Cayman Turtle Centre: what to know before you go

What the Turtle Centre actually is

The Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre in West Bay is the oldest green sea turtle conservation facility in the world. For more than fifty years it has bred endangered green sea turtles and released them into the ocean at various stages of life, and a visit funds that work.

For visitors it is part marine park, part conservation story: breeding ponds, touch tanks, a turtle lagoon you can actually swim in, and keepers who genuinely love talking about the animals.

What you will do there

The heart of the visit is the turtle lagoon, wade in and snorkel alongside green sea turtles in calm, shallow water, no boat and no experience needed. Around it sit the breeding ponds with turtles of every size, from hatchlings you can hold under supervision to breeders well over a hundred pounds.

Give it half a day if you want to swim; a shorter visit works fine for the ponds and encounters. It pairs naturally with the rest of West Bay, you are minutes from Macabuca reef and the famous Hell formation.

The turtle lagoon is the thing people remember, pack swimwear even if you only planned to look at the ponds.

Tips for a better visit

Go in the morning: cooler, quieter, and the animals are livelier before the midday heat. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for the lagoon, and book swim encounters ahead on busy cruise days, the lagoon has a capacity and it fills.

Frequently asked questions