The Johnson's Repatriate

31 December 2011

26 December 2011

Trip to the Tortugas

When Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands he called them The Tortugas, which is Spanish for 'turtle'. The moniker is now more famously linked to the islands' famous rum and rum company, and equally famous rum cake (which is soggy and heavy and was the breakfast of champions for The Three on our last morning ... when we picked the beach over the breakfast buffet.)

Sadly, the turtles, which where so plentiful when Chris arrived in 1503, are decidedly less so five centuries later. In the years after discovery, this trio of islands became a stop over spot in the West Indies for stocking up on rations ... Turtle meat among the provisions.

In the era of the mythical Jack Sparrow, when the West Indies were under the British crown (as they remain today) and pirates and rum runners where part of Caribbean experience, the Cayman Islands were known for ship building and turtling, which didn't bode particularly well for the once plentiful tortuga population.

But the truest, harshest threat to the big graceful Green Sea Turtle has come on our watch.

As 伊利亚 read to 贝贝 on our trip to the turtle farm, the only two known predators of sea turtles are: sharks and man.

"Hey, Daddy's a man!" 贝贝 helpfully pointed out.

Tourism is encroaching on the tortuga's territory. Sand is being mined and excavated. Loss of habitat and a build up of urban areas has squeezed out the Green Sea turtle.

On Friday we visited The Cayman Turtle Farm which has spent the last four decades building up the turtle population on Grand Cayman. Part petting zoo, part day resort, part educational, the farm guards and incubates the eggs laid by the mature turtles, and maintains a huge lagoon for the laying-age population. In separate tanks, smaller sea turtles, under one year, are on view. In the next set of tanks are turtles aged 12 to 18 months. These are the leathery reptiles guests have the opportunity to handle.

We stayed in this area for ages. We stepped aside as larger tour groups moved through, and then went back to pet and handle the tortugas.

伊利亚 quickly learned how to grasp the juveniles, how to calm them, and when to release them back into the tank.

贝贝 gained confidence too. We spent most of our visit at those tanks.

Other exhibits included: a caged cayman, and tanks of older, but not yet sexually mature turtles.

To the girlies delight, we found a small wading pool where it was possible to splash and wade with young turtles.

The farm has a hatchery and education center, and curiously a lagoon and pool facility which draws lots of day trippers. One pool boasts a glass bottom, under which is a shark tank. It's kitchy without being completely tacky (although we opted only for the turtle section of the facility).

But this tour group pleaser is making a difference. Turtle populations are slowly on the rise, and there is even debate about moving the Green Sea turtle from the endangered list to the threatened column.

And for that ... My little animal lovers are grateful!