What risk is there when swimming with sea turtles?

[cruisecritiquer]

Yes, I know some of you came in here with your eyes rolled. We've cruised many many times and the last time we were in Grand Cayman, I thought about taking my son to the Cayman Turtle Farm. However, I was steered away from that because of the report by WSPA but more so because I've always been told that they carry Salmonella.

 

This is an excerpt of what the humane society has to say about turtles (I realize there are different types):

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/facts/thinking_of_getting_turtle_012609.html

 

Consider before you buy...turtles carry Salmonella

 

Salmonella isn't just a food-borne illness. Turtles and other reptiles carry Salmonella bacteria, which can be easily transmitted to people. A small turtle may seem harmless, giving parents a false sense that they're a safe pet for children. But they're not. The disease risk is so great that selling small turtles is illegal in the United States.

 

Salmonella is especially dangerous for children and senior citizens

In 2007, a baby girl in Florida died from Salmonella that was traced back to a pet turtle. The turtle was sold illegally at a flea market and given to the family.

 

Salmonella usually gives people a few miserable days of fever and diarrhea, but some end up in the hospital with life-threatening complications. Children and people with weak immune systems are most at risk. Additionally, a small number of people with Salmonella infections later develop Reiter's syndrome, which causes pain in their joints and can lead to chronic arthritis.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says: Do not have a turtle in any household that includes children under five, the elderly, or people who have lowered natural resistance to disease due to pregnancy, cancer, chemotherapy, organ transplants, diabetes, liver problems or other diseases.

 

Having read that, I cannot imagine swimming in a man-made lagoon full of them would be terribly safe.

 

Any input here?

 

My son would like to go but I would like to know if people ever get sick from doing this?

[hartsnvt]

We had a ball last Dec at the Turtle Farm in grand Cayman. There were not many turtles in the lagoon when we went but scores of fish. The key is to snorkel all the way to the bridge where the turtle lagoon is separated by glass to the predator tank. That is where all of the fish are..hundreds! They seem to like tormenting the sharks on the other side of the glass! We did not get sick and had no reason to think we would have..Have fun! Your son will love it!:)

[Tiggertastic]

I absolutely loved the turtle farm - it was a wonderful experience, being able to see them, pick them up et and they supply places to wash and sanitise your hands.

[luddite]

It would make sense to think that if it was a serious health hazard that word would get out, people wouldn't go and the venue would fold up.

[Sauer-kraut]

I think the turtles might be at more risk from being handled. :)

[Cruzn Bills Fan]

Some people are just worry warts. :p

[susea4000]

I did come in rolling my eyes, but it does make sense. I think it's safe and may even be worth a bout of salmonella-it would be amazing!

[Medtech2]

Yes, I know some of you came in here with your eyes rolled. We've cruised many many times and the last time we were in Grand Cayman, I thought about taking my son to the Cayman Turtle Farm. However, I was steered away from that because of the report by WSPA but more so because I've always been told that they carry Salmonella.

 

This is an excerpt of what the humane society has to say about turtles (I realize there are different types):

 

Having read that, I cannot imagine swimming in a man-made lagoon full of them would be terribly safe.

 

Any input here?

 

My son would like to go but I would like to know if people ever get sick from doing this?

 

Very low odds, never heard of anyone getting sick there....

[SissasMomE]

Excellent question, and I applaud you for not just assuming it's safe because it's allowed. Have you done an internet search? As I'm sure you already know, make sure you santize your hands after handling the turtles. You are correct, they do carry salmonella. They are illegal to own as pets in NJ for that reason.

[sjbdtz]

Some people are just worry warts. :p

 

 

Geez....hadn't even THOUGHT of warts.... :o

 

 

I think the concern is justified...IF you're putting your face in the same water.

 

If it's just hands, then sanitize them. If you're swimming, then shower and then sanitize your hands. As far as I know, salmonella doesn't transmit trans-dermally, the risk is oral ingestion.

 

So if it's not on your lips, or any other part of your body leading to your stomach, you should be okay.

 

 

 

.

[luddite]

Geez....hadn't even THOUGHT of warts.... :o

 

 

I think the concern is justified...IF you're putting your face in the same water.

 

If it's just hands, then sanitize them. If you're swimming, then shower and then sanitize your hands. As far as I know, salmonella doesn't transmit trans-dermally, the risk is oral ingestion.

 

So if it's not on your lips, or any other part of your body leading to your stomach, you should be okay.

 

 

 

.

 

Naww. Everyone knows you get warts from kissing witches.

The salmonella warning is for the little pet turtles. Sea turtles aren't pets.

[bakerintn]

You mean besides drowning, being bitten, getting pinched and getting sunburned??

[Tinyturtle22]

land dwelling turtles carry it not sea turtles. It is extrememly hard for any type of bacteria/virus to survive long in salt water. I have swam with sea turtles all over the world and never had any problem with disease. This applies to turtles IN THE WILD, not held in tanks.

 

I think the Turtle Farm is a HORRRIBLE place myself since they serve turtle meat in the canteena and are seriously over crowded but I'm sure others will say its fine. It used to be a lovely actual farm many years ago but that is long gone now.

 

Anyone thinking of going to the Turtle Farm should read this http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-31/cayman-sea-turtles-endure-disease-tourists-commentary.html

[SissasMomE]

I thought sea turtles were protected?

[Tinyturtle22]

The national dish of the Cayman Islands is turtle soup. The meat for that soup comes from the Turtle Farm.

[bguppies]

I thought sea turtles were protected?

It is a turtle farm.

 

The turtles there are raised from birth to be used for food, so the locals don't have to hunt the wild ones anymore.

(they don't run out and capture the wild ones and pen them up)

 

Some are released into the wild again to help replenish the population.

 

I'm sure islanders think keeping cows and pigs penned up for food is strange.

 

Islanders the world over eat turtles, just like we eat chicken, pigs and cows...

 

Might want to make sure your kids understand that the turtles they will be interacting with, will be on someone's table at a restaurant sometime soon.

 

Bill

[luddite]

It is a turtle farm.

 

l

 

One does hafra wonder how deep they plant turtles at a farm.

[cruisecritiquer]

In response to those who said sea turtles do not carry salmonella.

 

Sea Turtles Can Make You Sick

Sea turtles almost invariably carry salmonella. Almost all turtles, marine or terrestrial, carry the salmonella bacteria, which doesn't seem to affect the turtles but can cause severe illness and even death in humans. Be advised that handling sea turtles warrants washing up afterwards. In addition, hatchlings have tested positive for tuberculosis, and there are several dangerous parasites that have been found in stranded sea turtles.

 

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/list_6757364_safety-issues-humans-sea-turtles_.html#ixzz2Zjz537Jv

 

Sea turtles also carry the bacteria salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea in people. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat.

 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/seaturtle/

 

According to their report, the hundreds of sea turtles are packed into crowded pools rife with salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria associated with pathogens dangerous to the turtles and the people who handle them.

 

- See more at: http://news.zurichna.com/article/04d6fc12e21bcfcc5fd1ea5c481601a3/cayman-sea-turtles-endure-salmonella-slaughter-dumb-tourists#sthash.O8WYAmcP.dpuf

 

This is specifically at Cayman Turtle Farm:

 

Handling captive turtles: Visitors have access to several enclosures and

are permitted (often without close supervision) to hold sea turtles (CTF, 2011;

Warwick et al., 2011b). Independent water sampling revealed the presence

of pathogenic bacterium (Aeromonas, E. coli, Vibrio and Salmonella) in the

farm’s sea turtle ‘touch tanks’. Given the shared water facilities it is entirely

reasonable to assume that bacterial agents present in any enclosure are

also likely to be widely present throughout the rest of the farm (Warwick

et al., 2011c). Currently, the farm fails to provide the visiting public with any

information regarding the existence of such threats or any sanitising products

to reduce the risk of human infection (Warwick et al., 2011c).

 

http://www.conserveturtles.org/pdf/documents/WSPA_turtlesReport_UK-prf2.pdf

 

I'm no marine biologist but I don't understand why people would say they do not carry salmonella when so many other resources say they do.

 

At any rate, I thank you for your responses, and I've decided that for numerous reasons, we won't be visiting the turtle farm after all. I do appreciate your help in making that decision. We live on the coast and we can make arrangements to see sea turtles come ashore in their natural habitat. It's not necessary that we handle them or swim with them for us to appreciate them. Thanks again!

[fshagan]

All turtles carry salmonella, which evidently doesn't bother them at all. We have two red eared slider turtles in our back yard, but we don't handle them very often (only to move them to clean their pond). After doing so, we wash our hands.

 

My understanding is that the problem with the little pet turtles was that the enclosures held very little water and people didn't always give the turtles fresh water, so the salmonella reached high levels. And they were typically a child's pet, so the child couldn't be expected to really take the necessary precautions. As far as I know, turtles over 4" are legal to own in every state (unless the specific species is endangered.)

 

I haven't been to the turtle farm. The question I would have is how much the water circulates in the enclosure. If it is like the other island enclosures I've seen, it would have a constant stream of fresh sea water flowing in and out of the enclosure, with nets to keep the turtles in the enclosure. That would mean that the salmonella is in very low concentration and probably not an issue. The only warnings I have ever seen are about handling the turtle, not being exposed to a lagoon with turtles in it.

 

If they allow you to touch the turtles, make sure you wash up afterwards.

[fshagan]

Also ... don't swim with them naked. They can bite! :eek:

[Tinyturtle22]

In response to those who said sea turtles do not carry salmonella.

 

Sea Turtles Can Make You Sick

Sea turtles almost invariably carry salmonella. Almost all turtles, marine or terrestrial, carry the salmonella bacteria, which doesn't seem to affect the turtles but can cause severe illness and even death in humans. Be advised that handling sea turtles warrants washing up afterwards. In addition, hatchlings have tested positive for tuberculosis, and there are several dangerous parasites that have been found in stranded sea turtles.

 

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/list_6757364_safety-issues-humans-sea-turtles_.html#ixzz2Zjz537Jv

 

Sea turtles also carry the bacteria salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea in people. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat.

 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/seaturtle/

 

According to their report, the hundreds of sea turtles are packed into crowded pools rife with salmonella, E. coli and other bacteria associated with pathogens dangerous to the turtles and the people who handle them.

 

- See more at: http://news.zurichna.com/article/04d6fc12e21bcfcc5fd1ea5c481601a3/cayman-sea-turtles-endure-salmonella-slaughter-dumb-tourists#sthash.O8WYAmcP.dpuf

 

This is specifically at Cayman Turtle Farm:

 

Handling captive turtles: Visitors have access to several enclosures and

are permitted (often without close supervision) to hold sea turtles (CTF, 2011;

Warwick et al., 2011b). Independent water sampling revealed the presence

of pathogenic bacterium (Aeromonas, E. coli, Vibrio and Salmonella) in the

farm’s sea turtle ‘touch tanks’. Given the shared water facilities it is entirely

reasonable to assume that bacterial agents present in any enclosure are

also likely to be widely present throughout the rest of the farm (Warwick

et al., 2011c). Currently, the farm fails to provide the visiting public with any

information regarding the existence of such threats or any sanitising products

to reduce the risk of human infection (Warwick et al., 2011c).

 

http://www.conserveturtles.org/pdf/documents/WSPA_turtlesReport_UK-prf2.pdf

 

I'm no marine biologist but I don't understand why people would say they do not carry salmonella when so many other resources say they do.

 

At any rate, I thank you for your responses, and I've decided that for numerous reasons, we won't be visiting the turtle farm after all. I do appreciate your help in making that decision. We live on the coast and we can make arrangements to see sea turtles come ashore in their natural habitat. It's not necessary that we handle them or swim with them for us to appreciate them. Thanks again!

 

Very few sea turtles IN THE WILD carry salmonella. Which is exactly what I stated. People who swim in dirty tanks with them or handle them like puppies are putting themselves at risk. Not because of the turtles themselves but because of the terrible conditions they have been forced to live in.

[JessLCH]

We went to the turtle farm a couple years ago while on a land vacation in Grand Cayman. My husband and daughter swam/snorkeled in the lagoon. My husband said the water was very murky and dirty and he could not wait to get out of there. The clarity was poor. Nobody got sick, but it is not an experience we'd do again. The ocean in Grand Cayman is so clear and beautiful.... We had a much better time on a snorkel boat excursion.

[sjbdtz]

land dwelling turtles carry it not sea turtles. It is extrememly hard for any type of bacteria/virus to survive long in salt water. I have swam with sea turtles all over the world and never had any problem with disease. This applies to turtles IN THE WILD, not held in tanks.

 

I think the Turtle Farm is a HORRRIBLE place myself since they serve turtle meat in the canteena and are seriously over crowded but I'm sure others will say its fine. It used to be a lovely actual farm many years ago but that is long gone now.

 

Anyone thinking of going to the Turtle Farm should read this http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-31/cayman-sea-turtles-endure-disease-tourists-commentary.html

 

 

Drat. We watched The Cove, so we can't/don't/won't swim with dolphins, but we're a few months too late on the turtles.

 

I guess we won't be doing that again.

 

 

 

.

[cruisecritiquer]

Very few sea turtles IN THE WILD carry salmonella. Which is exactly what I stated. People who swim in dirty tanks with them or handle them like puppies are putting themselves at risk. Not because of the turtles themselves but because of the terrible conditions they have been forced to live in.

 

I'm not disagreeing with you nor was I in my previous post. :)

[love2relax]

We went to the turtle farm a couple years ago while on a land vacation in Grand Cayman. My husband and daughter swam/snorkeled in the lagoon. My husband said the water was very murky and dirty and he could not wait to get out of there. The clarity was poor. Nobody got sick, but it is not an experience we'd do again. The ocean in Grand Cayman is so clear and beautiful.... We had a much better time on a snorkel boat excursion.

 

I agree. I enjoyed visiting the Turtle Farm and having a chance to hold one of the 2 year-old turtles, but the lagoon where we paid extra to snorkel with the turtles was pretty disgusting: so much so, that only two out of four of us swam all of the way to the glass wall by the fish tank. The other 2 had no desire to be in that water. There were only about 2 turtles in the tank anyways. It was much more exciting to snorkel in the open sea with Turtles in Hawaii. I would recommend going to the farm, but not paying extra to snorkel with the turtles: yuck! That being said, neither one of us got sick.