Thomas family helps keep tradition of whelk picking alive on Tortola

TORTOLA — Kaido Thomas recalled that as a boy growing up in Long Look he often would accompany his parents on reefs around the territory during low tides to pick whelks.

As an adult he returned to the tradition of picking whelks two years ago, mostly during weekends, to pass time. “I go to different locations according to the weather, depending on how the sea looks. You can’t go on the reef when the sea is rough. I’ll wait until it’s calm, then I’ll go,” Thomas said.

At times he also picks whelks during weekdays. “People love whelks. I love whelks. I love sea food,” the 39-year-old Thomas said of picking up the tradition he enjoyed as a child with his parents Boyce Thomas and Adina Nibbs.

His mother and his girlfriend, Shameka Durante, joined him on a recent venture. Armed with his gloves and a five-gallon bucket, the trio headed to the Brandywine Bay Reef to pick what has grown into a British Virgin Islands delicacy.