- Where is the Turtle farm located?
- Was the farm always at this location?
- When was the farm started?
- What do you do with all those turtles?
- How old are the big turtles in the pond?
- What do the turtles eat and how often are they fed?
- How many do you release and how old/big are they?
- Do you ever release the big turtles?
- How do you tell the males from the females?
Where is the Turtle farm located?
The farm is located in the West Bay District of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The farm's physcial address is 825 Northwest Point Road which is about 8 miles from George Town.
Was the farm always at this location?
No, the farm was located at Salt Creek until 1971.
When was the farm started?
The farm was started in July, 1968.
What do you do with all those turtles?
About 60% of each year's hatchlings are raised to 3 - 4 years of age to be processed for food that is sold locally (a national delicacy). Out of these, 1 to 2% are kept to become future breeders instead of food. The remaining 40% are released into the ocean when they are around one year old. This "headstarting" gives the turtles a better chance of survival.
How old are the big turtles in the pond?
The majority of the breeders range in age from 25 to 40 or more years. There are some younger turtles that have come from the farm's hatchlings over the years. The exact age of the original stock of breeders is not known, as they were brought to the farm as adults in the early 1970's.
What do the turtles eat and how often are they fed?
The hatchling turtles are fed trout chow in a small pelletized form. The larger turtles are fed "turtle chow". It looks similar to "dog chow" pellets but is actually specially formulated for the unique nutritional needs of the turtles. The hatchlings are fed three times a day, while the yearlings and older turtles are fed twice a day with the floating feed.
How many do you release and how old/big are they?
Since the release programme was started in 1980, we have released over 30,000 turtles into the waters around Grand Cayman. The number released each year depends on the previous year's "crop" of hatchlings (the number of eggs laid by the turtles each year varies). The turtles are released when they are about a year old and weigh 3 to 6 pounds (1.35 to 2.73 kg). The release is a major local event, as the public is allowed to assist in carefully moving the turtles from the transportation vehicles to the water along the Public Beach. This event usually takes place on West Bay's district day during Pirates' Week in the last week of October.
Do you ever release the big turtles?
No, the big turtles in the pond are the breeders. They are the ones that produce the future generations of turtles for release and processing.
How do you tell the males from the females?
The male turtles all have much longer tails than the females.