Did you know that Christopher Columbus originally called the Cayman Islands “Las Tortugas” in honor of the abundance of green sea turtles that were found there? Today the Cayman Turtle Centre works as a conservation facility and tourist attraction centered around these animals.
Unfortunately, what many visitors don’t realize is that the center has a darker history. Rare turtles are bred in captivity to be killed for their meat, a traditional dish in the Caymans.
History of the Cayman Turtle Centre
For centuries, aea turtles have played an important role in the history of the Cayman Islands. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the islands served as a stopping point for ships sailing across the Caribbean Sea. The crew would stop there to stock up on food. Green sea turtles that were captured in the Caymans were taken about the ship and kept alive in order to provide the crew with fresh meat. Turtling became a way of survival and a means of income for the Caymans.
Centuries of turtling, however, caused the turtle population in the area to be nearly depleted.
The Cayman Turtle Centre was known as the Sea Turtle Farm until 2016. It was initially established in 1968 to breed the endangered green sea turtles for commercial purposes. The meat from these turtles could be harvested without impacting the wild population of this species.
Today, the center has developed into a research and conservation facility. More than half a million visitors flock here annually making it the largest land-based attraction in the Cayman Islands. It is the only facility of its kind in the world and the only facility to have bred two generations of sea turtles in captivity.
The Great Controversy
In the 2000s, the Cayman Turtle Centre came under attack from animal welfare and conservation groups. These groups claimed that the animals at the center were not adequately cared for and lived in unkempt, overcrowded conditions.
NOTE: We were unaware of these allegations at the time of our visit.
The center has released over 30,000 turtles into the wild.
My Thoughts on the Center
Firstly, when I booked my tour to the sea turtle farm, I had no idea what I was actually getting myself into. Like most visitors, I thought that I was going to a local aquarium that specializes in sea turtles. I had no idea that these creatures were being cultivated and bred for their meat. I would never even fathomed that the sea turtle that I lovingly pet and held would, later on, become someone’s dinner.
The turtles were kept in a collection of small cement tanks. The tanks held hundreds of sea turtles. Sea turtles are migratory creatures that can swim more than 1,400 miles. In the wild sea turtles are also solitary creatures, only coming together to mate. The fact that there are hundreds of them cohabitating in a small pool is very unnatural for them.
When I visited the center, it was still known as the Cayman Turtle Farm. In 2016, the facility changed its name to the Cayman Turtle Centre. At this time, the organization divided into two separate operations; the Cayman Turtle Centre (that would serve schools, conserve turtles, and conduct research) and the Cayman Turtle Products (which would continue to produce and sell turtle meat to the community).
Moreover, when I visited the tourist attraction, I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. In fact, it wasn’t until after I began researching the facility for this post that I learned about the truth behind the center. In retrospect, I regret having visited the attraction.
Note
Firstly, I get that humans eat meats of all kinds. I understand that people have to eat to survive and that each culture has delicacies that are unique to them. Secondly… I’m a meat-eater. I’m sure there are things that I, as an American, eat that grosses people out. I am in no position to judge others for what they eat. The fact that people eat turtles is irrelevant, here. It is the fact that these turtles are being raised at a facility that prides itself on being a “Conservation Center” and then sold for their meat that is disturbing.
Finally, I realize that by visiting the farm and by touching the animals, I became part of the problem. One of the visitor’s favorite parts about visiting the center is being able to touch, hold, kiss, and swim with sea turtles. Admittedly, I held sea turtles. I even kissed a baby on the head. In the end, looking back, I regret my actions. Alas, I was young, uneducated, and naive.
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