The Cayman Islands featured in the international press this week with upbeat themes such as turtles at the new Boatswain’s Beach and the forthcoming Pirates Week, Gimistory and Jazz festivals.
Detroit Free Press carries a story entitled ‘Tickle a turtle at the Grand Cayman farm – if you can manage to catch it’ by travel writer Ellen Creager which featured on Sunday.
‘The chance to catch and hold a year-old green sea turtle – and have it hold still for a picture – is a main attraction at the Cayman Turtle Farm,’ it reads.
Pointing out some of the new attractions of the $44 million Boatswain’s Beach complex in West Bay, the article goes on ‘The new place is a happy event on a beautiful island still struggling to recover from Hurricane Ivan a year ago. On Thursday, it dodged another Category 5 hurricane, Wilma’.
The writer continues, ‘But lest you think the Cayman Turtle Farm is simply a jolly nature preserve or turtle zoo, it’s not. It raises and sells lots of turtles for – gulp – food on the Cayman Islands. Strict laws prevent turtle meat or products from being sold in the United States and in most places in the world’.
The story points out that the farm also breeds thousands of sea turtles each year and releases them into the wild. Every November (Nov. 2 this year) tourists are welcome to watch as divers guide young turtles into the Caribbean ocean.
‘More than 31,000 tagged turtles have been released into the wild in the past 20 years. Some have turned up as far away as Venezuela.’
After pointing out some of the attractions at the re-located turtle farm, including a pool of giant green sea turtles, ponds with three-week old turtles and ponds with one-year-olds you can hold in your hand, she encourages the reader to pick up a turtle.
‘Stroke his chin and listen to his turtle secrets. Where will he end up?’
She answers, ‘Maybe he’ll be in someone’s soup.
‘Maybe he’ll become a daddy.
‘Maybe he’ll swim free in the sea’.
Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail featured a story Saturday entitled ‘Pirates, stories, jazz at Cayman festivals’.
Giving a quick description of each of the festivals, it describes Pirates Week (October 27 to November 6) as a ‘family-friendly fest’ that showcases local music, dancing, cuisine, art and costumes and explains that it contains a mock pirate invasion, fireworks and sports competitions.
It focuses on international storytelling festival Gimistory (Nov 25 – Dec 3) next, saying, ‘Traditional Caribbean tales, ghost legends (known locally as ‘duppy’ stories), funny stories and stories told through calypso, mime and dance are all on the agenda’.
Honing in on the Jazz Fest, the article lists artists George Duke, Al Jarreau, Yolanda Adams and Ravi Coltrane for the Dec. 1 – 3 event. ‘The format will include an intimate evening performance, a large outdoor event, and a family-friendly afternoon event’.
It also gives local website links for more information on the events.
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