Cayman Turtle Centre reopening this weekend
(CNS Local Life): Everyone on Grand Cayman can enjoy a visit to the Cayman Turtle Conservation and Education Centre from this weekend without the throng of tourists and for a special low entry fee. But visitors are required to bring face-masks, which they will be asked to wear in indoor areas. The CTC closed its doors to the public in March due to the COVID-19 lockdown but now, although the Cayman’s borders remain closed keeping tourists away, the popular attraction is reopening to the public from Saturday, 4 July.
All exhibits will once again be open except for the snorkelling lagoon, which will remain closed to guests for the time being, according to CTC CEO Tim Adam.
“We used the time to make sure everything was deep-cleaned, disinfected, and generally spruced-up. Cayman Turtle Centre crew members made use of the time to ensure that every inch of the park was given a makeover and made ready for reopening,” Adam said.
“Now we are ready to once again offer our valued guests the unique experience of encountering all our animals in a pristine environment, to make magical memories for our guests and their families.
“Despite all the COVID-19 staffing challenges, throughout all these weeks of closure to the public we have made sure that all our turtles, parrots, sharks, fishes, and Smiley, our crocodile, were all safe and well cared for and never in any danger. In addition, all our successful conservation programmes, including the captive-breeding and release of our turtles, and birds, have continued,” Adam added.
In order to celebrate the reopening, all visitors will receive the special ‘resident’ rate until 31 August. That means that everyone, even if they are not Cayman residents, will be able to enjoy the Turtle Adventure Tour for just C$15 for adults and CI$10 for children aged 3 to 12, with children 2 and under enjoying free entry.
The reopening offer gives access to the entire park, with the exception of the snorkelling lagoon. Guests will be able to enjoy the Breeding Pond (where visitors can see and feed the magnificent green turtles), the Turtle Touch Tanks and Wading Pools, Smiley the Crocodile’s Croc Cove, Schooners Bar & Grill, Predator Reef (to see the sharks, barracudas and other fierce fish-predators), the Caribbean Free Flight Aviary, the Blue Hole Nature Trail, Cayman Street, and Breakers Lagoon (home of the Turtle Twister Waterslide).
COVID-19 restrictions remain in place because, the CTC said in a release, the safety of guests is always a top priority. Enhanced safety protocols will include the CTC’s front-facing staff wearing face masks for protection, and visitors will also be asked to wear face masks in all indoor areas. All guests are asked to continue frequently making use of the many hand sanitizing and hand washing stations throughout the facility.
“This has been a long-standing requirement for the safety of our guests and our animals, and due to COVID-19 we have added even more sanitizer dispenser stations throughout the Centre. Additionally, we are asking everyone to observe all social distancing protocols. Those protocols may also mean restrictions to some enclosed areas, such as the Education Centre.” Adam said.
“Cayman Turtle Centre crew members have been working very hard throughout the park during the past three months, and everything looks crisp and fresh and shipshape. Schooners Bar & Grill, the popular onsite restaurant, will reopen with its menu available to dine in or take out, offering our guests the choice between international, regional and local cuisine, using many fresh locally-sourced ingredients.” said Renee Howell, Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer.
“We would like to extend a warm, Caymankind welcome, as we open our doors once again to residents, school students and overseas visitors. Because we used the time we had when the doors were closed, we can offer all of our guests a richer wildlife encounter than ever before, and we truly believe that despite the setbacks, 2020 has many wonderful things in store for all.” Howell added.
For a limited time only, visitors can save an extra 10% on the resident rates when they book their tickets in advance via the CTC website or purchase them at the box office.
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Category: Local News, Tourism
