Cayman Islands Turtle Farm
It is an appropriate place to have a farm like this in a place like this.
Columbas called the islands "Las Tortugas" because there were so many
turtles in the seas surrounding them. Sadly, mainly because of man's
deprivations, turtles are by no means so numerous.
The idea of a turtle farm started to come to life in 1968 when a marine
biologist managed to interest people in the potential of commercial and
conservational aspect of farming turtles. Eggs gathered in various places in the
Caribbean were brought to Cayman where they were hatched in an area which had
been created to be as much like the turtles' natural environment as possible.
Partially-grown turtles were being released into Cayman waters as early as 1978.
The Turtle Farm provides the local market with turtle meat and it also provides
the seas around Cayman with young turtles.
There are a number of huge breeding males and females, which have access to
sandy beaches in which the eggs can be laid and buried. The eggs are later
removed and placed in incubators, where they are carefully hatched. The baby
turtles are placed in tanks where they grow quite quickly, being moved from tank
to tank as they grow until they reach the age and size at which they can be
eaten or released.
About 3000 a year are used for meat. The shells of these are used for jewellery
and decoration and the sales of these goods helps to maintain the other part of
the work, the releasing of at least 4000 young turtles into their natural
habitat. (Perhaps the loss of trade in these artifacts brought about by the
blanket ban of the importation of such goods by the United States could have the
opposite effect to the desired one. Loss of income could lead to a lessening of
the number of turtles released.)
The
farm is well worth a visit. It is open from 9am to 5am seven days a week and the
US$5.00 admission fee for adults helps to support the venture.
You can follow the life cycle of the turtle from the egg to the steak (or, if
you are squeamish, from the egg back to the sea.) There is even a tank where you
are welcome to pick up a live turtle - just the kind of thing to photograph to
show off at home.
Visit the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm Official Homepage
www.turtle.ky
