Botswains Beach

[shiphappy]

Has anyone been to the above?. It was featured this month in Cruise Travel magazine and looked pretty nice.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We were there in 1998 when it was just the Cayman Turtle Farm, before the hurricane forced them to rebuild "bigger and better". We considering a visit here but would be interested in opinions of those who have been. Here's the website:

http://www.boatswainsbeach.ky/

[Kerry&LuAnn]

Anyone been here recently? What's your opinion?

[PKB]

I also saw the article in Cruise Travel and would love to hear visitor's comments.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We were there on Monday, December 30.

 

From the cruise ship pier, taxis were available for $6 per person, but we decided to ride the public bus for $2.50 per person. After exiting the gates at the pier, we crossed the street, turned left and walked 1 block to the bus “depot” (a fenced-in area marked with a large sign). The buses are actually minivans that seat about 10 people.

 

We first rode the bus to the Turtle Farm. With stops along the way, the ride was about 20 minutes. The Cayman Turtle Farm is connected with Boatswain’s Beach, a 23-acre adventure marine park. (We purchased admission for the Turtle Farm only, for $18 per person, rather than the entire park.)

 

This is a unique green sea turtle farm. Once the islands had a multitude of turtles in the surrounding waters, but today these creatures are sadly few in number, and the green sea turtle has been designated an endangered species (you cannot bring turtle products into the United States). The main functions of the farm are to provide the local market with edible turtle meat, thus preventing the need to hunt turtles in the wild, and to replenish the waters with hatchling and yearling turtles. At the Turtle Farm there are several circular concrete tanks in which the sea turtles exist in every stage of development, ranging in size from 6 ounces to 600 pounds. There are 500 turtles in the main tank (100 males and 400 females). At a touch tank, we could hold the baby turtles. There are also instructional exhibits. Informative tour guides are on hand when large groups visit the Turtle Farm. If you go early in the day when the cruise ship groups come in, you are invited to tag along and listen to the tour guides.

 

From the Turtle Farm we caught another city bus and asked to be dropped off at Cemetery Beach. This is a quiet stretch of beach at the north end of Seven Mile Beach. There are no amenities (such as restrooms, showers, or food vendors) but there is shade provided by sea grape and palm trees. About 3 blocks north of the Cemetery Beach bus stop, on the beach side of the road, is a large Foster’s Food Fair grocery store where you can pick up refreshments.

 

When we were ready to head back to the ship, we walked back up the path from the beach to the road and the bus stop across the street. When buses approach, the drivers honk their horns. You simply raise your hand to indicate you want to get on. And then you tell the driver where you want to get off, and you pay your $2.50 as you exit the minivan. We enjoyed riding with the locals.

 

Traffic in downtown Georgetown can be congested later in the day, so plan accordingly so you are not rushed.