I was cautiously optimistic having read a few reviews that put down the Boatswain Beach, but we were pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon at the turtle farm and Boatswain beach. Ok I will grant you that you have a beautiful ocean all around the island to snorkel in, but this lagoon was still pleasant and you did see alot of fish and swim right up with some small sea turtles. My teens enjoyed seeing the sharks; they were pretty big in the predator lagoon. They LOVED the big turtles that you got to touch; they were like puppies looking up at you. and we also loved the Bird Aviary, where some beautiful carribean birds come feed right out of your hand. We saw finches and parrots , ibis and a sweet little parotlette, lovely colors in a pretty aviary. The man up there was really nice to us, letting my daughters have seed even though it was not officially feeding time. The swimming lagoon was refreshing and we had a snack at the schooners restaurant which was also nice ; they had good iced tea and conch fritters! We went on a sunday,which the website says they are closed but call ahead and maybe they are open. It was not crowded at all, but on a weekday we drove back up that way and the lot was full of cars and busses; probably cruise ship passengers swamp it on weekdays. While we were in Grand Cayman, there were no cruise ships on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. but a lot of things are closed on Sunday so plan ahead. That is why I saved the turtle farm for sunday. It was open 11 to 4 I think. We had a great time. they do a lot of turtle research there; it is not strictly commercial. I think it was a very worthwhile visit. it is something the little ones will enjoy too; the baby turtles were precious!

The turtle farm is worth a stop no matter what you do in Grand Cayman. If you just to the basic turtle package, it will only take about an hour. You will get to hold baby sea turtles which you don’t do every day. You can also touch the larger turtles. There is an option to make a day of the place by purchasing a package that includes their pool and a few other sites…I would stick to the beaches.

On a side note, I rented a jeep and planned to drive the island during my shore excursion. That proved to be impractical (I did it on St. Maartin and it was great). Grand Cayman traffic is consistently congested and the island does not loop. Everything is out and back…not efficient. Not to mention the fact that they drive on the left…so pay attention.

Hit the turtles and hit the beach.

We booked this excursion thru Carnival on a cruise and what a great place to visit if you love turtle or want to learn more about them. The guide was very good and so informative. This is the only place I have visited where you are allowed to actually touch and handle the turtles. They had turtles ranging from 2 weeks -70 yrs.old. It is a research and breeding farm. There's also a small aviary there. A beach to hang out at. We thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling in the man made lagoon with the small turtles and many fish, though not a lot of different varieties. You could easily spend the whole day there or as little as an hour if you don't snorkel. They have nice, clean and fairly new showers and bathroooms. There are also restaurants and snack shops along with a gift shop.

We really enjoyed a great day. No queues to get in, few people, very friendly staff, easy access to all the attractions. Had a great swim with the reef fish and even turtle soup and burgers for lunch! Kids loved it. Definetly a must when visiting GC.