Travel shows and magazines frequently feature the Cayman Islands as having some of the best diving in the world.
Department of the Environment research officer Mark Orr (back, seated) records data while show presenter Jamie Crawford (left), director/cameraman Jonathan Frisby and sound/cameraman Tom Keeling listen to Janice Blumenthal, DOE research officer, explain details of turtle-data collection. Photo: Submitted |
On 20 May, however, Cayman was spotlighted for a different reason – the unique turtle-research programme developed and maintained by the Department of the Environment.
Michaela’s Wild Challenge, a popular UK television show, filmed one of its 13 episodes in Grand Cayman. The programme’s goal is ‘to travel the planet in search of the roughest and toughest wildlife challenges.’
Primarily an educational and entertainment show, this particular episode featured DOE collecting vital data from sea turtles in the area, tracking their travels around the region, according to a Government Information Service press release.
‘Although turtle research is something that we regard as very important here in Cayman, it’s nice to know that our programme attracts interest as far away as the UK,’ said DOE Research Officer John Bothwell.
‘This programme has been beneficial in determining where our local nesting turtles travel and where our resident sub-adults originally come from. We are able to work in conjunction with other turtle-research programmes through the tagging and microchipping used for identification and the genetic profiling of our turtles. Ultimately, we share our information with the world.’
Two Hand Productions, the company that films the wildlife show, accompanied DOE staffers around Cayman waters, documenting the capture and collation of vital information on local turtles.
Jamie Crawford, one of the show’s presenters, assisted the capture of hawksbill and green sea turtles, a particular challenge for this episode. He also interviewed DOE researcher Janice Blumenthal to learn more about the project.
‘We always try to find an adventure that is exciting and educational for our viewers,’ said Ruth Harries, researcher for the company. ‘The local turtle programme is an exciting concept, and being able to take part in it was a wonderful showcase opportunity for us.’
While in Cayman, the company also filmed at the Sandbar. They interacted with the stingrays under the supervision of Ocean Frontiers and learned about stingray research with Matt Potenski of the Guy Harvey Research Institute, and potential issues of animal feeding activities with the DOE.
The episode will be aired during the season which begins in October.
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