11th May Caymans day thirteen {C2K week 8 day 3}

Today started with me watching Thomas play football three matches one draw two losses. Claire went to a local bar to meet up with other Liverpool supporters to see if they could win the Premiership, no chance!!

During football we were treated to a rain storm all the parents ran for cover whilst the kids carried on playing. On route to collect Claire we had another rainstorm this one dumped so much water that there were puddles several inches deep on some of the roads.

After football we went up to the West Bay area to visit the Turtle Farm. Turtle meat was a staple of the Cayman for years but it is now illegal to fish for turtle. The turtle farm was founded over 40 years ago to raise turtles for meat now it breeds for release to boost the wild population.

Green Turtle in the breeding tank

Eggs are laid between May and October
You can see the Batabano {turtle tracks} in the sand 

Turtle leaving the beach

The eggs laid in the false beach are collected and taken to the hatchery where they are cared for till they hatch.

Kemps Ridley Turtle part of a newley started breeding programe 

Pee-Po

Thomas, Emily and I in the handling pool with baby turtles

 After the breeding and handling tanks there is a lagoon where you can snorkel with young turtles sorry no photos as we did not have the waterproof camera with us. Then comes the reef 'tank' containing a number of the reef predators including barracuda, shark and a number of species of jack.

French Grunt

Horse-eye Jacks

There is also a walk through aviary only one photo today others to follow another day

Cayman Parrots

After all the animals fish and birds there is a large swimming pool with a slide and two waterfalls, we spent the rest of the afternoon playing here. After leaving the turtle farm we stopped at Cemetery Beach to take some photos

Photographer on a Cayman Beach

Cemetery Beach looking toward Seven Mile Beach