turtle question

[kcdancerkc]

We have been lucky enough to have "encounters" with sealions, dolphins, and stingrays..... all enclosed and captive

 

1 Wondering if hanging out and swimming with turtles - is a free flow experience yes?

 

2. I've seen mannnny tour operators that take you to turtles -- if 1 or 2 ships are in port -- is there a specific place to ask to go

 

to get AWAY from hoards of passengers, or are all turtle swimming experiences in the same bay/area?

 

Thanks!

[penguinscott]

I've only seen turtles when snorkeling in Hawaii. I hope you find some. They are fun to swim near.

[mn_isla_girl]

- is there a specific place to ask to go

 

to get AWAY from hoards of passengers, or are all turtle swimming experiences in the same bay/area?

 

Thanks!

 

I highly recommend Calabaza Sailing in Barbados to snorkel with the sea turtles. They only take 12 guests though so you must make reservations ahead. We got to our spot before other groups and had the turtles all to ourselves. They also served a hot breakfast snack, full lunch, and open bar all day.

 

The turtles are not captive, they are just out in the ocean.

Edited April 11, 2013 by mn_isla_girl

[aimodels]

I've swam with turtles both on my own and with a booze cruise.

 

Many of the beaches along the west and south coasts will have turtles. I've swam with them at Rockley, Carlisle Bay and Paynes Bay.

 

Typically, the tours will take you to either Paynes or Carlisle. You are pretty much guaranteed to see turtles here, because they are used to being fed when the booze cruise groups arrive.

 

Anywhere else gets you away from the crowds, but you may or may not see turtles - no guarantees.

 

We used to swim with turtles every morning at Rockley Beach by ourselves - no one else in the water. Some days, the turtles were a no show.

 

Cheers, P:)

[Aplmac]

In addition...

I've been hearing of turtles swimming freely among people

in the shallow lagoon in front of Carib Beach Bar on Worthing Beach, just West of St.Lawrence Bay!

This from several people now!

 

Water's shallow there...about waist deep if that..

with mostly sand and sea grass beds underfoot.

Wear water shoes?

 

Carib Beach Bar is right there too, as are beach chairs available for rental.

 

............................

 

This shot of mine in St.Lawrence Bay..

 

 

...is looking West in the direction of the area I describe.

 

Sorry it doesn't show more

but at the least it should lighten your day? :)

 

.

[newfiegirl4]

We just got back from an amazing cruise which we got to swim with the Turtles in Barbados. We went with Tiami Tours.... amazing crew. I even got to touch one of the turtles.... All I can saw is WOW!!!! Loved every minute of it. Tiami also has lunch and unlimited drinks. Very nice people.

Good luck with who ever you choose... I'm sure you have a blast.

[blkcruiser]

Just back from Barbados. Went to Sandy Beach in Christ Church. Quiet relaxing no crowds beautiful. The turtles are there naturally not fed and please just watch them and don't touch them. They swim past frequently to feed. We saw mothers and babies The beach has chair and umbrella for rental. They have a beach bar/restaurant Best beach :cool:

[newfiegirl4]

Just back from Barbados. Went to Sandy Beach in Christ Church. Quiet relaxing no crowds beautiful. The turtles are there naturally not fed and please just watch them and don't touch them. They swim past frequently to feed. We saw mothers and babies The beach has chair and umbrella for rental. They have a beach bar/restaurant Best beach :cool:

 

Why not touch when in a supervised tour??? Not hurting them, they are so shy, they just swim up and I got to smooth his back and he just swam away, not hurting them at all!! I could understand if you had flippers on and being rough around them, they can be hurt quite bad.

[blkcruiser]

We were guests and the residents who live on or near the beach asked us not to touch the turtles. It was enough to witness mother interaction with her baby

[barbados]

Yes, flippers into the turtle’s eye are probably the worst for the creature, but simply touching can also cause problems.

 

Turtles have a slime layer covering their entire body (shell, too) and a simple touch can damage this layer and allow bacteria to enter the shell. These bacteria could be from you or another turtle that you also touched.

 

I have seen cases of shell rot on our hawksbills due to simple human touching.

 

The act seems so innocent, but remember it does nothing positive for the turtle, only for the human.

 

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project was started in Barbados in 1987 to protect these beautiful creatures.

 

They were then, and still are, critically endangered.

 

As an example, touching a green sea turtle in Hawaii will bring a US$10,000 fine. Riding one will double that. Barbados hasn’t gone that far yet as the hawksbill numbers are improving, but it has been suggested and considered.

 

Our turtle friends would ask you if they could, to please visit and enjoy them but no fins and no touching…..

 

…..and take only pictures and leave only bubbles. :)



[newfiegirl4]

Yes, flippers into the turtle’s eye are probably the worst for the creature, but simply touching can also cause problems.

 

Turtles have a slime layer covering their entire body (shell, too) and a simple touch can damage this layer and allow bacteria to enter the shell. These bacteria could be from you or another turtle that you also touched.

 

I have seen cases of shell rot on our hawksbills due to simple human touching.

 

The act seems so innocent, but remember it does nothing positive for the turtle, only for the human.

 

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project was started in Barbados in 1987 to protect these beautiful creatures.

 

They were then, and still are, critically endangered.

 

As an example, touching a green sea turtle in Hawaii will bring a US$10,000 fine. Riding one will double that. Barbados hasn’t gone that far yet as the hawksbill numbers are improving, but it has been suggested and considered.

 

Our turtle friends would ask you if they could, to please visit and enjoy them but no fins and no touching…..

 

…..and take only pictures and leave only bubbles. :)



 

WOW!! I am so sorry, I didn't even know this, only thought it was the fins that done damage to them. They are so pretty and shy. If I had known I wouldn't have even touched!!!!

[Roshy]

Yes, flippers into the turtle’s eye are probably the worst for the creature, but simply touching can also cause problems.

 

Turtles have a slime layer covering their entire body (shell, too) and a simple touch can damage this layer and allow bacteria to enter the shell. These bacteria could be from you or another turtle that you also touched.

 

I have seen cases of shell rot on our hawksbills due to simple human touching.

 

The act seems so innocent, but remember it does nothing positive for the turtle, only for the human.

 

The Barbados Sea Turtle Project was started in Barbados in 1987 to protect these beautiful creatures.

 

They were then, and still are, critically endangered.

 

As an example, touching a green sea turtle in Hawaii will bring a US$10,000 fine. Riding one will double that. Barbados hasn’t gone that far yet as the hawksbill numbers are improving, but it has been suggested and considered.

 

Our turtle friends would ask you if they could, to please visit and enjoy them but no fins and no touching…..

 

…..and take only pictures and leave only bubbles. :)



 

 

This is a beautiful picture! Do you think I will be able to take one like that??? What camera did you use? I am planning to use my regular Canon SD 1200 in a plastic housing...

Edited December 4, 2013 by Roshy

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for educating people about the dangers of touching the turtles. When we were in Hawaii this was really emphasized. We had one turtle that was bound and determined to make us pay a fine, though. He came so close we had to swim away after snapping a picture, and we did not touch! This was not zoomed or cropped!

 

Edited December 5, 2013 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Roshy]

Thank you for educating people about the dangers of touching the turtles. When we were in Hawaii this was really emphasized. We had one turtle that was bound and determined to make us pay a fine, though. He came so close we had to swim away after snapping a picture, and we did not touch! This was not zoomed or cropped!

 

 

Hi Ginny,

 

Same Q for you:

This is a beautiful picture! Do you think I will be able to take one like that??? What camera did you use? I am planning to use my regular Canon SD 1200 in a plastic housing...

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We use the Canon D10 for our underwater/beach shots.

[Roshy]

We use the Canon D10 for our underwater/beach shots.

 

TX. My husband claims that those cameras are not very reliable...but he is a Canon-fanatic and uses only professional lenses... :( Are you happy with your Canon D10?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

TX. My husband claims that those cameras are not very reliable...but he is a Canon-fanatic and uses only professional lenses... :( Are you happy with your Canon D10?

 

It has been an excellent camera. We have used it for a couple of years now with no problems. The reviews on it are excellent which is why we bought it. I have another camera which I use for most land shots (more settings, better zoom, etc), but we now use the Canon almost exclusively when we head to the beach and leave the better camera safely back on the ship. You just have to be sure to not open the camera at all until it is completely dry.

 

You can see the rest of our Maui snorkeling shots here if you would like to see more pictures taken by this camera.

[Fouremco]

OP, as a diver and snorkeler, I see two types of encounters with turtles. The first entails the turtles swimming freely and within their own natural environment. No outside influences, such as chumming, are used to draw them in, and no attempt is made to interact with them. I've had the pleasure of hundreds of such encounters.

 

The second is the type most frequently seen in Barbados, where tours operators have, over time, lured turtles into an area through repeated chumming. While they aren't captive as they would be in a zoo, there's nothing natural about a number of turtles swimming with a group of snorkelers in a petting-zoo environment. I've done one such tour, with probably the best of the tour operators, but I'd never do it again. The turtles were frequently kicked accidentally by flailing beginner swimmers/snorkelers, and it was just a sad situation in my view.

 

OP, if you really want to appreciate the turtles, go to one of the locations suggested above and see them in their natural environment.

 

The attached photo is from one of my dives at the Karpata dive site in Bonaire. For the photographers, it was taken in a housed Canon Power Shot S80, f/4 at 1/200.

[OCruisers]

On the excursion we took through the ship on a sailing catamaran in Barbados we were told to not touch the turtles.

 

LuLu

~~~~

Edited December 5, 2013 by OCruisers

[Roshy]

It has been an excellent camera. We have used it for a couple of years now with no problems. The reviews on it are excellent which is why we bought it. I have another camera which I use for most land shots (more settings, better zoom, etc), but we now use the Canon almost exclusively when we head to the beach and leave the better camera safely back on the ship. You just have to be sure to not open the camera at all until it is completely dry.

 

You can see the rest of our Maui snorkeling shots here if you would like to see more pictures taken by this camera.

 

Thank you very much for sharing your beautiful pictures. I think I will buy the new version Canon D20. Maui obviously has many turtles...We saw some in Barbados, but the water was murky not that clear. Maybe this time we will have better luck.

[Roshy]

OP, as a diver and snorkeler, I see two types of encounters with turtles. The first entails the turtles swimming freely and within their own natural environment. No outside influences, such as chumming, are used to draw them in, and no attempt is made to interact with them. I've had the pleasure of hundreds of such encounters.

 

The second is the type most frequently seen in Barbados, where tours operators have, over time, lured turtles into an area through repeated chumming. While they aren't captive as they would be in a zoo, there's nothing natural about a number of turtles swimming with a group of snorkelers in a petting-zoo environment. I've done one such tour, with probably the best of the tour operators, but I'd never do it again. The turtles were frequently kicked accidentally by flailing beginner swimmers/snorkelers, and it was just a sad situation in my view.

 

OP, if you really want to appreciate the turtles, go to one of the locations suggested above and see them in their natural environment.

 

The attached photo is from one of my dives at the Karpata dive site in Bonaire. For the photographers, it was taken in a housed Canon Power Shot S80, f/4 at 1/200.

 

 

Your turtle picture is very nice. I just got my Polaroid house for my Canon SD 1200. I hope it will work. We are planning to go to Carlisle Bay. I hope to see the turtles there.