SeaShell Museum in Rocky Point finds new home @ CEDO

The SeaShell Museum in Rocky Point has teamed up with CEDO Intercultural on an exciting collaboration. Indeed, CEDO is the new home for this remarkable private collection of carefully curated seashells and displays! As of October 2025, the SeaShell Museum is just steps away from the lapping waves of the Sea of Cortez, providing more opportunities for seaside guests and locals to enjoy the thrill of discovery.

The new home of the SeaShell Museum blends the collection with CEDO’s over 40 years of experience in education, adventure, and conservation. Additionally, the SeaShell Museum is already one of Trip Advisor’s top spots to visit in the State of Sonora! In its original home, from 2018 until the recent move to CEDO, more than 2700 people from 23 countries had checked in at the SeaShell Museum. Along with visitors from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, this list includes travelers from the Netherlands and Ukraine to the Phillipines, Botswana, Brazil, and Africa, among others. This undoubtedly illustrates a collective global appreciation for the sea and all its wonders!

SeaShell Museum’s Local History

The SeaShell Museum, passion and brainchild of Rocky Point resident Naomi Black, first opened its doors in an off-the-beach neighborhood in town in January of 2018. Naomi had developed the museum over the summer in 2017, together with her late husband, Russ. The meticulously crafted display cases and exhibits of the SeaShell Museum provided an inviting addition to Naomi’s eclectic and vibrant Sea Debris boutique.

What began as a project showcasing the joy of beachcombing along the shores of the Sea of Cortez quickly transformed into a robust and well-researched exhibit, delighting visitors of all ages. Naomi’s creativity, love of seashells, and remarkable investigations blended with Russ’ crafty ingenuity and vibrant spirit. This resulted in a well-developed educational pearl within Rocky Point’s tender shell.

Locally, Russ and Naomi were already well-recognized for years as fervent promoters of Rocky Point through their company “Peñasco Recreation”, as cultural promoters, and for having founded the ever-popular seasonal Mermaids Arts Market. Sadly, Russ passed in 2023, though Naomi’s love for the sea, sands, and shells persisted.

Creative Tides bring together SeaShell Museum & CEDO

A fortuitous whale-watching expedition to Guerrero Negro with Tony’s Mystic Whale Tours in 2024 landed the heart and soul of the SeaShell Museum in a small boat with CEDO Executive Director Nelida Bajaras. The collaborative spirit of the SeaShell Museum founder, paired with that of the CEDO Director, was just the catapult needed to explore ways to further share a love of discovery and wonder for the Sea of Cortez. This timely encounter led to the proposal to move the SeaShell Museum into CEDO’s warm embrace, open to the public, and with ample visiting hours.

Located in Las Conchas on Rocky Point’s eastern shore, CEDO Intercultural has been a marine and desert educational and research center for over 40 years. When driving through this popular and tranquil area of beachside homes and vacation rentals, a striking whale bone perched on a dune outside of CEDO has become a renowned Las Conchas landmark. There is parking in the lot just below the whale-bone, or via the main entry on the beachside.

Blending the stories of seashells into CEDO’s greater mission of education and conservation seems to have rolled in perfectly with the tides. The impressive collection includes 10,804 pieces. This remarkable collection stems from four decades of Naomi’s shell collecting along the seashore, as well as donations from inherited collections granted to the SeaShell Museum. The compact yet inviting space, located just across the courtyard from CEDO’s grand entryway, is now marked with a dedication to Russ, Naomi’s favorite beachcomber. Be sure to stop by the SeaShell Museum at CEDO (as of October 2025) to explore the new displays & exhibits. There is so much to see and enjoy! Don’t forget to check-in and sign the guestbook!