Bioluminescent Bay Tour

Are you looking to experience a wonder of nature right in the Cayman Islands? One of the newest attractions in Grand Cayman is the Bioluminescent Bay Tour in the North Sound. What is a "Bio Bay"? It's a body of water where microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates grow in quantities large enough to produce a "glow-in-the-dark" effect as a defense mechanism, which is called bioluminescence.

In Grand Cayman, there are many private boats that will take you out to the Bay. Larger boats are unable to go in the Bay Area due to the shallow waters. You can get on these boats in a variety of harbors, such as Camana Bay, Yacht Club or Morgan's Harbor. Since it needs to be completely dark, these tours leave about an hour after sunset and are about a 2-hour trip. Be sure to check the moon's schedule because the tours don't run every day. The moon can't be full or even very bright for you to experience the full wonder. If you are wanting to just see the glow from above and not get in the water another option is a kayak tour in the bay. This, however is not nearly as spectacular without the ability to get in the water because a much larger and brighter glow is caused by your body movements.

Once you are all loaded onto your boat, it is about a 45 minute ride out to the bay in the North Sound. Since small jellyfish are present in the bay, some boats have wetsuits for guests to wear when they get in the water. Check with your boat to see if they provide wetsuits, though it is entirely possible to go in the water without them! The water is warm and approximately 3-6 feet deep in most places. It is recommended to float on noodles or life jackets, provided by the boat as touching the bottom is not recommended as most of the small jellyfish are present there. You can enjoy the glow of the water and if you are in the water, it appears like you are in space surrounded by stars. By stirring the water, the millions of microorganisms will light up causing an incredible display. Try playing the piano with your fingers, or swirling circles!! 

This magical site is one of only a small number of locations in the world where you can experience this incredible phenomenon. Since pictures don't do this phenomenon justice, it might just be something you have to try next time you visit Grand Cayman!

 

Cayman Islands Marine and Protected Areas

If you've ever snorkeled in Grand Cayman, you may wonder how does the coral look so colorful, the fish so plentiful and the water so beautiful. This beauty is preserved through a series of rules and laws to help protect these areas for generations to come. For example, the entire stretch of 7 Mile Beach is a marine reserve.

A marine reserve is an area that restricts taking anything from it, dead or alive. This allows the various species to reproduce and the coral to flourish. These reserves do not allow any boats to anchor, unless they are less than 60 feet and anchor only in the sand without impacting any coral.

In addition to the marine reserve, there is also an environmental reserve with a different set of laws. Environmental reserves prohibit taking any marine life, dead or alive and also denies any in-water activities at all. These areas can only be accessed at a speed of 5 MPH or less and there is no anchoring of any vessel allowed in environmental reserves. There are also several fishing zones and laws that locals abide by to help preserve the beauty.

You can view a map of the Grand Cayman Protected Areas at this link: https://doe.ky/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/web3_Grand_Cayman_Boundary_Maps.pdf

Cayman Islands Conservation Laws are in place to protect some of the most famous creatures the island has to offer. The first law pertains to lobster, which sees a closed season from March 1st to November 30th. Even during open season, there is a limit of 3 lobsters per person or 6 per boat per day. There is a size limit of a minimum 6 inch tail. The second law pertains to conch, which are found on the sea floor inside of beautiful shells. Conch season is slightly less restrictive than lobster season, with the closed season being from May 1st to October 31st. During open seasons, there is a limit of 5 per person or 10 per boat per day and only queen conch may be taken. People love to enjoy this delicacy fresh out of the shell, raw and soaked in a special Caribbean marinate, often spicy.

Turtles have their own set of laws, which prevent anyone from ever taking, disturbing or killing turtles in Cayman waters or on Cayman's beaches without a license. Finally, sharks and rays are also protected and may never be taken from the Cayman waters at any time. Penalties to all these laws can be severe, including CI$500,000 fines and four years in jail. However, if we all work together to follow these simple laws, then the Cayman waters will remain some of the most beautiful in the world for many more to enjoy.

Cayman's Wildlife Laws

The latest edition of Destination Cayman 2017 had a great article providing the DOs and DON'Ts as it relates to the Cayman Islands Wildlife Laws. Since these are common questions for our guests, it made sense to summarize here. Everyone that goes on a vacation likes to take home a souvenir, but taking home things you find in the ocean is a little more complicated than taking home a t-shirt. In an effort to preserve the Cayman Islands ecosystem, there are several laws in place to help. If you follow these simple tips, you should be able to go home with a great new Cayman Islands memory:

1. A very popular souvenir is the conch shell. The law states that up to three shells may be taken home by an individual without special permission.
2. While turtles are beautiful animals, they are an endangered species. That means that all turtle products are banned, including meat, shells and anything else that comes from a turtle.
3. The stunning beauty of Cayman is punctuated by the colorful corals in the sea. It is an absolutely no-no to export raw coral. It causes untold damage to the reefs if pieces of coral are broken off. Coral jewelry that you purchase at a Cayman Islands store do not need any special permits and is perfectly legal.
4. The best tip is to get advice. If you have any questions about an item you want to take home, you should ask someone at the Customs Office at the airport.
5. The Cayman Islands take great pride in protecting their wildlife. If you are caught taking wildlife out of the Cayman Islands without the proper permits or approvals, it could lead to a confiscation of the items, fine or imprisonment. The laws are very strict, but necessary to protect the beautiful Cayman Islands environment.

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to write about? Let me know: [email protected].

 

Camana Bay Ferry Service to Rum Point

Have you ever wanted to get to Rum Point, but not wanted to make the long, winding, hour-long drive from Seven Mile Beach? Have you ever wondered who was going to drive back if you all had a few "Original Mudslides" from the Wreck Bar? Have you never been to Rum Point, but want to give it a try? The answer to all of these question lies in the news that Camana Bay has started a new ferry service to and from Kaibo Yacht Club. 

While the Kaibo Yacht Club isn't exactly Rum Point, once there, you are just a 2 minute shuttle ride away from Rum Point. The ferry service currently runs every day except Monday with times varying by day. At a cost of just $20 C.I. per person, this is a rather affordable option to get to Rum Point without having to drive or charter a boat. 

The comfortable boat cruises from Camana Bay through the North Sound and to the dock at Kaibo Yacht Club. From there you are able to hop on a shuttle provided by the ferry service to be at Rum Point in about 35 minutes total. The reason the ferry is not able to drop-off directly at Rum Point is because the dock is in water that is too shallow for the boat.

Once at Rum Point, you are able to order food from their kitchen, including their terrific mahi mahi wrap or sandwich. This is also the home of the Original Mudslide. The sign famously asks, "Do you serve virgin mudslides?" with the response being "yes we do-a cup of ice is free." (This is why having a boat to get back to 7 Mile Beach comes in handy).

The next time you are on the island, give the new ferry service a try. After all, you can't really go wrong with an afternoon on the quiet, isolated beach of Rum Point.

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to write about? Let me know: [email protected].

 

Southwest Adds Flights to Grand Cayman

With news last week that Southwest Airlines will begin flights into Grand Cayman, it seemed like a good time to post about all the different ways you can get to Cayman. There are numerous airlines that fly into Owen Roberts Airport in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. The Airport is centrally located on the tiny island and less than 20 minutes away from most condos. Taxi cabs are readily available as you exit baggage claim/customs. 

The airlines with flights from the U.S. to Cayman include Delta, American, JetBlue, United, Air Canada, Cayman Airways and now Southwest. Flight prices to the Cayman Islands are always in flux and obviously different dates/airlines/connections/etc play a role. 

The cities that fly direct to Cayman are broken down below by airline:

Cayman Airways: New York (JFK), Miami, Tampa and a winter flight from Chicago (only runs on Wednesdays and Sundays)

American: Charlotte, Miami, Philadelphia, 

JetBlue: New York (JFK)

United: Houston, Washington D.C., Newark

Air Canada: Houston

Delta: Atlanta

Southwest:(Effective in June): Fort Lauderdale

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to get to Grand Cayman! Once you arrive, you'll soon be able to enjoy the beautifully renovated space as Owen Roberts Airport in Grand Cayman just began phase II of a CI $55 Million project that should be completed in early 2018.

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to write about? Let me know: [email protected].

The History and Evolution of the Cayman Islands

When I began going to the Cayman Islands more than 35 years ago, it wasn’t quite what it is today. Sure it had beautiful blue sky, turquoise ocean, and pristine sand.

None of that has changed. However, the island has changed a lot. 35 years ago, you could walk miles down 7 mile beach before you saw another person. If you wanted meat? You brought your own. If you wanted to make a phone call? You searched high and dry for a pay phone. If you wanted to watch TV? Yeah, right. Needless to say, things have changed. 

Believe it or not, Christopher Columbus founded Grand Cayman back in 1503 during a voyage to the "new world." Due to the abundant amount of sea turtles, he coined the term Las Tortugas for the name of the islands. The turtle remains a face of the island to this day.

Despite Columbus’ findings, the Islands remained uninhabited until the 17th century. The first people to settle on the island were pirates, shipwrecked sailors, and slaves. Finally, in the 1730’s, Great Britain took control of the Cayman Islands. The first census taken in 1802 showed a population of 933 people on Grand Cayman, 545 of which were slaves. 

This British colony is located about 400 miles south of Miami, 180 miles south of Cuba, and 195 miles northwest of Jamaica.

Due to its close proximity to the islands, Jamaica became a key country to the Cayman Islands’ development. Initially, the Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica. However, they became an independent colony in 1959 and are now a self-governing British territory. Several Jamaicans make the Cayman Islands their home today.

Cayman has become a very wealthy island that continues to advance and become more modernized. It has been amazing to see the transformation in the last 35 years from a very uninhabited island with little development to the island we know today. Now the island is equipped with several supermarkets, cell phones, cable TV, fitness centers and even wi-fi internet connections. As people continue to visit this beautiful island, they will continue to see changes, but perhaps none as drastic as the island has seen in the past 35 years. 

Welcome to Grand Cayman

 

I come across a lot of articles, pictures and videos on the Cayman Islands, but very few capture the island like this short video. The beautiful island of Grand Cayman features Seven Mile Beach, Stingray City and Rum Point and all of them are featured in this very unique video. It begins by the airport and takes you on an exclusive tour of all that the island has to offer, accompanied by music.

It features the pristine Seven Mile Beach, the colorful waters of the Caribbean Sea and the gorgeous daily sunsets. Words don't really do the video justice, so I suggest clicking on the link and taking a look for yourself! Enjoy!

Caribbean Beach BBQ at Kaibo

Looking for something a unique Cayman Islands dining experience? Every Tuesday night from 6:00-9:00, Kaibo has a Caribbean BBQ party. For just $25, it is an all you can eat buffet, featuring island style BBQ chicken, Cayman style fish, spicy jerk pork, Cayman oxtail, Caribbean potato salad, rice & beans, corn on the cob, house salads, Caribbean pasta salad, fresh baked cookies and Cayman Tortuga rum cake. There are also 2 for 1 Rum Punch and beer bucket specials. Maybe even better than the food is the live local band. They play a mix of Reggae and Caymanian local music and it is quite impressive with people dancing (lots of families with kids) and even a limbo stick down by the water. Since it starts at 6:00pm, I recommend getting there early to get the freshest of the food. Enjoy a BBQ dinner, Caymanian style right on the ocean!

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to wrtie about? Let me know: [email protected].

Cayman Islands Represented in Sochi Olympics

It's not quite four Jamaican sprinters in a bobsled like the popular movie, Cool Runnings. However, the Cayman Islands have an olympian in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. What event could a Caymanian possibly compete in during the winter Olympics? As Sanka famously said during the 1993 movie, "you mean winter, as in igloos and eskimos and penguins and ICE?" Despite the logistical challenges facing a Caymanian to train for the winter Olympics, Dow Travers will be competing in this week's Alpine Skiing events.

The 26 year old was born in Grand Cayman. He has been donned the nickname, The Ginger Ninja. The 2014 Sochi Olympics are his second Winter Olympics after he became the first ever Caymanian to participate in the winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.

After an exchange program in France at the age of 14, Travers took up skiing. He was told by coaches that he had a chance to be an Olympian some day. He spends his time training split between Grand Cayman and Aspen, Colorado. When he's not skiing, he plays rugby on the island.

Despite the cold weather in Russia, Travers led the Cayman Islands delegation wearing flip-flops and shorts at the Opening Ceremony on Friday night.  When you are watching the Olympics this week, take notice during the Alpine skiing events and look for one of Cayman's own, Dow Travers. 

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to wrtie about? Let me know: [email protected].

Baby….It's Cold Outside!!

Every winter, there is a stretch of cold weather that makes people long for a tropical vacation. This year, the cold weather is colder than ever and the trip might be needed more than ever. Take a look at some of these wind chills (what the temperature feels like when factoring in the wind) expected tomorrow morning.

Green Bay, WI:  -51 degrees F

New York, NY: 13 degrees F

Minneapolis, MN: -55 degrees F

Anchoraage, AK: 30 degrees F

Austin, TX: 24 degrees F

London, England: 46 degrees F

Calgary, Canada: -14 degrees F

If that doesn't send a chill down your spine, I don't know what will. While those parts of the world will be bundled up inside their house, the weather tomorrow in Grand Cayman calls for 84 degrees and sunny. For those coming from Minneapolis, that's 139 degrees warmer!! Book your flight now.

 

 

This blog posting was brought to you by Cayman Condos. For information on any of our blog postings or to inquire about booking a condo, please contact our office at 800-999-1388. Something you love about the blog? Something you hate? Something you want me to wrtie about? Let me know: [email protected].