Can we do both stingrays and turtle farm?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We'll be on the Caribbean Princess (July 29 sailing) and we definitely want to see the stingrays, but my 11-year-old daughter really wants to go to the turtle farm.

 

Will we have time to do both (arrive 7 a.m. and depart 4 p.m.)?

 

Should we do an independent guide for stingray city and then take a cab to the turtle farm? About how much for a cab?

 

Stingrays first or turtle farm first?

 

Thanks!

Jayne

[breenw]

Your best bet would be to contact Nativeway (google search under Nativeway, Grand Caymans) and book their Stingray City and Island Tour package. They will take you to Stingray City, the Turtle Farm, Hell, and afterwards drop you off at 7-mile beach, the shopping district, or back to the pier. If you choose the beach, it is a short and inexpensive taxi ride back to the pier. The shopping district is within walking distance also. I would definitely recommend this tour for you and your kids.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Your best bet would be to contact Nativeway (google search under Nativeway, Grand Caymans) and book their Stingray City and Island Tour package. They will take you to Stingray City, the Turtle Farm, Hell, and afterwards drop you off at 7-mile beach, the shopping district, or back to the pier. If you choose the beach, it is a short and inexpensive taxi ride back to the pier. The shopping district is within walking distance also. I would definitely recommend this tour for you and your kids.

 

I'll check into it today! Thanks for the advice. :-)

 

Have you personally done this tour? If so, how much time did you get with the stingrays and did they take you to snorkle at the reef after the stingrays?

 

Jayne

[bruce-r]

Just so you know, the Turtle Farm is just that, a FARM where they raise turtles as a product for human consumption much like a pig farm but without the pig smell. I'm not trying to discourage you from going to the farm, I'm just letting you know it's true purpose so you won't be surprised when you get there.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Just so you know, the Turtle Farm is just that, a FARM where they raise turtles as a product for human consumption much like a pig farm but without the pig smell. I'm not trying to discourage you from going to the farm, I'm just letting you know it's true purpose so you won't be surprised when you get there.

 

 

I appreciate the info. My daughter just got so excited about the idea of seeing so many turtles. So, a couple of questions:

 

Is there somewhere there that they raise turtles to release them? I'd much rather go someplace where the purpose of raising them is to release them.

 

If not, then do they talk about raising the turtles for human consumption? I would need to prepare my little one for that if they do.

 

Thanks,

Jayne

[bruce-r]

Is there somewhere there that they raise turtles to release them? I'd much rather go someplace where the purpose of raising them is to release them.

I'm pretty sure that the turtle farm is unique. They do release a few turtles annually, but in the recent years the number of released turtles has gone down.

 

If not, then do they talk about raising the turtles for human consumption? I would need to prepare my little one for that if they do.

I think they down play that aspect as it isn't really what tourists want to hear about. Have you seen their website?

 

Really, I don't want to discourage people from visiting the turtle farm even though it might seem that way. It is just that eating turtles in the Cayman Islands is culturally accepted whereas it might not be so accepted by a visitor from the US. I'm not making a judgment about what people choose to eat or not eat.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Bruce:

 

I appreciate the information and the link (I'll visit the site for sure).

 

Personally, I don't think you come across as discouraging people to visit. Rather just making sure we're informed. Also, you've given me the opportunity to let my kids know before we go so that they aren't shocked--as you said, different cultures.

 

Thanks for the info!!

 

Jayne

[bruce-r]

Bruce:

........Thanks for the info!!

 

Jayne

Anything for a fellow Oregonian ;)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Your best bet would be to contact Nativeway (google search under Nativeway, Grand Caymans) and book their Stingray City and Island Tour package. They will take you to Stingray City, the Turtle Farm, Hell, and afterwards drop you off at 7-mile beach, the shopping district, or back to the pier. If you choose the beach, it is a short and inexpensive taxi ride back to the pier. The shopping district is within walking distance also. I would definitely recommend this tour for you and your kids.

 

 

Well, I e-mailed Nativeway yesterday with a few questions and they got back to me this morning and answered them. In the hour between receiving and answering their e-mail, a group of 27 booked the tour! Their boat holds 28. Ah well, back to the drawing board...but, thanks for the help.

 

Jayne

[bamabelle07]

Hello! Try Captain Marvin's http://www.captainmarvins.com/ Last week we used them for stingray city( snorkel and swim with the stingrays) and also booked a tour of turtle farm and Hell, with this part of the trip just me, my husband and his parents. I would have to say that we very much enjoyed and were very much satisfied with Captain Marvin. My mother in law cannot get around very well due to a bad hip, the crew of the boat actually brought a stingray to her to pet and at the turtle farm, our tour guide ( Mattlee? I think her name was) got a wheelchair for her and brought a turtle for her to pet. She also always helped my mother in law in and out of the van. At the end, she dropped us right off at the pier. Would use them again if I ever return to the Island!

[ribbitribbit]

does anybody know if nativeway lets you snorkel at the barrier reef or coral gardens?

 

That's something included with captain marvin and am wondering if that's why the price difference?

[D4]

Jayne: We've been to the turtle farm with our kids 3 different times over 15 years and never knew they were raised to eat until I read it on cruisecritic. We're going back again this summer and I won't mention that detail to the rest of the family.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Hello! Try Captain Marvin's http://www.captainmarvins.com/ Last week we used them for stingray city( snorkel and swim with the stingrays) and also booked a tour of turtle farm and Hell, with this part of the trip just me, my husband and his parents. I would have to say that we very much enjoyed and were very much satisfied with Captain Marvin. My mother in law cannot get around very well due to a bad hip, the crew of the boat actually brought a stingray to her to pet and at the turtle farm, our tour guide ( Mattlee? I think her name was) got a wheelchair for her and brought a turtle for her to pet. She also always helped my mother in law in and out of the van. At the end, she dropped us right off at the pier. Would use them again if I ever return to the Island!

 

Thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Jayne: We've been to the turtle farm with our kids 3 different times over 15 years and never knew they were raised to eat until I read it on cruisecritic. We're going back again this summer and I won't mention that detail to the rest of the family.

 

Glad to hear it! I'm thinking I won't mention it to her--she's so sensitive and I know she's start crying for the hatchlings!

 

Sounds like you must have enjoyed it if you've been there so many times.

 

thanks!

Jayne

[luv2cworld2000]

Just so you know, the Turtle Farm is just that, a FARM where they raise turtles as a product for human consumption much like a pig farm but without the pig smell. I'm not trying to discourage you from going to the farm, I'm just letting you know it's true purpose so you won't be surprised when you get there.

Think of it more as a tree farm than a pig farm. Its main purpose it to balance economics with conservation. And unlike a pig farm, they do release turtles back into the wild.

[D4]

Jayne: Yes, my whole family loves the turtle farm. The kids are 18 & 21 now. I suggested that maybe we could skip the turtle farm this time and both kids and my DH said "No way." It will be our 4th visit in 15 years.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Jayne: Yes, my whole family loves the turtle farm. The kids are 18 & 21 now. I suggested that maybe we could skip the turtle farm this time and both kids and my DH said "No way." It will be our 4th visit in 15 years.

 

 

That's so encouraging! Last night I asked Becky (my daugher who is soon to be 11 years old) what she's looking most forward to on the cruise and she said, without hesitation, "The trutle farm!" Can't wait!

 

Thanks,

Jayne

[bruce-r]

Think of it more as a tree farm than a pig farm. Its main purpose it to balance economics with conservation. And unlike a pig farm, they do release turtles back into the wild.

That is probably a better analogy, but you'd be surprised by the very small numbers of turtles they have released in the last few years.

[scubaran]

Hi,

 

My family and I really enjoy the turtle farm. If you haven't been there or seen their site, they raise them in large concrete pools (pens). The turtle farm does a great service to these creatures. Before they were raised about 90% of the turtles around Grand Cayman died due to natural conditions and fishing for them. When the turtle farm was introduced, they started releasing enough turtles, at an older age and now 90% of the turtles live. However, with everything there's a price, it's expensive to feed and raise the turtles and the cost of visitors doesn't cover all the costs so the other 10% of the turtles are sold for consumption. Afterall, what would you want 10% live and 90% dead or 90% live and 10% dead. As such, while eating turtle is normally not considered good, by eating turtle on Grand Cayman they support a very worth while business to keep the turtles in the water. BTW, the restaurant right next door to the turtle farm has it on the menu (probably not a good place for lunch if you kids are sensitive to that sort of thing)). Anyway, that's the story behind the farm.