The Cayman News Service released the following on December 15, 2010. If you are interested in this I suggest you follow the link and read the comments. The discussion is enlightening. (CNS):
 |
Courtesy of Cayman Islands Department of Tourism
|
The Cayman Turtle farm released only eight
yearling green sea turtles into the wild last month at Seven Mile Beach,
despite the release being an important part of its conservation
efforts. Sending the new crop on their way, however, Turtle Farm
managers said most of the animals return annually to the Cayman Islands
to nest and will lay an average of between 500 and 1,000 eggs per year
for the next 20 years. The latest group made their way across the sands,
instinctively imprinting the local landscape, before gaining the water
to begin a new life, officials said. The turtles may now go as far
afield as Central and South America, and even the coastal waters of
Florida, going some way to assist the survival of the endangered
species. Managing Director of the Cayman Turtle Farm: Island Wildlife
Encounter, Tim Adam, described the release as “a kind of culmination and
a confirmation of what we do, of what we want to achieve". He said, "We
are making a difference here and in the world around us, and that is
something Cayman can be proud of.” Each year the farm releases a number of young turtles during the
Pirates Week Festival and members of the public enter a raffle for the
opportunity to be the ones that send the turtles back to the ocean.
Labels: Cayman Island turtle farm, head starting turtles, sea turtle culture, wildlife encounters
