The Caribbean's only turtle farm

Cayman Turtle Farm

The Cayman Turtle Farm near West Bay Bay in Grand Cayman raises green turtles both for release in the wild and for local restaurants, where turtle steak is still highly prized.

This is Grand Cayman's oldest operating tourist attraction, a true landmark, attracting up to 340,000 people each year, primarily cruise ship passengers.

At one time the cement tanks may hold as many as 16,000 green sea turtles weighing from 6 ounces to 600 hundred pounds.

However, hosting tourists was never the Turtle Farm's main goal.

It started as a farm intended to meet the popular demand for green turtle soup and turtle meat.

Green turtles were successively raised in huge cement tanks in order to supply the commercial market for turtle at a time when natural stocks were deteriorating badly.

Harvesting turtles commercially, or turtling, has a long history in the Caymans. The national symbol is a peg-legged turtle.

However, sea turtles were becoming so scare due elsewhere in the Caribbean due to over-harvesting and beach development, so the United States banned the import of all turtle products in 1979, regardless of their source. The Cayman Turtle Farm became mostly a tourist oddity.

Yet, the farm continues to supply turtle meat for the Cayman Islands and you can sample it in the local restaurants. It's a different taste--not like chicken--and is sometimes a little chewy, but still good. Nothing like you've probably ever tasted before.

Tours are self-guided and take 20-30 minutes. A tank of young turtles is available for photographs--you can even pick up one to pose with.

You can preview a visit with the Cayman Turtle Farm Webcam.

Directions: The Cayman Turtle Farm is located at 825 North West Point Road, West Bay; 345/949- 3894.

From George Town, take West Bay Road until the left turnoff onto North West Point Road. Follow this street until you reach the Cayman Turtle Farm, located on the left, 8 miles from the center of George Town. Parking is easily available.

Hours: Open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission : Adults US$6; children US$3.

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