Excitement was in the air Friday at Boatswain’s Beach as staff and contract workers busily prepared to get the facility ready for its full opening 1 November.
Work goes full steam ahead on the Caymanian Street. |
Grand Cayman’s newest tourist attraction is to be fully open for the night-time extravaganza on Wednesday 1 November being staged there as part of the festivities for the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association’s annual conference taking place here next week.
‘The park will be fully open,’ said General Manager Marketing Casandra Hibbert.
After 1 November when the whole site is officially open there is entry only to Boatswain’s Beach for residents and stay-over visitors, which covers both Boatswain’s Beach and the Cayman Turtle Farm.
The cost of this for residents is US$30 (CI$25), and for tourists US$60. For children (age 2-12) the price is US$25, with free entry for those younger than two years of age.
Ms Hibbert said she believes the pricing to be very fair for residents.
For tourists, she said, they gain very good value when compared to other activities on the island.
For US$60 an adult tourist gains a full day at Boatswain’s Beach with all the activities, she said, while renting a wave runner or going parasailing for an hour can cost around US$80. To surf the wave pool at Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park it costs CI$60 per hour for a tourist.
‘Compared to others on the island we’re one of the cheapest,’ she said.
The turtle farm can be sold separately only by the tour operators through the cruise ships, Ms Hibbert confirmed.
This is, she said, a decision from the Board of Directors of Boatswain’s Beach in order to safeguard the tour operators’ niche in the market.
The park is also developing partnerships with hotels and Red Sail Sports and the cruise lines in order to create pre-bookings.
A membership club is also being created where children can pay a yearly fee and have unlimited admission.
This Wednesday coming, the saltwater is to be poured into the salt water snorkel lagoon and adjoining predator tank.
However, there will not be fish in the exhibit yet as they need 30 days quarantine, having been brought in from the Florida Quays.
However, within the next couple of months all of the fish are expected to be in the lagoon, explained Curator of Marine and Research Catherine Bell.
The park, in its finishing stages, is impressive.
The saltwater lagoon winds its way around little landscaped islands in its centre and will boast 1.3 million gallons of water.
The coral for it has been made on site with a special type of rubber material under the guidance of Mark Bryant. Friday morning workers could be seen inside the salt water lagoon and predator tank putting each piece of coral in its rightful place.
Fish that are to be included in the lagoon where they will swim amongst visitors to the park include different types of grunt, ocean surgeonfish, rainbow runner, yellow tail snapper and flathead mullet.
The touch tank will see people interact with starfish, urchins and crabs.
Through the four-inch pane of glass separating the snorkel lagoon from the predator tank, visitors can come face to face with sharks, eels, tarpon and barracuda.
And adjoining the predator tank on the other side is Breakers Lagoon, a large fresh water pool complete with cascading waterfall.
Open since July, this attraction has proved popular with residents as a birthday party hang-out, notes Ms Hibbert.
The snack shack is popular for hot dogs, jerk pork and chicken and Schooners’ Bar and Grill is ready to welcome guests on 1 November.
The 50 or so birds in the aviary have indeed made themselves at home. In fact, one extremely friendly bird thinks nothing of landing on people’s heads or shoulders to make friends.
Assistant Curator of Education and Terrestrial Exhibits Samantha Shiels explains that there will eventually be double the number of birds in the aviary.
The birds are from the Caribbean region and include the Saffron Finch, the Turquoise Tanager, White Ibis, Scarlet Ibis and the Red Legged Honeycreeper.
Native birds include the Cayman Parrot, Monk Parakeet and the Common Ground Dove.
Just outside the bird aviary is an iguana territory where the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana, a Grey Iguana (native to the Sister Islands) and Green Iguanas have a home, said Aviculturist Catherine Redfern.
On down the pathway and the nature trail awaits. This takes you through a natural habitat of Cayman Islands’ woodland and if you’re lucky you may come across butterflies and birds on your travels.
Back in the main area of the park and workers are busily making headway on the Caymanian Street. Although this part of the park looks the most unfinished, with cement mixers and bricks lying around, Ms Hibbert asserts that all will be ready for 1 November. As of Friday, however, most of the physical buildings seemed to be completed. This historic Caymanian Street will be complete with porch-side artisans, once finished.
The 23-acre adventure marine park is also, of course, home to the Cayman Turtle Farm, complete with an actual working farm and the chance for visitors to hold the turtles.
A 3,500 square foot retail shop and kiosks out front are also operational, while 12 more retail units within the park are due to open by year’s end.
Other exciting developments include Boatswain’s Beach being very popular for special events, with lots of weekends already booked out over the Christmas period.
The first wedding at the tourist site is planned for 16 December. It will take place on one of the small, landscaped islands in the salt water snorkel lagoon.
The park is open seven days a week from 8am to 4.30pm.
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