What is a Key West Conch?
When people speak of the Key West Conch, they may be referring to the large sea snail that lives in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico surrounding the Florida Keys. But most often the term refers to Key West natives—the first settlers and the long-time residents of Key West.
Americans loyal to the British crown after the war, Tories, were not very popular, so they fled the southern states to the next British colony, the Bahamas. Unfortunately, the British Parliament started taxing the Bahamians on their food just like they taxed Bostonians on their tea. The Bahamians said they’d rather eat conch than pay taxes and that is just what they did. They came up with 27 different ways to eat this animal.
Throughout the years, many came to know and use the term Conch to describe the locals, and those who made the island their home were proud to be nicknamed Key West Conchs.
Conch vs. Fresh Water Conch
“To this day if you are born in Key West you are a conch. If you are born elsewhere but live here seven years you become a fresh water conch.”
The Conch Republic
April 1982
The story continues when in April of 1982, the city of Key West declared itself the Conch Republic. This historic event was an act of protest against the United States Border Patrol when a blockade was set-up on US Highway 1, just north of the entrance into the Florida Keys. Visitors and residents alike were stopped, asked for identification and forced to prove their American citizenship. An uproar ensued—how could the United States shut-off the only land route into the Keys? Key West tourism suffered and as such the economy in the Keys began to decline.
Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow and several determined Key Conchs went to Federal court in Miami to seek an injunction to stop the federal blockade. When their plea was denied, the Mayor told TV reporters that the following day the Florida Keys would secede from the Union. The next day, as promised, Mayor Wardlow stood in Mallory Square and led the Conch Republic Rebellion which lasted approximately one minute and was followed by a surrender to the US Navy Admiral in Key West.
Dual Citizenship
Although these events took place many years ago, the name Conch Republic stuck and those who live in the Florida Keys officially hold dual citizenship — they are American Citizens and Conchs!
Today, visitors to Key West are likely to meet an assortment of interesting Conchs out and around town – and if you’re in the mood for even more adventures, stop by a local watering hole for a refreshing cocktail and a smoldering bowl of authentic Key West Conch chowder. And don’t miss the best conch fritters which you can find at Mallory Square.
Other Fun Key West Facts
To this day if you are born in Key West you are a conch. If you are born elsewhere but live here for seven years you become a freshwater conch.
Conchs who live in the waters surrounding the Florida Keys are an endangered and protected species. The conchs we consume come from The Bahamas.
Our Key West High School teams are the “Fighting Conchs”, our girls’ drill team is the “Conchettes” and our sidewalks are… “conchcrete”! If you have ever tried to remove a conch from its shell, you understand the name – Fighting Conchs.
In Key West when a baby is born, a conch shell is placed on a stick outside. If it is point end up, it is a boy. If it is open end up, it is a girl.
The conch is really a sea animal in a large shell – something like a giant snail. The meat is edible and used to make conch fritters, conch salad, and conch chowder.
The foods we call island cuisine are actually Bahamian in origin – Foods like conch chowder, conch fritters, conch steaks and conch salad. Even the nickname conch comes from early settlers.
A conch (pronounced in the U.S.A. as “konk” or “conch”) is one of a number of different species of medium-sized to large saltwater snails or their shells. “True conchs” are marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, and the genus Strombus.
The name “conch” is often quite loosely applied in English-speaking countries to several kinds of very large sea snail shells which are pointed at both ends, i.e. shells that have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal. These other species include the crown conch Melongena species; the horse conch Pleuroploca gigantea; and the chank shell, Turbinella species. None of these are true conchs; they are all in other taxonomic families.
It is spelled CONCH…but it’s pronounced “konk”…like a “konk” on the noggin. It is a member of the mollusk family. And that’s how we acquired the nickname “conchs”.
Conch is the name for a tropical, marine gastropod having a heavy, spiral shell, the whorl of which overlaps each other. The typical gastropod foot is reduced in size and the horny plate (operculum) located at the end of the foot has the appearance and function of a claw. The shell ranges in color from white to red. Conchs are a valuable food source.
Conch, island and coast dwellers are called “conch” to distinguish them from “crackers” who settle on farms in the interior. The “conchs” know the sea and live by it and love it and are seldom content to live in inland localities. (William C. Harllee)
If you have a fish tank, you should never put live conch shells inside the tank. Live conchs will kill and eat everything.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies features frequent references to “The Conch”. In the book the conch is used to call everyone together and held by whoever is speaking at meetings, symbolically representing democracy and order. When the tyrannical Jack (antagonist of the book) smashes the conch to pieces, it is a sign that civilized order has collapsed and Jack’s domination has begun.
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Conch Tour Train Tickets
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Since 1958, the Conch Tour Train has treated guests to a close-up view of the Southernmost City’s most popular places including Mallory Square, The Harry S. Truman Little White House, Overseas Railroad Museum, the Key West Aquarium and more. While on the tour, your engineer offers an interesting and amusing narrative filled with historical facts, trivia and humor, and recounts fascinating stories of the colorful people that make Key West so unique.
- 60-minute tour of the Conch Republic
- One full loop through Old Town Key West
- Open-air sightseeing perfect for taking pictures
- FREE Two Guided Walking Tours included
- FREE admission to the Sails to Rails Museum included with ticket
- FREE coupons worth up to $50 in discounts
- FREE Full color map
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TOUR KEY WEST AND TWO TOP ATTRACTIONS
Since 1958, the Conch Tour Train has treated guests to a close-up view of the Southernmost City’s most popular places. While on the tour, your engineer offers an interesting and amusing narrative filled with historical facts, trivia and humor, and recounts fascinating stories of the colorful people that make Key West so unique.
Discover the undersea world at the Key West Aquarium. A Window of Wonder comes alive as expert guides explain the mysteries of the water surrounding the Florida Keys.
Journey back to the mid-19th century in the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Highlights include displays and video presentations on the history of wreck salvage in the Florida Keys and the sinking of the legendary Isaac Allerton.
- Conch Tour Train:
- 60-minute tour of the Conch Republic
- One full loop through Old Town Key West
- FREE Two Guided Walking Tours included
- FREE admission to the Sails to Rails Museum included with ticket
- FREE coupons worth up to $50 in discounts
- Key West Aquarium:
- Daily turtle feedings
- Touch Tank offers guests hands on experience
- A wide variety of fish including grouper, moray eels, barracuda, tropical fish and more
- Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum:
- Discover the world of Shipwrecking
- Hear the story of the Isaac Allerton which wrecked off Key West
- Climb a 65' Captain's Observatory
- Attraction tickets do not have to be used on the same day
Save up
to 9%
to 9%
TOUR KEY WEST AND TWO MUSEUMS
Since 1958, the Conch Tour Train has treated guests to a close-up view of the Southernmost City’s most popular places. While on the tour, your engineer offers an interesting and amusing narrative filled with historical facts, trivia and humor, and recounts fascinating stories of the colorful people that make Key West so unique.
Visit Florida’s only presidential museum at the Harry S. Truman Little White House built on the waterfront of the harbor of Key West.
Journey back to the mid-19th century in the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum. Highlights include displays and video presentations on the history of wreck salvage in the Florida Keys and the sinking of the legendary Isaac Allerton.
- Conch Tour Train:
- 60-minute tour of the Conch Republic
- One full loop through Old Town Key West
- FREE Two Guided Walking Tours included
- FREE admission to the Sails to Rails Museum included with ticket
- FREE coupons worth up to $50 in discounts
- Harry S. Truman Little White House:
- See the home Harry S. Truman came to relax and rest
- Visit where Eisenhower recuperated from his heart attack in 1956
- Thomas Edison resided here during World War I
- Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum:
- Discover the world of Shipwrecking
- Hear the story of the Isaac Allerton which wrecked off Key West
- Climb a 65' Captain's Observatory
- Attraction tickets do not have to be used on the same day
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