Backstage Pass: Model Victoria gets up close to the turtles

by VICTORIA ELIZABETH

CTFashionMag.com

The Cayman Turtle Center, the largest and most popular land-based tourist attraction on Grand Cayman, was founded in 1968 as a commercial turtle farm. However, it gradually transitioned into one of the largest turtle conservation and education facilities in the world.

Once considered an endangered species due to hunting, over harvesting of their eggs, and general poaching, green turtles are now federally protected and have experienced a meteoric resurgence in population, largely due to the efforts of groups like the conservation minded people behind the Cayman Turtle Centre.

Located in the pristine and peaceful West Bay in the Grand Caymans, The Cayman Turtle Centre is now home to over 10,000 turtles, providing a haven for these incredible creatures to live a full and enjoyable life, all while providing the legions of guests who travel from around the world with invaluable educational info regarding the species.

Assisted by our knowledgeable and personable tour guide, Benny, who has worked at the Cayman Turtle Centre for some 40 years, the Backstage Pass team was elated for the exclusive opportunity to spotlight this iconic institution. Our tour began with a Birds Eye view of the Breeding Pond, which hosts around 500 turtles (mostly of breeding age), and surrounding the expansive breeding pond is a human-made beach for the female turtles to dig nests once the time has arisen to lay their eggs.

Benny, who takes obvious pride in his job, informed us of some of his favorite turtles which inhabit the breeding pond, including the 90 year old Sparky, Leonardo, and Smarty 1 and Smarty 2.

We were excited to witness what Benny aptly referred to as a “feeding frenzy,” as turtles rushed to claim nibbles of their specially curated meal provided to them by one of the hard working onsite caregivers, an occurrence which takes place three times a day.

These majestic beings, which can weigh up to 350 pounds , are brimming with personality and provided joy to our group and the turtle enthusiasts of all ages, whom we witness during our visit to the park.

Next, we roamed over to the baby turtle enclosures, featuring a plethora of adorable baby turtles that guests are permitted to (gently ) pet while posing for some stunning photo ops with these remarkable little beauties. Several wading pools are also present for guests to enjoy for a more immersive and up close and personal experience. An onsite aquarium space also offers a looking glass for an in depth vantage point to observe the natural beauty and mannerisms of these vast array of sea creatures.

A few of the many species that can be witnessed include Houdini the barracuda, two nurse sharks (gentle giants of the sea who are docile, bottom dwelling, and feed mostly on stingrays, shrimp, squid, octopus, crabs, snails, urchins and lobsters ) named Freddy and Pucca, tarpon, and many more.

The aviary displays a wide assortment of tropical birds, including the Cayman Islands national bird, the Cayman Parrot , Scarlet Ibises, peafowl (including white and blue peacocks), and other colorful species like finches, ibis, pigeons, doves, and Bananaquits. The birds, just as lively as they are breathtakingly beautiful, each displayed their own unique physical characteristics and personality traits in this wonderfully designed enclosure. The plant varieties featured in the aviary were wildly intriguing, including a specially curated line up of plants that are largely suitable for the dietary needs of the resident birds and insects, including Spanish needle, cat bush, lantana, vervinea, donkey weed, and pride of Barbados, just to name a select few.

We meandered past the koi pond into the egg hatchery area, which provided in depth details regarding a few of the some 350 recognized species of turtles in the world, and a short film as well as some large turtle shells are provided for further educational purposes .

Special thanks to Whitney Foster for facilitating our visit for this spotlight feature and to Benny for his wonderful assistance and guidance during our visit.

WEBSITE: https://www.turtle.ky

PHONE NUMBER: +1 345-949-3894

INSTAGRAM @caymanturtlecentre