Sponsorship Program

Sponsorship Program

You can play your part in the Head-Started programme through sponsorship of a released turtle for private individuals or corporations for US$ 1800.

As a sponsor of a head-started turtle you will receive, an update on your turtle’s vital statistics and progress leading up to the release day. You, along with the assistance of our staff, will then have the opportunity to release the turtle into the wild – an experience you will never forget! Each sponsor will also receive a certificate of participation to honour the occasion.

 

 

Turtle Headstarting process Summary

• Selection of 10 – 12 juvenile turtles (6 – 8 months old)
• Turtles are health checked and treated for parasites and any other appropriate preventative treatments in collaboration with St. Matthew’s vets.
• Turtles then transferred from Centre Operations to Marine department
• Turtles are quarantined for 30 days in Marine Quarantine tanks. During this time, the turtles are fed cut fish & squid while being trained to respond to an audio signal to feed (a “dinner bell” of sorts).
• On completion of quarantine, turtles are health checked again before being transferred to a Release Cage in the saltwater lagoon for acclimation to their new environment
• Turtles kept in Release Cage for 2 – 3weeks while continuing training to respond to audio cue. This enables staff to monitor the turtles’ health and ensure they are receiving appropriate feed while they acclimate to a semi-natural environment.
• Turtles are kept in the lagoon for approximately 6 months, during which time they are slowly transitioned to an herbivore diet of algae and turtle grass occurring in the snorkel lagoon while cutting back on their fish diet. Green Turtles naturally make this switch in diet (carnivore to herbivore) in the wild between 12 – 18 months old.
• At 12 – 18 months old, the lagoon turtles are ready for wild release. The turtles are caught, weighed, measured and marked before being released into the wild.

About the Green Sea Turtle :

The Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) can be found throughout the Caribbean and in tropical oceans around the world, often frequenting shallower coastal waters where they primarily feed on turtle grass. Throughout history, sea turtles were a staple source of food for indigenous peoples, sailors and island colonists. Between exploitation for food and habitat loss as more beaches are developed for tourism or mined for sand, numbers of turtles have seriously declined over the years.

Since 1979, the Cayman Turtle Centre has released over 31,000 yearling turtles back into the Caribbean Sea. These “Headstarted” turtles have been recorded as far away as Central and South America and have even returned to lay their eggs on Cayman’s beaches. Your sponsorship is an opportunity to assist and participate in the Centre’s Head-Started programme, supporting the global conservation effort of this endangered species by contributing towards the release of a potential breeding sea turtle.

Click here to email us for more details: sponsorship@turtle.ky

Our Sponsors

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2011 – 2012 Sponsorships

Bronze

2010 - 2011 Sponsorship

Gold

Silver

Bronze

2009 - 2011 Sponsorship

Exclusive Sponsorship