now
looking for any helpful information concerning good collecting sites,
interesting places to visit, great restaurants, recommended dive shops,
etc.  Although I have some knowledge of the molluscan fauna, are there
any endemic species that I should be especially interested in finding?
Do any of you have species lists from Isla Margarita which you would be
willing to share?  Any other advice that you wish you had had before you
visited the island?  Any words of caution?  Please feel free to respond
to me personally, or if you think the information would be of common
interest, send it to the entire group.  I have enjoyed receiving and
have printed and saved such information on Conch-L from other
localities.
 
My last posting on Conch-L was a question concerning the San Blas
islands.  I appreciate everyone who responded to me individually and to
the group.  Unfortunately, at the last minute I was unable to go to the
San Blas islands.  Hopefully I will be able to go to Isla Margarita and
will benefit from whatever information yall can provide.
 
Ken Piech
Wilmington, DE
 
P.S.  For those of you who might wonder.  Yes, I am the "son of 'The
Tall One'" and proud of it.  When I was nine, I started collecting
seashells and got my mother interested, since she had to do a fair
amount of the cleaning.  That was 37 years ago, and she is still going
strong.  I am proud of her.