Actually Betty, pearl diving still takes place around those islands. There is a family in Porlamar that has been in the business for over a hundred years. I bought some lovely pearls from them (but their house is very difficult to find). The best luck at shelling I had was on the northwest tip of the island in Punta Arenas, but I still remember Playa el Agua with great fondness. I would go back there in a minute! Sue in Denver