Crammed together, mishandled, and eaten

Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter (CTC) in the Cayman Islands is the only attraction in the world where tourists can handle farmed sea turtles.

Formerly known as Cayman Turtle Farm, the venue recently underwent a sleek, friendlier-looking rebrand. However, the centre still intensively breeds thousands of endangered green sea turtles and enables tourists to eat their meat.

The Cayman Turtle Centre is the last sea turtle farm known to breed sea turtles for human consumption. But there is no humane way to farm these wild animals.
Cruise company Carnival Cruise Line sends tens of thousands of tourists to Cayman Turtle Centre every year.

Many visitors are unaware of the cruelty that goes on at the attraction.

One of the world’s cruellest attractions

Sea turtle farming is listed as one of the top 10 cruellest wildlife tourist attractions in our 2016 report Checking out of cruelty.

Conditions at the Cayman Turtle Centre make it impossible for turtles to express natural behaviours.

In their natural ocean habitats, green sea turtles can dive to depths of up to 140 metres, and can travel up to 5,000 kilometres in a year.

Sea turtles farmed at the tourist attraction cannot enjoy the freedom they would in the wild. Instead, they are subjected to unfit living conditions, and exploited in the name of tourist entertainment.

Turtles at Cayman Turtle Centre:

  • are mishandled by tourists using them as photo props for holiday selfies,
  • suffer severe wounds, skin lesions, injuries, stress, deformities and disease, often due to cramped conditions in tanks,
  • endure being on public display in shallow tanks where they cannot freely swim,
  • sometimes bite and maim each other, often due to stress,
  • and suffer genetic defects from in-breeding, such as being born without eyes.

The conditions they’re subjected to in the name of entertainment are further detailed in our report, Cayman Turtle Farm: A continued case for support.

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One of the world’s largest cruise companies still sends tens of thousands of tourists to Cayman Turtle Centre every year. The attraction inflicts severe cruelty upon endangered turtles.

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Carnival: Please do the right thing for wild animals

Around 20% of the world’s cruise passengers travel on Carnival Cruise Lines ships. The business is incredibly influential and must lead by example.

Cayman Turtle Centre heavily relies on cruise ships for customers. More than 200,000 people visit the attraction each year, and around three quarters are cruise liner passengers.

We’ve repeatedly contacted Carnival Cruise Lines since January. But despite making our welfare concerns clear, the company won’t agree to stop taking boatloads of tourists to this cruel attraction.

Other tourism industry leaders such as Thomas Cook have listened to our supporters and made changes to their businesses to better protect wildlife. It’s time Carnival Cruise Lines helped move the world to protect animals too.

Please share this page now, and demand Carnival listens to 129,203 supporters.

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