If your day to day life is concentrated in the developed and densely populated western side of Grand Cayman and you rush between home, work, gym and shops, jumping in and out of cars and moving from one air-conditioned environment to another, the great outdoors can seem like a hazy, distant concept.
It is all too easy to forget that as we go about our daily business, the birds, reptiles, fish and other creatures are busy going about theirs. The wilder side of Cayman is often not more than a stone’s throw away – yet many of us rarely take the time out to really explore it.
Thanks to those who are passionate about Cayman’s natural environment, however, there are a number of ways to get closer to nature and discover a whole different aspect of Grand Cayman.
In order to see some of Cayman’s wildlife, one has to approach quietly and stealthily, so as not to scare the creatures away. Kayaks are the ideal way to achieve this; no motors mean no noise and no pollution. They are a silent and eco-friendly mode of transport that can carry you safely and easily along the coast and down narrow canals, making for the most tranquil of excursions.
Cayman’s mangroves are an often overlooked haven for indigenous wildlife, and a wildlife tour by kayak is enlightening and highly informative. Guided by the knowledgeable Tom Watling, the Cayman Kayaks tour departs from the Seven Mile Beach side of the North Sound and takes one through some pristine mangrove ecosystems.
As you make your way silently through this other-worldly environment, look carefully among the tangled roots for sleeping iguanas, and into the canopy for native birds. Below the surface hundreds of jellyfish rest upside down on the seafloor, drawing energy from the sun and juvenile fish hide among the mangrove roots until such time as they are old enough to move out to the reefs. According to Tom, 70 per cent of Cayman’s marine life uses the mangroves as a nursery. A keen ecologist and an advocate for the protection of mangroves, he is always on hand and ready to share his knowledge of the local flora and fauna.
After the sun goes down, a quite different kayak tour is available. A short paddle from Rum Point, you are treated to a magical underwater light show in the Bioluminescent Bay. Plankton, which often emits sparks when disturbed, occurs in such high concentrations in this bay that the water positively glows as your paddles activate the bioluminescent properties of plankton and glittering sparks cling to your hands when you submerged them below the surface.
Whether you go by day or by night, Cayman’s mangroves are well worth exploring – and a kayak is the ideal way to reach the more inaccessible -and therefore undisturbed – areas. Go with a well –informed guide and it’s bound to be a real eye opener. WH
Cayman Kayaks
926.4467
tom@caymankayaks.com