island vacation Archives - Have Sippy Will Travel

Baby Sea Turtle programming at Atlantis @Bahamas

August and September are Baby Sea Turtle months at Atlantis, Paradise Island. Every other year, a female lays up to 200 soft -shelled eggs and only about 2 or 3 are expected to live. Atlantis’ Blue Project actively breeds and releases the endangered green sea turtle, and to date over 700 hatchlings have been returned to the ocean that will help increase wild populations.

Guests can take part in a behind- the-scenes tour of the resort’s aquarium, fish hospital and meet with one of the resort’s 165 scientists full time marine biologists, aquarists, veterinarians, lab technicians and water safety specialists; where they will learn more about Atlantis Blue Project’s commitment to conservation. They can also take part of a mature turtle release – as part of the process, guests will name the turtle, ride a motorboat to the nearby release location, and be in the waters during the release. Snorkel equipment is included. A portion of the proceeds from the experience goes back to the Atlantis Blue Project. The turtle release experience costs $1,250 for up to four people.

Turks and Caicos – Get Away From It All

Feeling the chill of winter? Warm up with a trip to Turks and Caicos. Warm weather and good food await-and it’s not a long flight, either.

A great way to start our trip, The Conch Farm is both beautiful and educational. With conch being such a huge part of the island (a major food, source of many festivals, it was even on the flag) making sure that it is sustainable is vital. Located on the island’s eastern end, and first created (and still used as) a research facility, this is the only spot in the world that conch is commercially produced and grown.

According to the farm, it “exports much of the conch you eat in the Florida Keys and Miami, (and) it’s breeding techniques could help save the conch from extinction”. With many predators (man being number one) and only a small percentage of eggs surviving to adulthood, this farm and it’s research are important to the island and to the conch in general. More then 25% of conch eggs grown to maturity at the farm, and the money made from the tours help fund research that goes into better farming, sustainability, and new techniques. Soon, completely round geodesic fish pens that will further help these and other fish from being depleted from over-fishing. This “revolutionary and state-of-the-art form of environmentally conscious commercial fish farming referred to as off-shore deep water submerged cage farming” spells good news for conch and conch lovers alike. While on the tour, you can the life cycle of the conch, shells in various parts of it’s life, breeding basins where they grow, a hatchery and laboratory, and even some fish hatcheries. You can hold tiny, growing conch, as well as meet the mascots- one male, and one female (Jerry and Sally). Yes, you can tell the difference- the male has a piston, which apparently is a delicacy.
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