Aloha Wes-- Happy New Year and hope you had a good holiday season.  Can't
believe it's over and can't believe it's only 4 weeks before we go to Fiji.
We'll be there from 2/4 - 2/19 and are looking forward to finding some great
shells.  Since this is our first experience with Pacific shells, anything we
find will be thrilling to us.  We're going to spend 5 days on Taveuni at the
Garden Island Resort, 4 days and 3 nights on a Blue Lagoon Cruise up to the
Yasawas, 3 days at the Plantation Resort on Malololailai and the rest of the
time on Viti Levu.  Glad to hear you liked the Garden Island Resort.  We'll look
for that small island off the resort.  We've changed our plans about
Kadavu--mostly based on your comments.  We'll save it for another time.  Still
can't find the Fisheries Bureau letter on the net.  My system won't let me
access it for some reason.  Will keep trying.  Have a couple questions for you
about handling cones since you have shelled down Fiji way.  I'll probably put
this out for the general Conch-L population too.  Do you know how to handle and
pick up cones that are poisonous/deadly?  We've never collected live cones
before and want to make sure we don't get hurt (or killed!)  Do you need
protective gloves or do you use tongs?  Where are their likely habitats?  I've
heard under dead pieces of reef and also in sand where you can find them by hand
dredging.  How do you get them home?  Any tips you can give us about handling
would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again.  Kathy
 
>>> "Wesley M. Thorsson" <[log in to unmask]> 12/22/97 02:03pm >>>
Kathleen:
 
I have been in Fiji a number of times, usually enroute to other islands,
but normally spend a day or so there.
 
About 25 years ago, we found quite a few shells snorkeling off a number
of beaches, particularly near Korolevu.  The highway often is far from
the shoreline and not easy to get to the beach, but we always found
someplace and some shells. (The highway at the time was an endless
string of potholes).
 
The highway has improved drastically.  However, 15 years later in the
same places even the common shells were very much more scarce.
 
In the last few years we have stayed at Taveuni at the Garden Island
resort and enjoyed it.  There were quite a few beach shells, and some
shells snorkeling, particularly at a small island off the resort.  My
main camera broke, and I make photographic trips so mainly touristed.
 
Also spent a week on Kandavu, found some shells snorkeling and some
diving, but not fabulous.  Generally, I haven't found shells to be
abundant at any of the places I have been in Fiji in recent years.
 
There never was any problem with customs or others about collecting, and
even the dive shops I used were not strongly against collecting in
moderation if you didn't harm the corals that are important to tourist
divers.
 
If you want documentation, you could copy the letter I got from Fsheries
Bureau in Fiji.  It is on the Internet HSN
  http://www.hits.net/~hsn
 
Aloha,
 
Wes