Who built them and for what purpose is a mystery.
Minutes later Joshua emerged and described to his father the strange discovery they had made.
Neither there were any tales of its construction.
It is estimated that there are 4.6 million shells in the grottos walls and ceilings.
With no proper scientific study, its impossible to say when the grotto was built.
A story such as this would have been impossible to be forgotten in a mere hundred years.
There is also evidence that the grotto was repaired multiple times.
Regrettably, the present status of the grotto is not very good.
The passages were lit by gas lamps for far too long, causing the shells to blacken from soot.
Then there is the problem of water leakage.
Humidity inside the grotto has damaged the shell mosaic.
The Shell Grotto is currently looked after by a non-profit called The Friends of the Shell Grotto.
