So onto Grand Cayman our boat sailed. I was amazed at how beautiful this island is. The first thing I noticed as I got off the boat is how clean everything is. The roads, the beaches, the water, everything. The man who drove our taxi to the beach said that much of the income for the island is from tourism, and with 4 or 5 cruise ships a day, that’s a lot of income. This is how Grand Cayman can maintain such pristine conditions. But before I get excited and get a head of myself, let’s talk first about the islands.
The Cayman Islands are a small chain of islands made up of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. These islands are just west of Jamaica and south of Cuba, and are known worldwide for their unbeatable scuba and snorkeling sites. Grand Cayman island is famous for its sea turtle hatchery and Stingray City, where tourists can snorkel or wade into shallow water and meet stingrays up close. That includes feeding and touching them! It is also the only place in the world you can find the critically endangered Blue Iguana. These animals are bred at certain facilities and then hopefully, eventually, they are released into the wild. Like many elusive and endangered animals, I didn’t get to see any of these animals while visiting Grand Cayman. I can show you a place I did visit though:
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, British West Indies
This is Seven Mile Beach. While it’s not quite seven miles long, this famous stretch of beach on the west side of Grand Cayman Island is home to many condominiums, hotels, resorts, bars, and presumably, some sea turtles. Follow Seven Mile Beach all the way north to the point near West Bay, and you will find the famous Cayman Turtle Farm at Boatswains Beach. Now at first, when you hear the term “farm” you think of raising animals for human consumption. And you would be partially right. Historically, sea turtles were an important source of meat in Grand Cayman. Sailors would even stop over and load up on tutles that they could keep on their ship as a source of food. Even today, people in Grand Cayman do still consume turtle meat, but this turtle farm has another purpose.
The Cayman Turtle Farm is doing its part to breed sea turtles and to educate people about their current crisis. Turtles are bred at the facility and then headstarted, which means that they aren’t released right away but rather raised for a period of time until they are ready to be independent. Visitors to the farm can see turtles up close, touch the turtles, and some lucky ones even get to release them into the ocean with their own hands. Jealous!!
Baby Sea Turtle, Cayman Turtle Farm
Port Authority, photo from www.kentwarman.com