The Cayman Turtle Centre

The Cayman Turtle Centre opened in 1968 and it does two things at once, which is the source of everything written about it. It breeds green turtles and has released tens of thousands into the wild, with genetic studies showing released animals now nesting on Cayman beaches, which is a real contribution to a population that was hunted to near-nothing. It also farms turtles for meat, supplying the local dish that Caymanians have eaten for centuries and which would otherwise come from wild animals. Visitors can hold small turtles, see the breeding pond, and swim in a lagoon with them.

What you actually see

• The breeding pond - adult turtles and the nesting beach behind it.
• The release programme - the tagged animals returned to the wild.
• The touch tanks - juvenile turtles handled by visitors.
• The snorkel lagoon - swimming with turtles and reef fish.

When to go

Year-round; open daily. Cruise days bring large groups in the middle of the day. Mornings are quieter. Feeding times are posted and are when the animals are most active.

Honest expectations

This is a genuinely contested place. Animal welfare organisations have documented crowding, disease and injury in the tanks and campaigned for the farming to stop; the centre disputes the findings and points to the release programme and to reduced pressure on wild turtles. Handling stresses the animals. Turtle meat is on sale. Decide before you buy a ticket rather than after.

Nearby

West Bay and Barkers are nearby; Seven Mile Beach is fifteen minutes south.