Turtle Farm welcomes back over 10,000 visitors

Ken Hydes, Managing Director of the Turtle Farm	Cruise Ships passengers interact with turtles at the Turtle Farm in West Bay.

Friday,  November 19, 2004

A key destination on any visitor’s itinerary the Cayman Turtle Farm has welcomed over 10,250 visitors during the first two weeks since the return of cruise ship passengers to Grand Cayman after the passing of Hurricane Ivan.

Mr Ken Hydes, Managing Director of the Turtle Farm said he was delighted to see the return of the cruise ships, as they are such a vital part of the Cayman economy. “It is a great result to see that the Government, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association, and all others involved, could work together to bring the cruise ships back to our ports so quickly,” he said.

“There is a lot of discussion taking place in the community as to whether it is too early for Cayman to be receiving cruise ships so soon after the hurricane, however they are part of the life blood of the economy and without them the business community could find it difficult to sustain their operations which could result in job losses,” Mr Hydes added.

“Some 1.8 million cruise ship passengers visited Grand Cayman in 2003, and more than two million are expected in 2004, even allowing for the disruption caused by Hurricane Ivan. 

“Their worth to the country’s economy was underlined by a study commissioned by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association last year, which found that cruise ship passengers spend about US$88 each during their brief stay.”

Around a quarter of passengers from cruise ships that call at Grand Cayman, visit the Cayman Turtle Farm.

“Our release, research, educational, and commercial programs are only possible because of the income we derive from the patronage and support of our visitors,” Mr Hydes said.

“I’d like to personally thank all of my staff who have worked so hard over the past couple of months to get the farm ready for our visitors. I also extend my thanks to all of those people on the Island who worked behind the scenes to ensure the roads and beaches were clean and the Island was presentable for our guests,” he continued.

Cruise ship visitors to the Turtle Farm this week took leisurely walks around the tanks and were thrilled to have the opportunity to pick up a turtle and have their photo taken.

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