Turtle Farm

[PapaBear67]

Help! My wife has mentioned that she might want to visit the Turtle Farm. Normally she gets the short end of the stick, since she doesn't really get into all the other stuff like snorkeling or ruins or other adventures (she'll tag along, but it's not a lot of fun for her). But she has shown interest in the Turtles, and I want to make her happy.

 

HOWEVER, I have been hearing some not-so-glowing reviews of the Turtle Farm. Plus, and this happens quite a bit, we'll go somewhere, and she gets bored with it quickly if it doesn't maintain her interest.

 

She has no interest in the Stingrays, since we've petted them a few times last year (and apparently that's as close as she wants to get). I tried to sell her on swimming with starfish, but to no avail.

 

Thus, what do y'all think about the Turtle Farm? $50 seems like a lot to walk through a Turtle Farm on the "Dry Package". The "Wet Package" isn't much for her, since she doesn't snorkel.

 

Also, if we did do a Package Tour (such as Nativeways' "Island Tour"), which ones are good, and how much time would we get at each location? I'd still love to work the Stingrays into the trip.

[10splyr]

If you just want to do the turtle farm, it's $18. But if your wife gets bored easily, she will be totally bored w/in 3 minutes unless she is really into turtles. The "new" location is Boatswains Beach and to do the whole thing is $55, but if she doesn't swim or snorkel (man-made lagoons), IMHO it's a waste of money. The turtles are huge, and are in either tanks (younger, smaller ones), or in a simulated beach area called the breeding pond.

 

If your wife likes to sit in the shade a read a book, go to Rum Point. You can swim. snorkel, etc., and she can lie in a hammock and read. The view and water are spectacular, and the price for food and drink isn't too awful.

[fengshuibabe]

Hi Papabear

I was in Grand Cayman with my sisters 5 years ago and we did the whole "tour, turtles, rays, and hell" tour. The turtle farm was depressing. We had a few good pictures taken--my one sister picked up a turtle and we snapped a photo and that was about it...the turtles are in giant vats of water that is sort of crusty looking--really jammed in there. It reminded me of a wastewater treatment plant with the round concrete tanks spread around on a concrete slab with turtle swimming inside...this is not a glamorous/Sea World type exhibit and the cost is really high considering what you see and do there. This was 5 years ago but it held no interest for me to ever see it again.

 

We returned to Grand Cayman again this spring (March) and I took my family on the Moby Dick Tour--snorkeling and rays--we had a great time and highly recommend this (even though my youngest son LOVES turtles, I didn't want to take him there) but this does not sound like something your wife would really want to do. If she is always "left out" go see the turtles just so she gets to see them--a happy wife makes a happy hubby.

 

Grand Cayman is a beautiful island--one of my favorites.

 

Enjoy and I hope you find a happy solution for all!

 

--Amy "fengshuibabe"

[bookbabe]

I was in Grand Cayman with my sisters 5 years ago and we did the whole "tour, turtles, rays, and hell" tour. The turtle farm was depressing.

 

I agree, the old Turtle Farm was getting kind of rundown, and it wasn't the nicest. However, it's been entirely redone since your last visit...you might be surprised to see how much it's changed. Check out http://www.boatswainsbeach.ky/ to see the turtles' new digs...

[clodzilla]

I did the Stingray and Island tour with Nativeway last week. Here's how it went down. We spent about 15 minutes at the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory (store, more like), 30 minutes at the Turtle Farm (pretty fun by the way! you get to pick the turtles out of the water), 30 minutes in Hell (this was the lamest part of the tour), and maybe just under an hour in the water at Stingray Sandbar? Time just flew by there, it was was such an experience! Your wife can sit in the boat and watch if she's not comfortable getting in the water with them. You'll be like right next to her in the water so it's not a bad view! The boat ride to the sandbar was about 20 minutes one way. I had a good time with Nativeway :) The same cruise was offered on the ship but it was more expensive and probably had way more people. My tour was only 14 people whereas the other boats we saw looked packed!