Swimming with the sea turtles!!!!!

[Moozillion]

My sister and her husband just got back from a vacation to the Caribbean island of Curacao. When they were having lunch one day and chatting with their waitress, she told them they should go swimming at a nearby beach. They went to where she directed them, and there were no tourists there- just locals. I don't know if they were scuba diving or snorkeling, but she said there were 8 huge, wild, green sea turtles in the place they were diving! She said it was so cool: these huge animals would just swim right up to you, look you in the face, go up to get a gulp of air, then swim back down to eat whatever they were eating! The turtles were not confined at all: it was an open beach area.
Yet another item for my bucket list!!!!!!!!

 

[Melis]

We saw one while snorkeling at a beach in the Bahamas. Definitely an amazing experience

 

[Melis]

And I’m going on a cruise in July and one of the stops is curaçao. So that’s exciting to hear!

 

[wellington]

We swam with them 4 years ago in Hawaii. We are there again now and will be visiting their swimming/basking beach. They are amazing! Just don't touch them. At least in Hawaii they make sure they are safe and that people don't touch or bother them.

 

[Moozillion]

We swam with them 4 years ago in Hawaii. We are there again now and will be visiting their swimming/basking beach. They are amazing! Just don't touch them. At least in Hawaii they make sure they are safe and that people don't touch or bother them.

I hope they’re far away from that volcano...[emoji53]

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

View attachment 241468
We saw one while snorkeling at a beach in the Bahamas. Definitely an amazing experience

Amazing experience. Hopefully I’ll get to do that some day.

And I’m going on a cruise in July and one of the stops is curaçao. So that’s exciting to hear!

Lucky you. Cruises are the best vacations. I’ve been on several. Hopefully you’ll get to swim with some. One of the cruises I went on we stopped at grand cayman island where they have cayman turtle farm. They allow you to hold young sea turtles there.

 

[Melis]

Amazing experience. Hopefully I’ll get to do that some day.

Lucky you. Cruises are the best vacations. I’ve been on several. Hopefully you’ll get to swim with some. One of the cruises I went on we stopped at grand cayman island where they have cayman turtle farm. They allow you to hold young sea turtles there.

Yes we love to cruise and I’ve done the turtle farm as well. Here is a pic from the turtle farm. Years later I did research and saw how controversial it is. Such a fine line between overexploitation and bringing awareness and conservation to defenseless animals that need it. Having been a turtle lover since I can remember, it was definitely an amazing experience that I will never forget!

 

[Big Charlie]

View attachment 241562
Yes we love to cruise and I’ve done the turtle farm as well. Here is a pic from the turtle farm. Years later I did research and saw how controversial it is. Such a fine line between overexploitation and bringing awareness and conservation to defenseless animals that need it. Having been a turtle lover since I can remember, it was definitely an amazing experience that I will never forget!

So jealous! It's so cute! I wonder how stressful that is to the turtles.

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

View attachment 241562
Yes we love to cruise and I’ve done the turtle farm as well. Here is a pic from the turtle farm. Years later I did research and saw how controversial it is. Such a fine line between overexploitation and bringing awareness and conservation to defenseless animals that need it. Having been a turtle lover since I can remember, it was definitely an amazing experience that I will never forget!

It was an amazing experience. I have a few pictures of me holding one in photo album somewhere.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I have never swam with a sea turtle, but I did jump off my boat and swim next to a whale shark one time off the coast of Florida, it was a pretty cool experience. Being from south Florida though I have had the chance to watch them come ashore and nest many times.

 

[wellington]

The sea life park in Oahu let's you pet their baby sea turtles. However, you can't disturb the ones in the wild on the beach or in the ocean, it's against the law. If there is any evidence that touching them is harmful, then I wish everyone would have it against the law in the wild and captivity. If there isn't any evidence, then more people that can touch them, the more people will care about saving them.

 

[TammyJ]

What are they doing with the turtles at the turtle "farm" in Cayman? Are they breeding them to be eaten?

 

[Melis]

What are they doing with the turtles at the turtle "farm" in Cayman? Are they breeding them to be eaten?

Some of them, yes
Some articles I read stated that the locals eat the turtle meat regardless. So they look at it as a way to be able to offer the meat of captive bred turtles in order to keep people from going and catching grown turtles of breeding age in the wild.
There are also lots of allegations of poor living conditions. And the controversy of whether or not all the human interaction is harmful to the well being of the turtles.
The workers did speak a lot about the breeding programs they have in which they release turtles into the wild. I did not learn about the other aspects until after, when I read that some cruise lines no longer go there.

 

[Melis]

My cruise leaves next week and I just booked a snorkeling excursion in curaçao, so hopefully I’ll get some good pics to share!

 

[Maro2Bear]

My cruise leaves next week and I just booked a snorkeling excursion in curaçao, so hopefully I’ll get some good pics to share!

Very cool! I visited Curaçao many years ago for a week. Did lots of snokeling. Have fun.

 

[CarolM]

My sister and her husband just got back from a vacation to the Caribbean island of Curacao. When they were having lunch one day and chatting with their waitress, she told them they should go swimming at a nearby beach. They went to where she directed them, and there were no tourists there- just locals. I don't know if they were scuba diving or snorkeling, but she said there were 8 huge, wild, green sea turtles in the place they were diving! She said it was so cool: these huge animals would just swim right up to you, look you in the face, go up to get a gulp of air, then swim back down to eat whatever they were eating! The turtles were not confined at all: it was an open beach area.
Yet another item for my bucket list!!!!!!!!

That sounds like a good item for your bucket list.

 

[CarolM]

And I’m going on a cruise in July and one of the stops is curaçao. So that’s exciting to hear!

Moozillion will need to find out the name of the beach and pm you.

 

[Moozillion]

Moozillion will need to find out the name of the beach and pm you.

I’ll ask my sister the name of it.[emoji2]

 

[Moozillion]

Unfortunately, my sister did not remember if the beach even had a name.
But she thinks there are additional areas where people can swim with the turtles.

 

[Moozillion]

@Melis My sister texted me last night after she got home. She thinks the beach they went to for the turtles was Playa Piscado and sent me a lovely local map. The map is charming, but obviously, we can't be certain of its precision. If you look to the far left, under the person perched to dive in the water, Playa Piscado is the 2nd named location. Good luck, wherever you go!!!!!