Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Write a review
About
Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre doesn’t just save sea turtles – it’s a place for wild island fun, too! At this first-of-its-kind wildlife conservation experience, visit majestic Green sea turtles, swim alongside playful young turtles, and maybe even watch tiny hatchlings emerge from their nest as you learn how its innovative approach to conservation has reduced poaching and increased the number of sea turtles in the wild. Then hit the Turtle Twister waterslide, explore the flying rainbows of the Butterfly House and Free Flight Aviary, and see the fearsome residents of Predator Reef. Most importantly, learn how you can help save sea turtles, too!
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.

Top ways to experience Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter and nearby attractions

See what travelers are saying
  • Born4shop
    Scarsdale, New York65 contributions
    Close up and personal with the turtles
    We went in January, which is probably not the best month to go because the hatchery is closed, as it is not the right season for baby turtles. That being said there were plenty of large turtles to see and photograph. Coming on a tour through our cruise we were given over 2 hours to visit which in my opinion was way too long, an hour would have been enough. We did not snorkel although that option was available in a large man made lake, but I understand you cant see anything until you are a good ways into the water. We used some of our time to visit the dolphin place, which was just next door and had free admission. For adults it was ok to visit, I think with children it would have been more enjoyable.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 31, 2020
  • mrsrisak
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania6 contributions
    Underwhelming Experience
    We had heard that this was one of the places you needed to see! When we talked about it with the hotel she told us we HAD to do the snorkel add on because you get to swim with sea turtles. What was great is there was a free courtesy shuttle to and from our hotel. We opted for the package that included snorkeling. The amount of Sea Turtles at this place is impressive and breathtaking. It was a fun experience to see some of the smaller ones up close but you could only touch them with 2 fingers. So not much of a touch tanks. When we went to snorkel, we were very disappointed. The water is full of algae which they say is ok and safe. But we saw only a few fish and only saw 3 small sea turtles, so not at all what we expected or what we were told. We were only there about 2 hours I think. Its a cool place to visit if you need something to do but save yourself money and don't buy the enhanced ticket, there is much better snorkeling elsewhere on the island.
    Dear Mrsrisak, We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience; sorry to hear you felt it was a bit ‘underwhelming.’ Actually there are several hundred fish in the turtle lagoon, and lots of different species, and around 25 turtles there too. They do tend to group together, often around the end of the lagoon where they get fed most often. It is really quite large too, so that it is possible to be “unlucky,” and not see very many of them. It is true that there are lots of beautiful places to snorkel all around the Cayman Islands, and this is an option; but we feel that we also offer a very safe environment, because young and inexperienced snorkelers are carefully watched over by our lifeguards. The Centre is the only place to offer that many lifeguards on duty and they are fully certified in rescue, first aid and CPR. We also offer so many other things together. Did you manage to visit the lovely Caribbean Free Flight Aviary? Or stroll around the Blue Hole Nature Trail?
    Written January 7, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2019
    Written January 2, 2020
  • Kerry W
    Marathon, Wisconsin12 contributions
    Disappointing!
    My wife and I were excited to see the turtles and the aviary at the Turtle Center. We were not interested in running around in swimsuits the rest of the afternoon as we were taking the bus to other stops afterward, so we weren't interested in the waterslide or beach or swimming with turtles. The turtles were great! I have read other reviews condemning selling the turtles for meat. Did they watch the short film presentation explaining the release of 32,000 turtles back into the wild? I commend them for this! I am giving an average rating based on the value of admission. It was $18.00 for under an hour of seeing only the turtles. We were told it would be another $27.00 to see the birds. There were numerous people like us with only green wristbands that had to turn around at the "no green wristbands allowed" signs when we wanted to see the birds. They need to have a price for those who want to stay dry ... and those who want to swim/slide in the water. I think only seeing the turtles was overpriced, even though we did really enjoy seeing them.
    Dear Kerry W, Thank you so much for your helpful comments about pricing and access. And we appreciate that you took the time to visit our Education Centre and Hatchery to see mores side of the conservation coin. The Centre is not only an attraction but a place where people learn about and develop an appreciation for turtles. With over 250,000 visitors each year it is the hope that guests go home feeling more enlightened and more likely to conserve and protect animals that they have had direct contact with. Also, your entry goes to help us in furthering the conservation of turtles. We are always in the process of reviewing the options that are available, and so your comments are very welcome.
    Written January 24, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 21, 2020
  • Ellie Q
    Sydney, Australia177 contributions
    You can no longer hold the turtles
    As of 1st December 2019 you can no longer hold the turtles. You can still pet them and wade in one of the tanks with them at this stage. Admission is based on how much of the park you can access. As part of a cruise shore excursion, I was a green wristband holder which limited me to a very small portion of the park. We had finished looking in that section and petting the turtles within 20 minutes. There are signs set up barring those with green wristbands from entering other parts of the park. Food is way overpriced and can't be justified. US$8 for a tiny hotdog? Seriously? Some tanks were quite filthy and very small for the size of the turtles. The size of the crocodile enclosure was unreasonably small. Nature worriers would become upset in this place. If you come here as part of a cruise shore excursion you'll likely be disappointed, unless you have very small children that you want to keep occupied. Apart from the 20 minutes of seeing the turtles, this place was a waste of my time and money. I wouldn't do it again and can't recommend the place.
    Dear Ellie Q, We would like to thank you very much for expressing your view, and sharing. We introduced a new turtle interaction which includes a two finger touch as we expand and improve our turtle welfare and health policies. It is still possible to touch the turtles while they are still in the water and give them an opportunity to choose not to be touched, which is important. Regarding the water cleanliness, we would like to point out that the water quality is really controlled to ensure healthy conditions for our turtles. We operate a state of the art water processing system and the water conditions are reviewed every day. Regarding the turtle pool size, the Greens Breeding pond is very deep. It does not distress the turtles to be in these pools because they are familiar with these surroundings and there is in fact plenty of space for them to swim around and express themselves and their natural modes of behavior. Two board certified veterinarians are here on a full-time basis and their job is to ensure that the animals are kept healthy. Regular checks of the animals are conducted. We are sorry to hear you felt disappointed. We like to feel that we have many things to interest people, touching the turtles, taking pictures with them, see turtles at their various ages and learning about them, learning about conservation and how we breed and raise the turtles. There are other parts of the Centre, including our Aviary, where families can hand-feed birds, and our turtle lagoon where people can swim with turtles.
    Written January 24, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 22, 2020
  • Kmqb2
    19 contributions
    Fine visit
    My husband and I took our three year old daughter. We got the basic pass which basically just included walking around and a small turtle touch tank. I gave a fairly low review because of lack of activities and lack of staff around to guide or answer questions. What we did have access to was fun and my three year old absolutely loved it. This was not an all-day thing by any means, we were done in about an hour including the gift shop.
    Dear Kmgb2, We are so glad that you and your daughter enjoyed your visit so much. Thank you for your feedback concerning information availability. We actually have four full-time professional tour-guides, and if they are not busy with prior engagements, they are more than happy to tell you about the turtles and the other wonderful animals you can see at the Centre, and about our great conservation work, but we are sorry to hear that you did meet up with them. We would also like to add that we do have quite a lot of exciting things to do for the full-access Turtle Adventure package, including our Caribbean Free-Flight Aviary, snorkeling with the turtles in the Turtle Lagoon, access to a nice swimming pool and water slide, and our nature trail. Wishing you the best in travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
    Written February 21, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written February 18, 2020
  • Rick
    Grand Cayman84 contributions
    Made a short visit to the Turtle Centre
    You can pick a shorter tour or a more extensive one with a water park, turtle swim etc. Six of us wanted to see and learn more about sea turtles and how they are being protected so we just did the $18 per person visit. It was informative in terms of new knowledge and fun in terms of watching the turtles.
    Dear Rick, We are so glad that all of you loved visiting the Turtle Centre! Thanks for taking that time to share your lovely day with others! Happy travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
    Written March 6, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2020
    Written March 6, 2020
  • WanderingOttersons
    Denver, Colorado1,285 contributions
    Interesting but not great
    We talked to several locals and this place is surprisingly controversial to the locals. The center was set up to aid in keeping the turtle population going and education but several locals also said that this is the breeding place for harvesting turtle meat that is sold around the world. I don't know the truth but certainly up to you to decide your own thoughts. I think the goal is to show the conservation side and they are working on that We have swam with turtles in the wild in several areas of the world so it's weird to see them in captivity. You can see several different kinds here and touch some. Like any "zoo" it's interesting to see different animals up close. The day we were there in February was surprisingly empty. There wasn't anybody around to do any education or explanations to the guests, just the guards in the areas where you can touch the turtles to make sure you don't break the rules. A very odd experience overall for us and I think we spent less than an hour here overall.
    Dear WanderingOttersons, Thank you so much for writing a review and giving us your feedback. It sounds like you had a nice time. We are sorry to hear you felt disappointed about some aspects. Our guides are always pleased to be able to talk to our guests, sorry you missed them. Part of our conservation effort is through captive breeding and head-starting of turtles. Another facet is through providing meat to satisfy the local demand for turtle meat (a long-standing culinary tradition in the Cayman Islands, and held in high regard) which has been shown to reduce the illegal poaching of wild turtles, so that, in practice, both the head-starting of turtles (their regular release into the wild) as well as the production of an alternative to wild turtle meat, have both been shown to cause the wild population to increase. In addition to conserving turtles by supplying this demand, the Cayman Turtle Centre is proud to have released more than 32,000 turtles to the sea. This has been proven to be effective through an independent study, headed by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment in conjunction with University of Barcelona. This study shows that 90% of Green sea turtles nesting on Cayman’s beaches are actually genetically related to those from the Centre’s breeding stock. Because of our strategy of conservation through the provision of a sustainable source of turtle meat which undermines poaching, coupled with our ongoing release programmes, the numbers of turtle nests found throughout Cayman’s beaches have risen from just two or three, twenty years ago, to more than 600 nests today. We are actually justifiably proud of our conservation record, and we believe these facts attest to our continuing steadfast dedication to turtle conservation. If you like, you can check the independent study scientific paper available via this web link http://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/documents/DPLUS019/23876/DPLUS019%20FR%20-%20edited.pdf Happy Travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
    Written March 20, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2020
    Written March 15, 2020
  • Susan M
    14 contributions
    Loads of Fun...get to swim with the turtles!
    Had a wonderful time at the Turtle Center last week. We brought my 4 year old nephew and 87 year old granny. Lots and lots of turtles! You can feed them, learn about them, visit the touch pond and wading pool. We had to pay extra, but loved that we could snorkel in a large lagoon with 25 turtles swimming around. So awesome! And my nephew LOVED the pool and water slide. It was the best cruise excursion. The front desk staff even helped us take the public bus back to the cruise terminal (only $2.50 per person). Thank you!!
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written January 21, 2020
  • Ron
    1 contribution
    Skip This One
    For the past 30 years we have been coming here for the amazing experience of having contact with a live turtle. I was a kid and the turtle farm was actually across the street where the parking lot is now. Seeing them at different stages of life was amazing. For adults and kids alike the highlight was always handling the turtles. For years there were always guides to explain the turtle and how to handle them responsibly when touching and picking up the turtles. Well it has been a couple of years now due to Covid and for some reason you can no longer touch or pick up the turtles. There was no one around to explain anything and the conditions of the tanks are horrendous. Poor turtles. Some sloppy dressed rude security guy just treated us very poorly and blamed previous guests of the farm ....claiming they injured and even killed many turtles while they were there. So now do to a few bad people and the lack of attendant helping people to learn about the turtle and how to handle them we all suffer. Is it us or the farm that needs to make this experience work once again. I am sad to say that going to the farm is not worth the entrance fee and needs to shut its doors to the public. It is not worth the fee to go in. I have never complained about the cost of anything like this but this place has lost it level of experience it once provided. Until they get the program back into a real hands on experience don't bother going. You can see turtles anytime online or at your local zoo or aquarium. Support your local programs and skip this one until it is back to the way it once was.
    Visited August 2022
    Written August 11, 2022
  • arod3716
    Miami, Florida16 contributions
    Bad informational and no customer service!!
    We visited one day at 2 and was told that turtle swimming closes at 2:30 everyday. We returned the next day at 12:30 and was told that it closes at 1 because it was too busy. Terrible communication. So I bought tickets for my kids to swim with turtles for 30 mins and for me and my wife to walk around and go on another pool. When we got to the other pool was told by lifeguard that we couldn’t swim in the pool because our tickets were not for swimming. Didn’t make sense, went back to box office and complained and was told that it was miscommunication and to pay $20 more. Incredible. Don’t visit!!
    Visited July 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written July 10, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.0
4,483 reviews
Excellent
1,946
Very good
1,419
Average
695
Poor
236
Terrible
187

Ellie Q
Sydney, Australia177 contributions
Jan 2020
As of 1st December 2019 you can no longer hold the turtles. You can still pet them and wade in one of the tanks with them at this stage.

Admission is based on how much of the park you can access. As part of a cruise shore excursion, I was a green wristband holder which limited me to a very small portion of the park. We had finished looking in that section and petting the turtles within 20 minutes. There are signs set up barring those with green wristbands from entering other parts of the park.

Food is way overpriced and can't be justified. US$8 for a tiny hotdog? Seriously?

Some tanks were quite filthy and very small for the size of the turtles. The size of the crocodile enclosure was unreasonably small. Nature worriers would become upset in this place.

If you come here as part of a cruise shore excursion you'll likely be disappointed, unless you have very small children that you want to keep occupied.

Apart from the 20 minutes of seeing the turtles, this place was a waste of my time and money. I wouldn't do it again and can't recommend the place.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Ellie Q, We would like to thank you very much for expressing your view, and sharing. We introduced a new turtle interaction which includes a two finger touch as we expand and improve our turtle welfare and health policies. It is still possible to touch the turtles while they are still in the water and give them an opportunity to choose not to be touched, which is important. Regarding the water cleanliness, we would like to point out that the water quality is really controlled to ensure healthy conditions for our turtles. We operate a state of the art water processing system and the water conditions are reviewed every day. Regarding the turtle pool size, the Greens Breeding pond is very deep. It does not distress the turtles to be in these pools because they are familiar with these surroundings and there is in fact plenty of space for them to swim around and express themselves and their natural modes of behavior. Two board certified veterinarians are here on a full-time basis and their job is to ensure that the animals are kept healthy. Regular checks of the animals are conducted. We are sorry to hear you felt disappointed. We like to feel that we have many things to interest people, touching the turtles, taking pictures with them, see turtles at their various ages and learning about them, learning about conservation and how we breed and raise the turtles. There are other parts of the Centre, including our Aviary, where families can hand-feed birds, and our turtle lagoon where people can swim with turtles.
Written January 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Kmqb2
19 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
My husband and I took our three year old daughter. We got the basic pass which basically just included walking around and a small turtle touch tank. I gave a fairly low review because of lack of activities and lack of staff around to guide or answer questions. What we did have access to was fun and my three year old absolutely loved it. This was not an all-day thing by any means, we were done in about an hour including the gift shop.
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Kmgb2, We are so glad that you and your daughter enjoyed your visit so much. Thank you for your feedback concerning information availability. We actually have four full-time professional tour-guides, and if they are not busy with prior engagements, they are more than happy to tell you about the turtles and the other wonderful animals you can see at the Centre, and about our great conservation work, but we are sorry to hear that you did meet up with them. We would also like to add that we do have quite a lot of exciting things to do for the full-access Turtle Adventure package, including our Caribbean Free-Flight Aviary, snorkeling with the turtles in the Turtle Lagoon, access to a nice swimming pool and water slide, and our nature trail. Wishing you the best in travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
Written February 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Rick
Grand Cayman84 contributions
Mar 2020
You can pick a shorter tour or a more extensive one with a water park, turtle swim etc. Six of us wanted to see and learn more about sea turtles and how they are being protected so we just did the $18 per person visit. It was informative in terms of new knowledge and fun in terms of watching the turtles.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Rick, We are so glad that all of you loved visiting the Turtle Centre! Thanks for taking that time to share your lovely day with others! Happy travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
Written March 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

WanderingOttersons
Denver, CO1,285 contributions
Feb 2020
We talked to several locals and this place is surprisingly controversial to the locals. The center was set up to aid in keeping the turtle population going and education but several locals also said that this is the breeding place for harvesting turtle meat that is sold around the world. I don't know the truth but certainly up to you to decide your own thoughts. I think the goal is to show the conservation side and they are working on that We have swam with turtles in the wild in several areas of the world so it's weird to see them in captivity. You can see several different kinds here and touch some. Like any "zoo" it's interesting to see different animals up close. The day we were there in February was surprisingly empty. There wasn't anybody around to do any education or explanations to the guests, just the guards in the areas where you can touch the turtles to make sure you don't break the rules. A very odd experience overall for us and I think we spent less than an hour here overall.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear WanderingOttersons, Thank you so much for writing a review and giving us your feedback. It sounds like you had a nice time. We are sorry to hear you felt disappointed about some aspects. Our guides are always pleased to be able to talk to our guests, sorry you missed them. Part of our conservation effort is through captive breeding and head-starting of turtles. Another facet is through providing meat to satisfy the local demand for turtle meat (a long-standing culinary tradition in the Cayman Islands, and held in high regard) which has been shown to reduce the illegal poaching of wild turtles, so that, in practice, both the head-starting of turtles (their regular release into the wild) as well as the production of an alternative to wild turtle meat, have both been shown to cause the wild population to increase. In addition to conserving turtles by supplying this demand, the Cayman Turtle Centre is proud to have released more than 32,000 turtles to the sea. This has been proven to be effective through an independent study, headed by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment in conjunction with University of Barcelona. This study shows that 90% of Green sea turtles nesting on Cayman’s beaches are actually genetically related to those from the Centre’s breeding stock. Because of our strategy of conservation through the provision of a sustainable source of turtle meat which undermines poaching, coupled with our ongoing release programmes, the numbers of turtle nests found throughout Cayman’s beaches have risen from just two or three, twenty years ago, to more than 600 nests today. We are actually justifiably proud of our conservation record, and we believe these facts attest to our continuing steadfast dedication to turtle conservation. If you like, you can check the independent study scientific paper available via this web link http://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/documents/DPLUS019/23876/DPLUS019%20FR%20-%20edited.pdf Happy Travels, Cayman Turtle Centre
Written March 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Susan M
Maumee14 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Had a wonderful time at the Turtle Center last week. We brought my 4 year old nephew and 87 year old granny. Lots and lots of turtles! You can feed them, learn about them, visit the touch pond and wading pool. We had to pay extra, but loved that we could snorkel in a large lagoon with 25 turtles swimming around. So awesome! And my nephew LOVED the pool and water slide. It was the best cruise excursion. The front desk staff even helped us take the public bus back to the cruise terminal (only $2.50 per person). Thank you!!
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ron
1 contribution
Aug 2022
For the past 30 years we have been coming here for the amazing experience of having contact with a live turtle. I was a kid and the turtle farm was actually across the street where the parking lot is now. Seeing them at different stages of life was amazing. For adults and kids alike the highlight was always handling the turtles. For years there were always guides to explain the turtle and how to handle them responsibly when touching and picking up the turtles. Well it has been a couple of years now due to Covid and for some reason you can no longer touch or pick up the turtles. There was no one around to explain anything and the conditions of the tanks are horrendous. Poor turtles. Some sloppy dressed rude security guy just treated us very poorly and blamed previous guests of the farm ....claiming they injured and even killed many turtles while they were there. So now do to a few bad people and the lack of attendant helping people to learn about the turtle and how to handle them we all suffer. Is it us or the farm that needs to make this experience work once again. I am sad to say that going to the farm is not worth the entrance fee and needs to shut its doors to the public. It is not worth the fee to go in. I have never complained about the cost of anything like this but this place has lost it level of experience it once provided. Until they get the program back into a real hands on experience don't bother going. You can see turtles anytime online or at your local zoo or aquarium. Support your local programs and skip this one until it is back to the way it once was.
Written August 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

arod3716
Miami, FL16 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We visited one day at 2 and was told that turtle swimming closes at 2:30 everyday. We returned the next day at 12:30 and was told that it closes at 1 because it was too busy. Terrible communication. So I bought tickets for my kids to swim with turtles for 30 mins and for me and my wife to walk around and go on another pool. When we got to the other pool was told by lifeguard that we couldn’t swim in the pool because our tickets were not for swimming. Didn’t make sense, went back to box office and complained and was told that it was miscommunication and to pay $20 more. Incredible. Don’t visit!!
Written July 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MPLSAndy
Minneapolis, MN21 contributions
Jan 2020
Huge turtles, good swimming areas. Excellent place for learning to snorkel. Best to go on days when cruise ship activity is low, if you want small, intimate vibe. Forget eating at their on-site restaurant. Instead, go to Macabuca just a short walk away, where you can snorkel/scuba in the open ocean right at the restaurant. Same-day re-entry into the turtle center is allowed after leaving for lunch.
Written January 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear MPLSAndy, Thank you so much for sharing. We are so glad that you liked your visit!
Written February 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bubbalusk
Captiva Island, FL201 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
The place is fun to visit. This was our second visit in the past few years. The facility is clean, and well maintained. The staff members were awful, mean and disrespectful. The gentleman at the front entrance managing the taxis and buses are very aggressive and want their “tips” (not sure what for). We should’ve just turned around after that first encounter. 4 of us are at the on-site restaurant, and all ate chicken tenders and 4 drinks (soda) and it was $99.. they included a 15% tip automatically, and we added another $6 cash. The server got very upset when we didn’t add more tip so we left the facility.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

charlotte923
Cobourg, Canada31 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
This is a Turtle Farm. The green sea turtles are raised for slaughter - the staff claimwd "a few are released in the wild". The turtles are captive and seem to be in distress: clamboring to get out of their crowded enclosures. Very little shade. They have a crocodile/aligator hybrid in a small enclosure. There's a fake beach and a manmade 'canal' where you can don snorkel gear and swim with fish for $40 U.S. Guess what? - you can swim with fish in the ocean for free. There's a restaurant with a buffet. Looks like the cruise ships empty out here. We got a discount from our taxi driver. Glad I dudn't pay $18 US. for this.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear charlotte923 Thank you for expressing your concerns. Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre is an education and conservation facility that breeds and raises Green sea turtles at our Centre as well as operating a wildlife land attraction arm Cayman Turtle Centre. Our Education Centre has some quite interesting info about our history and our role today. Just recently, the results of a genetic study were published in the journal of Molecular Ecology (Barbanti, A, Martin, C, Blumenthal, JM, et al.) How many came home? Evaluating ex situ conservation of green turtles in the Cayman Islands. The study showed that 90% of the turtles nesting in the Cayman Islands are related to Centre’s animals. The final results of the study were incredible news for us here at Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre. The other side of our conservation efforts is through Cayman Turtle Products arm, which provides a sustainable source of turtles as food owing because of the continuing demand for turtle meat, which is part of a long-standing cultural culinary tradition in the Cayman Islands. An independent study has shown that unless such a source of sustainably produced turtle meat is available (at a greatly subsidized, below-cost price which serves to undermine the trade in poached turtle) the green sea turtle would become extinct in the Cayman Islands in a matter of months. Together with Cayman Turtle Centre releasing turtles, and Cayman Turtle Products providing this source of turtle meat is part of overall strategy to conserve turtles in the Cayman Islands. Cayman Turtle Centre has released over 32,000 turtles back into the wild which has resulted in a significant increase in the turtle population, but this alone is still not enough, and so the provision of turtles for this continuing demand. The numbers of turtle nests found throughout Cayman’s beaches have risen from just two or three, twenty years ago, to more than 400 today. We are actually justifiably proud of our conservation record, and we believe these facts attest to our continuing steadfast dedication to turtle conservation. If you like, you can check the independent study scientific paper available via this web link http://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/documents/DPLUS019/23876/DPLUS019%20FR%20-%20edited.pdf We hope you managed to see and experience some of the other attractions, such as the fascinating birds of the Caribbean Free Flight Aviary, and learning about local flora in the Blue Hole Nature Trail, as well as Predator Reef and the freshwater pool with waterslide and waterfall at Breakers lagoon. Most visitors also participate in the turtle touch interaction in the wading pool or snorkel with the turtles in the Turtle Lagoon, in addition to viewing the large breeding turtles in the very deep Genesis Pond. The freshwater pool at Breakers Lagoon is very large, the largest in Cayman and easily accommodates lots of people to freely swim about and use the waterslide.
Written February 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 4,269
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter (West Bay) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter is open:
  • Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.

We recommend booking Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter tours on Tripadvisor


Restaurants near Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter: View all restaurants near Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter on Tripadvisor

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter Information

Excellent Reviews1,946
Very Good Reviews1,419
Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter Photos3,447