cozumel pearl farm Archives | TRAVELS WITH TAM

Yes, you heard me! Cozumel has a Pearl Farm and it is the only one in the Caribbean! My fellow traveler, Linda Beach of A Passionate Dream Life came to visit and we decided to check it out. We had a great time, and learned so much.

I’ve seen pearl farms in Indonesia and the Pacific Ocean, and they are huge. The Pacific is an ocean of rich nutrients, but the Atlantic, and especially the Caribbean, offers much less in the way of nutrients and food. Compared to the Pacific, the Caribbean is a desert. But this wonderful family from Mexico City had a dream, and they have made it a reality. Isa Caamaño gave us a fantastic tour, and since she is the biologist in the family, we really learned about the biology of pearl farming. Her enthusiasm is infectious!

The first order of business is to learn a bit about pearls! I’ve always been fascinated by them, and their history. Photo by Linda Beach

Isa showed us the cages where the oysters develop. When Wilma hit, all of their oysters were lost, but they have created an anchoring system that will keep them in place during a storm.

The story of the farm could be made into a movie. Dad was a successful contractor in Mexico City, but had a dream of starting a pearl farm in Cozumel. The entire family became involved in the project, and they started up in the early 2000s. In 2005, WILMA came along and destroyed everything, and I mean every single thing on the farm and the island. They decided to stay and rebuild, and in doing so, have created unique technologies and a successful business. They have also called upon Our Lady of Guadelupe, the patron saint of Mexico, to help. Visiting the Pearl Farm is a must do on Cozumel!

After the storm they put a statue of Our Lady of Guadelupe to protect the farm, and there hasn’t been a storm since. The goddess Ixchel is said to inhabit the island, so you could say the strength of women is protecting the island

Isa explains the seeding process and shows us pearls from the farm. Photo by Linda Beach

The tour also includes lunch, and plenty of time to relax and rest on this uninhabited beach on the north side of the island. It is about as far north as you can go on Cozumel, and utterly undeveloped except for the pearl farm. It is a beautiful area and one that is very rarely seen. I highly recommend visiting the Pearl Farm, and you can find them at Cozumel Pearl Farm on Facebook! Tell them Travels with Tam sent you!