When: March 6th, 2025 1:00pm (2:00pm in Cayman Islands)
Where: West Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Who: Sea Turtle Rescue & Conservation - https://www.turtle.ky/
Next we learned about the Cayman islands.
The Cayman is the largest and most polluted of the three islands.Their sea turtle expedition started in 1968 and not too long after there turtle farm in the 1980s to the 2000s. Around the waters of the Cayman islands are home to 4 species.
Some things about the sea turtles are that the men normally have long tails, while the women have a shorter tail. The females can lay over a 100 golf ball sized eggs. When the conservationists find the eggs they sort through them carefully to do research on when they will hatch. When baby turtles hatch after being in there for about 2 months, they have a very soft shell that is a green color.
They find the turtles in tropical oceans. These men would go into catboats and find turtles. They breed turtles to help their species grow. They also help parrots and breed them. They have many other animals that they help, they don't just help turtles. Some animals include: parrots, pigeons, and some other animals. They collect the eggs so that they will be safe. They sort them into different hatching baskets. The eggs are made into a kind of rubber substance when they hatch. Volunteers will come and watch the eggs and help them. After the eggs are done growing, they go to the beach and start releasing them back into the ocean. They also will take boats sometimes and bring the baby turtles into the ocean to grow to be adults.
We’ve enjoyed our time talking to them and learning about the Cayman Island Sea Turtle Rescue. Here is a recap on some fun facts that we’ve learned! If you ever come across a sea turtle and are wondering if it's a girl or a boy, all you have to do is check out their tail. The males have long tails that extend past their rear, while the females have shorter tails. Another interesting thing about sea turtles, specifically the females, is that they can lay more than 100 eggs at a time, each the size of a golf ball. That’s insane! They hatch after being incubated for about 2 months, and when they do, they’re no bigger than the palm of your hand. Can you imagine holding a newly hatched sea turtle? The last fact that I held onto is about their release. They have to be released at night and in red light to avoid being disoriented.
The time we’ve spent learning about the sea turtles rescue and conservation has been greatly appreciated. We can’t wait to continue our learning.
