Grand Cayman’s unspoiled and rugged Sister Island, Cayman Brac, is the ultimate destination for adventure seekers. Whether hiking or biking, canoeing or caving, bird-watching or scuba diving, activities on this 15-square-mile island are sure to ignite the thrill and wonder of exploration.

Take a Hike
A number of walking and hiking trails are dotted through the dense forestation of Cayman Brac. Through these footpaths unique reptiles, birds and plant life thrive, including the endemic rock iguana, a gray variation of Grand Cayman’s endangered blue dragon.

One of the more popular hikes will take you across the Bluff, which is the Gaelic definition of the word “brac” and describes the 140-foot-high limestone rock formation thrusting vertically from the royal blue waters on the eastern side of Cayman Brac. You will want to wear your most comfortable hiking shoes, but the majestic view of the ocean and neighbouring Little Cayman from the top is well worth going the distance. Stay a while and observe the magnificent frigatebirds in flight as they ride the air currents rising from the sheer cliff face of this prominent attraction.

Other popular trails include Bight Road, the Lighthouse Footpath, National Trust Parrott Reserve Loop and Salt Water Point Walk.

All of the Island’s trails and footpaths are easily accessible and the level of difficulty is clearly identified at the trail entrance. Visitors are welcome to journey on their own or with one of the trained tour guides available through the Cayman Brac District Administration Office, a service that is free of charge to all.

Go Fishing
Spending a day shore- or deep-sea fishing is not uncommon for the average “Bracka.” Whether you are after a red- or yellow-tailed snapper, sergeant major, barracuda, parrot fish, or the bigger game fish of wahoo, tuna and blue marlin, fishing is a wonderful way to participate in a Caymanian tradition and pastime.

Book a private charter excursion with a local fisherman or throw a line from the shore, but be sure to check the marine laws as some areas are protected parks and a variety of fish cannot be removed from the water.

Dive into Adventure
Take the plunge and enter a realm of underwater wonder. The MV Captain Keith Tibbetts wreck is high on the list of must-visit dive sites. This 330-foot Russian frigate was built in the Soviet Union in 1984 and sunk in Cayman Brac in 1996. It is one of only a few sunken Soviet naval ships in the Western Hemisphere and the only one that can be easily dived. So, suit up and dive in for an awe-inspiring experience.

Book a dive excursion with local dive operators and explore the famous Bloody Bay Wall or other dive sites such as Tiara Tunnels, Tarpon Reef, Anchor Wall and Wilderness Wall. You can also visit shore dive sites like Cemetery Reef, the Lost City of Atlantis, the Buccaneer’s Inn and Radar Reef.

Check with the expert dive staff at one of Cayman Brac’s resorts and dive centres for a detailed map of recommended dive sites.

Explore a Cave
Hidden caves abound on Cayman Brac and usually require little to no experience or specialised gear, although sturdy shoes are recommended. Traditionally, caves have been — and in some cases still are — used as a place of refuge during storms. Today many are visited regularly by tourists and residents alike.

Steps and ladders have been built to allow easier access to the caves on Cayman Brac. Some of the more popular caves include Peter’s Cave, the Bat Cave, Half Way Ground Cave, Nani Cave, the Great Cave and Rebecca’s Cave, named after little Rebecca Bodden who lost her life during a storm in 1932, referred to as the 1932 Cuba hurricane or the ‘32 Storm. Rebecca’s gravesite is also located inside the cave and is now a National Heritage Site.

Be sure to bring a headlamp or flashlight and watch out for stalactites.

Scale a Wall
Climbing enthusiasts will revel in the jagged cliffs of the Bluff, where over 75 routes can be found. Titanium Tortuga climbing bolts have been strategically placed along the popular walls to ensure climbers’ safety while exploring the four main walls: Spot Bay Wall, the North Wall, the East Wall and the South Side Wall. Each area includes its own unique climbs with charming names such as Neptune’s Lair, Wall of the Early Morning Light, Edd’s Place and Love Shack Wall.

Most of the climbs on Cayman Brac are ideal for the experienced climber, but less strenuous climbs that are still adventureous and offer an awesome view are also available.

Bird-Watch
Cayman Brac is often described as a bird-watcher’s paradise. Almost 200 species of birds call the Island home, including the endangered Cayman Brac parrot, the brown- and red-footed boobies, red-legged thrush, West Indian whistling duck and the white-tailed tropicbird. Between October and April, bird-watchers can effortlessly spot more than 50 different species. Due to the Island’s geographical location, migratory species, such as egrets, ducks, plovers, sandpipers, flamingos and spoonbills, are also often observed.

Visit the Department of Tourism or District Administration Office for a copy of the Nature Tourism brochure for common bird-watching locations, and look out for explanatory signs found along the Island’s well-defined nature trails to help identify the bird species in the surrounding areas.

Bike and Kayak
Most resorts and guesthouses come equipped with bicycles and kayaks, making island exploration an easy journey.

Bike along the road’s shoulder through the many neighbourhoods of Cayman Brac where you can encounter the Island’s wildlife in their natural habitat; or kayak over a reef to view the vibrant kaleidoscope of fish teeming just below the water’s surface.

Tour with a Local
Take your Cayman Brac experience to the next level with the assistance of a knowledgeable “Bracka.” Local guides will take visitors through all of the Island’s exciting nooks and crannies, many of which are easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Learn the Island jargon while visiting historic sites and discovering the traditional use of many common plants.

Licensed taxi and touring operators are available at a minimal cost and rates include the comforts of an air-conditioned bus. Free tours with a trained Nature Tourism Guide from the District Administration Office are also available, though you will be required to rent and drive a vehicle while you are escorted. With these two touring methods, you’re sure to be regailed with the many stories of Cayman Brac’s history and folklore, stories you may miss out on if you choose to tour on your own.

For more information about tours and guides, contact the District Administration Office at 345-948-2222 or the Department of Tourism at 345-949-0623.

Cayman Brac Pirates Weekend
From November 22–25, the close of Pirates Week, Cayman Brackers trade in their scuba gear and hiking boots for their own weekend of fun, food and Caymanian pride. Witness a bevy of costumed pirates take over the island and a parade of floats traipse through the town. 

Getting There: Cayman Airways offers multiple daily flights to Cayman Brac from Grand Cayman and direct flights from Miami.

Source: caymanairwaysmagazine.com

If you are itching to sneak away and stay warm during the holidays, visit these hot destinations.

There’s a point during the holiday season when you feel downright exhausted. The point when you have decorated all you can decorate, you’ve shopped for all the gifts on the list and you have gobbled up one too many candy canes. What if you could skip all of that and escape to a tropical destination? Here are four excellent choices where you can easily join in with the locals as they celebrate the holidays (and kick up your feet while you’re at it).

Montego Bay, Jamaica
Christmas in Montego Bay is generally a mixture of longstanding family traditions. “Typically, families join together to enjoy the day and take in individuals who are alone,” says Michelle Patterson, a wedding manager at Hummingbird Hall, a boutique wedding venue in Jamaica.

“The run up to Christmas in Jamaica is treated with much excitement,” Patterson says. “The external signs that Christmas is coming include: reggae versions of traditional Christmas carols; Christmas lights being erected by town councils, shopping plazas and hotels; and goats and pigs being fattened (curried goat is a year-round Jamaican favourite, but especially prized during Christmas).”

The night before Christmas is especially important in Jamaica. “Most Jamaicans do not purchase gifts until December 24, and thoroughly enjoy purchasing gifts at the Grand Market,” she explains. “During Grand Market, shops remain open all night, shoppers dress in new clothes, carol singers entertain shoppers and families shop together. ”

In the evenings there are Junkanoo parades, which are masquerades meant to entertain and “frighten” people into giving to worthy causes. Religious concerts abound during this season, as do pantomimes (in patois) for children and adults. Christian Jamaicans attend a Watch Night Service, where the tradition is for individuals to wait in church until midnight to watch for the coming of Christ.

As for Christmas day, it tends to begin with a huge cooked breakfast. “Families breakfast together and may then go to the beach to enjoy the water,” Patterson says. Children are sometimes given noisy toys, firecrackers and sparklers to enjoy while at the beach.

After that, the feasting begins at home. The emphasis is on meats, fish and seafood, and homemade drinks such as carrot juice punch and sorrel (handmade from a Jamaican flower and mixed with rum and ginger) help complement the meal. Ackee and saltfish — Jamaica’s national dish — is common, as well as liver, boiled dumplings, yam, porridge and curried chicken. Also popular are milo and porridge; mannish water, a soup made using the entrails, head and bones of a goat; and Christmas cake, which includes rum-soaked fruits.

The special day is also marked by weddings galore. “Many couples choose to get married on Christmas day because of the number of visitors from overseas who are likely to attend; and the fact that warm weather is almost guaranteed,” she says. “To marry on Christmas Day in Jamaica holds special significance. A Christmas wedding signifies affluence and excess, as it is often more costly to marry on this public holiday. Often couples pick up on the Christmas colour of red, which also symbolises romance and love. The next best thing to marrying on Christmas Day is to get engaged on that day. This signifies in the minds of Jamaicans uniqueness and exclusivity.”

Havana, Cuba
Since the Pope’s visit to Havana in 1998, Cubans seem to be embracing Christmas celebrations more than ever. “Nativity scenes [appeared] in churches and public homes, and even Christmas trees imported from China went on sale,” says journalist Christopher Baker, who has been writing about Cuba for decades.

One of his favourite things about Cuba during the holidays is the elaborate nativity scenes many devout Christians set up in their living rooms. “The doors and windows of Cuban homes are typically left open to the street, so that passersby can view the nativity scenes,” he says.

And don’t forget about the feasting. No holiday meal is complete without roasting a pig. “The pork is typically served with rice and black beans; starch veggies, such as yucca and malanga; and fried plantains,” Baker explains. “There will be ropa vieja (braised beef), and flan for dessert.”

There is very little gift giving or exchange in Cuba, he says, so Christmas is not marked by shopping frenzies or marketing hype. Christmas feels more like another reason for Cubans to get together and crank up the music and dance.

La Ceiba, Honduras
If you’re looking for some unique holiday celebrations, head down to the city of La Ceiba in Honduras. When planning your getaway, keep in mind that Christmas is celebrated on December 24 rather than the 25. “This is the time when families gather together at midnight and throw firecrackers,” says Shary Juárez, marketing coordinator at the Honduran Tourism Institute. “At midnight, there is a tradition of throwing firecrackers and a gift exchange called cuchumbo.”

This is also the time when families get together for a traditional meal of pork leg, ham, stuffed chicken, and rice and beans with coconut, pork and potatoes. For dessert it’s torrejas, rosquillas and mapled sugar cane pumpkin. Rompopo (eggnog) is popular, too.

And, it wouldn’t be a traditional Christmas meal without tamales. These delicious treats are typically filled with chicken, pork and some combination of rice, potatoes, garbanzos, peas and green olives, all wrapped in banana leaves. You’ll see women selling tamales to friends and neighbours. Other times they are exchanging them as if they were cookies.

Miami, Florida
“Miami is a diverse community that celebrates not only American Christmas holiday traditions, but also traditions that reflect the varied and rich heritage of our residents,” says William D. Talbert, III, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB). “From holiday extravaganzas to parades and holiday celebrations, Miami’s calendar is packed with holiday traditions.”

Kwanzaa celebrations are held throughout Miami’s African-American community, and Santa Claus is called “Papa Nwel” in Miami’s Little Haiti neighbourhood. Better yet, the Christmas holiday season extends into January, with events that include an alternative to traditional parades, such as the King Mango Strut Parade, Coconut Grove’s zany spoof of events and people in the news, and the Three Kings parade in the heart of Little Havana.

For Cubans, Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) features the traditional Cuban feast: Cuban-style roast pork, black beans and rice, yucca, maduros (fried plantains) and flan. The pig is roasted in a special grill called a Caja China. Throughout Miami, restaurants tout a vast variety of holiday cuisine and culinary delights that reflects the community’s international connections.

“Miamians take great pride in decorating our lush tropical landscape in holiday lights,” says Talbert. “Decorated palm trees are as much a holiday tradition as Christmas trees.”

One of Talbert’s favourite family traditions is eating stone crabs on New Year’s Day. “And Christmas brunch by the swimming pool [is a] family tradition,” says Talbert. “December weather is always beautiful in Miami!”

Getting There: Cayman Airways offers daily flights to Miami and multiple flights weekly to Montego Bay, La Cieba and Havana from Grand Cayman.

Source: caymanairwaysmagazine.com

Not expecting to see castles on the remote isle of Grand Cayman? Take another look — there are many to be found.

Take a drive along South Sound Road and you will find some showpiece castle-like homes, including one currently on the market for only $39.9 million! The Castillo Caribe is known as one of the finest beachfront estate homes in the world.

Offering endless indulgences, the 48,000-square-foot property offers pretty much any luxury, comfort and convenience that you could want. For those who truly want to live like royalty — and for whom money is no object — Castillo Caribe is second-to-none. It’s the most expensive single-family home listed here, and while it may seem like a king’s ransom to some, this lavish three-story, eight-bedroom and 14.5-bathroom home is definitely unparalleled.

“Castillo Caribe is unique in every sense of the word,” says Sheena Conolly, owner/broker of Cayman Islands Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s a masterpiece. Every room in this house is completely different, and each one is a Rembrandt.”

From a helipad, banquet room and resort-style spa to a 400-bottle wine room, Cuban-style courtyard and a hot tub room made to look like the inside of a grotto, this is a place with panache. The kids can run wild in its 4,000-square-foot children’s playroom, which comes complete with a bouncy castle, swing set, slide, ball pit, seesaw, sofas and bean bags. Sitting on approximately 250 feet of pristine beachfront property, the mansion also incorporates cutting-edge home automation technology.

Its 5,000-square-foot Great Room, the heart of this magnificent home by the sea, was recently featured in HGTV’s “Million Dollar Rooms.” Included among the features of this extravagant living space, which soars up through three levels of the house, are indoor trees and flowers, a dramatic woven wood ceiling, stone walls, polished and honed Jerusalem Gold stone flooring and two grand staircases.

The home is being marketed worldwide through the Sotheby’s brand, which reaches 80 percent of the world’s billionaires. Conolly says it has been drawing phenomenal interest from potential buyers, namely high-net-worth and high-profile individuals, including those in the sports and entertainment industries. (There was quite a buzz when pop sensation Justin Bieber was reportedly looking to buy, but that was merely a rumour.)

“It is one of the most expensive beach homes in the world, and justifiably so,” says Conolly. “Just try looking for beachfront homes anywhere in the world over 25,000 square feet, and you’ll see how unique this property is.”

For those who desire the exclusivity of owning a luxurious property, but want to be near all the action of George Town, then the Beacon Point South Sound home is the answer to their prayers. Currently listed at nearly $6.5 million, this stunning property is part of the prestigious beachfront community of South Sound and is located minutes away from Seven Mile Beach, which was voted best beach by the readers of Caribbean Travel + Life.

James Bovell, broker/owner with RE/MAX Cayman Islands, states: “For an estate located so close to amenities, it is rare to find one that has over 200 feet of beach and unobstructed ocean views. Beacon Point South Sound home sits on 230 feet of beach… is flanked on either side by other high-end residences and spills out onto the beach, making it a very private setting [that is] still close to the action.”

Aside from its exciting location, Beacon Point South Sound home boasts six bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, rich wood detailing, travertine and wood flooring, a gym, a three-car garage and an amazing beach deck with half-moon pool and spa. The separate pool house includes a bar and a full bathroom.

In the tranquil district of East End is Twin Cove Estate, listed at $17.9 million. It is perched on a bluff with steps leading down to two white-sand swimming coves — another rarity in Grand Cayman. There are eight bedrooms and 11 baths, and among its eye-catching features are a hand-carved alabaster stone fireplace, onyx mosaic floor inlay and a glass elevator.

Brisas del Mar is a spectacular mansion in Savannah. This sprawling oceanfront estate is also set atop a bluff offering breathtaking views. Calm and peaceful, the main residence has five bedrooms with vast terraces overlooking a huge infinity pool, and the sea beyond. There is a caretaker cottage, and guest apartment. It’s priced at $9.375 million.

Market Upswing
Bovell says Cayman offers good value for those seeking to invest in property, particularly compared with sun and resort destination communities akin to Hawaii, St. Barths or Monte Carlo where prices for similar properties would be significantly higher. “People are seeing that Cayman has a stable environment and a proven track record and they are looking to secure an asset for the long-term.”

He says the luxury market is heating up in Cayman. “In the last two years we’ve had more transactions over $5 million than in the previous five years. The market has greatly changed. Before we didn’t have houses of that kind – they were a rarity. Over the last few years we’ve been introducing more luxury properties, and clients are more prepared to invest that kind of money.”

Among the developments that are raising the bar on luxury living is Vista del Mar, an exclusive gated community featuring world-class marina estates set along the North Sound. The 52-acre site is a sanctuary of privacy, peace and privilege, with great care taken to preserve the natural environment. Salt Creek is another high-end development on the secluded shores of the North Sound. Surrounded by scenic waterways, it is ideal for the boating lifestyle, offering the ultimate in luxury waterfront living. Both communities are just minutes away from the world famous Seven Mile Beach and its numerous shops, bars and restaurants as well as the upscale new town centre at Camana Bay.

Those seeking one of the most prestigious addresses on the island — and prefer the ease of condo living — will want to check out the latest development on Seven Mile Beach, The WaterColours. Currently under construction, it is designed for seamless luxury living, indoors and out. It offers a range of services associated with the most glamorous five-star resorts, spanning from valet parking and concierge services to a beachfront infinity pool and outdoor conservatory complete with a chef’s kitchen. There are 60 residences in the nine-storey building, among them the select “Grand Residences,” one-of-a-kind double units. At more than 7,000 square feet, these residences offer lavish living spaces rarely found on such a prime beachfront address.

In Grand Cayman, platinum living comes with the territory: a winning combination of lifestyle, luxury and location.

Why live in the Cayman Islands?
Among the appeal of this U.K. overseas territory is its tax-free status. There are no property, capital gains or local taxes, and there are no restrictions on foreign investment and ownership.

“It’s very attractive right now as taxes are going up everywhere,” says Sheena Conolly. “Cayman is very good value. It’s a very nice place for a primary residence — or a second or third home.”

While the Cayman Islands are laid-back, they offer a cosmopolitan feel with world-class cuisine, shopping, hotels and top-flight services as well as sophisticated communications technology and infrastructure.

Conolly also notes that the three-island chain enjoys a high standard of living, and offers a safe, family-friendly environment. While there are gated communities here, they are the exception.

“In Cayman, some of the most amazing properties are open to the road,” she says. “We are lucky we can live this way.”

Source:  caymanairwaysmagazine.com 

In “A Chocolate Tour of the Caribbean,” Baz Dreisinger speaks about being steeped in chocolate for days on end on the island of St. Lucia and the wonders of a “chocolate tourism” of sorts, or “choco-tourism.” The author waxes poetic on the excitement and luxuriousness of exploring the world of cocoa production on four islands: Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, and Martinique. Here are just a few excerpts of a long, detailed, and mouth-watering article:

For three decadent days, I had been eating chocolate-stuffed liver pâté, cocoa-encrusted kingfish and, for breakfast, cocoa-and-cashew granola. At night I drank cocoa Bellinis. I indulged in a cocoa oil massage, hiked through cocoa fields and created my own chocolate bar. Dawn consistently carried the pungent aroma of cocoa trees, because I was staying on a verdant cocoa estate — and sleeping in a cocoa pod.

Well, sort of: Hotel Chocolat, a boutique property in St. Lucia, features not rooms but “luxe pods,” where even the magnificently minimalist décor (rich mahogany floors, ivory-colored bathroom with open-air shower) evokes the essence of chocolate. Hotel Chocolat’s union of tourism and agricultural development, specifically its devotion to all things cocoa, is part of a budding movement across the Caribbean. You might call it choco-tourism.

From Tobago to Dominica, Grenada to St. Vincent, the Caribbean cocoa industry, which has roots in colonial times, is being revitalized. This is excellent news economically: With free trade having all but destroyed the islands’ banana and sugar industries, fair-trade farming initiatives are a welcome boon.

And it’s hardly small-change news; the world price of cocoa nearly doubled from 2004 to 2008, with an even greater increase for the rare genre of bean the Caribbean is feted for: fine-flavored cocoa, which makes up just 5 percent of the global market. What grows in the Caribbean is the Champagne of cocoa. It even has its own promotional team: the two-year-oldCaribbean Fine Cocoa Forum, a European Union-financed networking vehicle working to bolster production and exports in nine countries. And then there is the tourism connection. Aficionados flock to Napa or the Loire Valley for wine tasting; why not go to stunning island locales to indulge in sun, sand, sea — and chocolate?

There is already, after all, a chocolate-themed Caribbean holiday offered by Silversea Cruises. In Belize, the annual Toledo Cacao Festival celebrates the cocoa-driven culture of the Mayan, Garifuna, East Indian and Creole people from the Toledo district. In Dominica, visitors can stay in the boutique Cocoa Cottage hotel; they can tour the Agapey Chocolate Factory in Barbados. The Grenada Chocolate Company pioneered the trend in 1999, offering tours of its factory, farm and Bon Bon Shop in the island’s rain forest.

Earlier this year I followed the cocoa trail across four islands and three languages. Not only did it forever spoil Hershey’s for me, my tour also proved to be an eye-opening journey through settings both rustic and grand. It carried me beyond umbrella-studded beaches to far-flung fields, untouched island landscapes and a local culture with a legacy well worth witnessing.

For full article, see travel.nytimes.com

Source: Repeating Islands

They are two of the richest and most famous men in Britain. But it appears that Sir Richard Branson and Sir Paul McCartney may be about to have a falling out with each other, as Anthony Bond reports in this article for London’s Daily Mail.

The pair are at loggerheads over a farm in the Caribbean which breeds turtles for food.

Last month Sir Paul threw his weight behind a campaign to end the breeding of sea turtles at The Cayman Turtle Farm in the Cayman Islands.

But after visiting the islands Sir Richard has now controversially said that he backs the turtle farm.

A World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) investigation has accused the facility of cruelty and former Beatle Sir Paul believes there is no humane way to farm turtles.

But Sir Richard has now come out in favour of the farm despite saying that his view will attract criticism from the Oceanic Elders group which looks at addressing world problems.

In an interview with Cayman 27 news channel Sir Richard said: ‘I haven’t actually visited the farm but I have asked an awful lot of questions while I have been here.

‘From afar I was against the farm. I have listened to people locally and I personally think the farm is a good idea and the reason I think that is you are one of the few countries that ban the killing of the turtles in the ocean so turtles are protected in the ocean.

‘In the Virgin Islands you can catch turtles and drag them out of the sea and the turtle farm avoids that having to happen.

‘The second thing is the turtle farm is one of your biggest tourist attractions. It does supply a little bit of food for the people who traditionally have liked to eat turtle meat and I think there are some improvements that can be made to the farm but all in all I think it serves a positive need rather than a negative need.

‘I am sure I will get some criticism from the Oceanic Elders when I go back for taking that stance but that is what I believe from being here.’

On his blog he added: ‘What I’ve learnt from my visit is that unlike many other islands in the Caribbean, the Government have banned the hunting and killing of turtles in the sea.

‘By breeding the turtles on land, they’ve created the biggest tourist attraction in the Cayman Islands and satisfied the few locals who continue to eat turtles as part of their age-old tradition.

‘Obviously for many of us around the world we’d prefer that didn’t happen but in my opinion it’s certainly better than taking them from the sea.

‘I’ve met the Chief Minister about the farm and he agrees there are some improvements that need to be made.

‘There are still too many kept in one tank at a time and the farm needs to ensure there are regular checks of the water quality and also monitor the health of the turtles.

‘The local experts assured me changes were happening and the farm also releases a lot into the ocean which is building up the numbers in the wild.

‘All in all I believe the Cayman Islands do a fine job protecting their oceans, as well as the turtles and other species in them. There is still more to do but there are many bigger battles for the OceanElders and WSPA to fight.’

Last month Sir Paul McCartney threw his support behind a campaign to end the breeding of sea turtles for food.

The facility in the Cayman Islands was identified by officials at the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as the world’s last surviving commercial turtle farm.

Staff at the base breed the endangered marine reptiles for human consumption, and The Beatles star joined the WSPA’s campaign to end the trade.

In a post on his official website, McCartney wrote: ‘The Cayman Turtle Farm is the last place on Earth that breeds endangered sea turtles for food. On Twitter, he added:  ‘There is no humane way to farm sea turtles. Support WSPA campaign to stop sea turtle farming.’

A WSPA spokesman said: ‘To have Sir Paul McCartney’s support for this campaign is tremendous and we hope that people will join him and WSPA in helping to save the Cayman Islands’ green sea turtles.’

Source: repeatingislands.com

The Cayman Islands is the third-best location for expatriates in the world, according to a recently-released survey from Jersey-based HSBC Expat.

Cayman finished third behind Singapore and Thailand, and just ahead of Bermuda and Hong Kong, and finished with the top rankings for overall experience, setting up and quality of life.

“The HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2012 really only confirms what we in the Cayman Islands already know: that the Cayman Islands is indeed an excellent location in which to live and work,” said Richard Coles, chairman of Cayman Finance. “We are delighted that this fact has been officially recognized by this in-depth study.”

The survey examined all aspects of expat life, from how well they integrate to local communities and their quality of life.

“To reach the top spot in so many criteria is a huge achievement for the Cayman Islands, especially as the jurisdiction beat some of the choice location for expatriates around the world,” Coles said.

The survey ran from May 11 to July 3, with expats from 97 countries taking part.

Source: caribjournal.com

“Islands are showing the way to conserve nature and achieve sustainable livelihoods,” stated Seychelles’ Minister for Environment&Energy, Prof. Rolph Payet, during Island Innovations, a dynamic high-level event held during the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties in Hyderabad, India. 

The event, co-hosted by Seychelles and India, demonstrated how islands are demonstrating global leadership and rapid progress in addressing environmental and poverty challenges. They are also inspiring others around the world by implementing a variety of successful large-scale initiatives including world-class, marine-protected areas; multi-country conservation commitments; progressive bio-security planning; and innovative financing mechanisms to support these programs.

Island ecosystems are critical to the health of the world. The earth’s 175,000 plus islands are home to 600 million plus people and support 20% of global biodiversity, including a huge number of species found nowhere else. The increasing challenges facing islands are massive, threatening the very existence of some islands. Yet islands are taking action and making progress to conserve their unique and invaluable environments.

Island Innovations showcased the leadership and commitment to action of island countries and countries with islands to developing solutions to these challenges. A range of new and significant commitments to conserve nature were announced during the event:

• The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, the first regional endowment to be developed in the world to support multiple national-level conservation Trust Funds was launched by Grenada’s Multilateral Environmental Agreement Ambassador, Dr. Spencer Thomas, on behalf of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative countries along with Peter Hilliges, Director Natural Resources Sector for Latin America and the Caribbean for the German development bank (KfW), and Robert Weary, Director of Conservation Finance for The Nature Conservancy. US$30million has already been committed to this fund towards an initial target of US$40million by the government of Germany, The Nature Conservancy, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Once the target is reached, it will provide US$2 million per year in critical sustainable financing to Antigua&Barbuda, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts&Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to support these Caribbean Challenge Initiative countries to protect nature.

• Deputy Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), The Honorable Dr. Kedrick Pickering, announced that BVI will co-host a Caribbean Political and Business Leaders Summit with Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group and the Prime Minister of Grenada in 2013 as part of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative. The summit will build on the visionary commitments of Caribbean Challenge countries to protect near-shore marine areas by 2020 and in developing sustainable finance mechanisms to support these goals.

• Republic of the Marshall Islands Minister in Assistance to the President, the Honorable Tony de Brum, focused on the progress made in achieving the goals of the Micronesia Challenge to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.

• New Caledonia’s Member of the European Parliament, the Honorable M. Maurice Ponga, announced that the European Parliament will support a third phase European Union funding of 2 million euros under the Voluntary Scheme for Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services in Territories of European Overseas (BEST) and push to better integrate EU overseas biodiversity conservation and resource management in EU policies.

• The Chair of Hawai’i’s Department of Land &Natural Resources, USA, William Aila, showcased the state’s innovative approach to achieving a green economy by bringing together Hawai’i leaders from energy, food, and the environment together as part of the Hawai’i Green Growth Initiative to achieve Hawai’i’s sustainability goals and be a model for integrated green growth. “As islands, we understand that these challenges are linked, and we must solve them together. Our economic future depends on caring for our environment mauka to makai [from the mountains to the ocean].”

• Ecuador’s Director of the Galapagos National Park, Edwin Naula, announced the recent creation of the Galapagos Invasive Species Endowment, which currently is generating around US$925,000 for managing invasive species in the archipelago.

• United Nations Development Program Associate Administrator, Rebecca Grynspan, announced that UNDP will be increasing support to islands, and Dr. Naoko Ishii was welcomed as the new CEO and Director of The Global Environment Facility.

Palau was recognized for their global leadership in marine policy in establishing Palau’s Protected Areas Network Act, initiated in 2003, and the Shark Haven Act from 2009 which resulted in Palau being the winner of the Future Policy Award 2012.

“Islands are working together, getting results, and showing the way to achieve the Aichi targets,” stated Dr. Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, “but further action is urgently needed to conserve and protect the unique island ecosystems and surrounding seas.”

Minister Payet reinforced this statement affirming: “The time for action is now. We must continue to take leadership, to make visionary commitments, and ensure these commitments are implemented on the ground. We must scale up the bright spots emerging from islands and invest in what works. We must continue to work together as a Global Island Partnership.”

The Global Island Partnership is co-chaired by the Presidents of Seychelles and Palau and Prime Minister of Grenada to promote action for island conservation and sustainable livelihoods. Island Innovations was coordinated by the Global Island Partnership and Rare with the support of the Japan Biodiversity Fund, the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat, the South Pacific Regional Environment Program, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) through the BEST Preparatory Action, and the ISLANDS Project funded by European Union through the Indian Ocean Commission.

Source: repeatingislands.com

Helen Scales describes a series of bioluminescent deep sea dwellers that are being studied off the Bahamas, such as the deep-sea shrimp Parapandalus, which hurls a glowing cloud of organic matter to confuse a potential predator in a laboratory image. According to a new study, this species is among a group of previously known bottom dwellers discovered to make their own light.

Scientists aboard the manned submersible Johnson-Sea-Link collected and observed a bevy of glowing creatures—including sea cucumbers, sea anemones, bamboo corals, and a new species of hermit crab—at depths approaching 3,280 feet (a thousand meters).

As one of the first groups to study bioluminescence among bottom dwellers, the team also examined many of the creatures they’d collected in the laboratory.  Their results suggest that bioluminescence could help deep-sea animals color-code their food, said study co-authorTamara Frank, a marine biologist at Florida’s Nova Southeastern Oceanographic Center.  ”It’s possible that these animals are using the different colors of bioluminescence to decide, Yes I like that, no I’m not interested in that,” Frank said.

Another revelation: Deep-sea animals tend to glow green, rather than the typical blues emitted by species living in the water column. “Down on the seabed, there’s a lot of current activity and detritus in the water that may make it difficult to see blue light,” she said. “The green light would carry a little bit further.”

Source: repeatingislands.com

Also see http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/02/pictures/120206-supergiant-amphipods-science-shrimp-crustaceans/

Last month (August 30, 2012) John Felder, at the first Caribbean International Electric Car Show, launched at the Cayman Motor Museum in West Bay in Grand Cayman, celebrated the announcement that regulations allowing electric cars to be registered in the Cayman Islands had been approved. After seven long years of pursuing his dream to see Cayman go electric, Felder president of Cayman Automotive, is closer to seeing it come true.CayCompass reports:

It was only in June of this same year that Mr. Felder attempted to register an electric vehicle at the Department of Vehicles and Licensing, but was unable to do so. Safety was among the concerns of Vehicle Licensing Director David Dixon, and Cayman Islands Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said that “the registration and licensing of vehicles was an intricate process and required extensive research on many issues.”

On Thursday, more than 200 people attended the opening night, which gave many of them their first opportunity to see how far the electric car industry has come. A number of different models were on display, including the popular Wheego; a two-seater zippy vehicle that will be one of the cars available for purchase at Cayman Automotive.

Frank Balderamos Jr. was the master of ceremonies, and after a brief welcome, he introduced Andreas Ugland, owner of the Cayman Motor Museum and sponsor of the electric car show. [. . .] Despite admitting to being a “bit of a petrolhead,” Mr. Ugland admitted that people had to consider the long-term benefits of going electric. “We got together and planned this event and I am proud to be part of it,” he said. “In the long run we all have to realise how we have to change our habits, and there is no better place to start than in Cayman.”

After Mr. Adam left the podium, Miss Cayman Lindsay Japal pledged her support for electric cars in the Cayman Islands and then invited a clearly emotional Mr. Felder to the podium. “It’s been a long time,” he said. “I persevered, I had a dream and I stayed focused on that dream. When I retired from Chrysler it was my dream to bring electric cars to the Caribbean. I felt this was the perfect place for electric transportation. The perfect place. You have an abundance of sunlight, you have shorter distances [to travel] and you have a beautiful, beautiful island that you want to protect for future generations.”

Source: compasscayman.com

In a conversation with Ms. Gay McKee, the proud Cayman Airways employee in charge of tracking down lost luggage for close to three decades, the careful listener will hear stories of the Islands’ past, the thrill of hunting for sunken treasure and how the airline has become her life.

With her girlish laugh and sparkling eyes, it’s easy to forget that Ms. Gay McKee is a grandmother in her 70s and 28 years into her fourth career. I recently met up with Ms. Gay to see what life was like growing up in the Cayman Islands. She reveals that during the 1930s and 1940s, the sea was everything to islanders. It was survival and death, fortune and misfortune, and everything in between. Her intriguing stories cover everything from living in Grand Cayman before there was electricity to witnessing German submarines blowing up tankers and even being romanced by a famous American treasure hunter.

You were a young girl during World War II. Tell us a bit about the German submarines that appeared in the Cayman Islands.
The German submarines would come up all around the island to charge their batteries or whatever they did in those days. They torpedoed 20-odd ships, mostly tankers, in close proximity to the island. Once, a German submarine came in and the sailors came ashore. All the little kids came out, lining the streets and staring at them. They handed out Chiclets.

One time, I was on the waterfront with my friends and their mother, and way out on the horizon, we saw this explosion. They sent a ship out there and found all these men and they were badly burned. Guantanamo Bay sent a sea plane to pick up the seamen. After that, Washington, D.C., put a small naval base here.

You had three brothers, can you talk about them? 
My brothers were all older than me. Haden, Rene and Bob. When I was 5 years old, my two oldest brothers were part of the crew on The Hustler, a sailing vessel on a commercial trip to Panama. When they were heading out, a sloop was coming into the harbour and yelled to the captain that he had better turn
around, that bad weather was coming. In those days, you didn’t have the technology to tell you if there was a hurricane. The captain said he could make it and that was the last anybody ever saw of it. The whole island was in mourning.

It was really hard on me, especially because of my second brother, Rene. He taught me how to swim.

What was life like in Grand Cayman in those days? 
We didn’t have electricity. The mosquitoes were so bad that you were locked in by 7 o’clock at night. During World War II, radios were scarce on the island. A gentleman had one of these beautiful old radios. My mother would take me by the hand every evening to go over to this gentleman’s house to listen to the news. His family and others would sit all around the room. It was a battery-operated radio and you would pick up a lot of static. Everybody was quiet as mice. That was where we spent a good part of our evenings.

A lot of Caymanians left the island because things were not good here so they went to Tampa and Miami [Florida] and Mobile [Alabama] for work. But I feel like I lived an ideal life growing up because of the ocean. We paddled canoes, we sailed, and we swam. We were always in the ocean. Our mothers would be yelling at us to come in. I had so many friends. I always say I laughed my way through school.

Can you talk about how you met your treasure hunter husband, Art McKee?
My husband was on the cover of Life and National Geographic and in many other magazines. He was doing a commercial on the island for National Airlines and he needed a bunch of girls to film waterskiing and diving. The first time I went diving was right there by the Lobster Pot [on Seven Mile Beach]. We went down about 38 feet the first time. It was like being in a different world; it was so fascinating.

Learning to scuba dive today involves several hours of teaching and preparation. What was it like back in 1955?
He just gave us instructions right there on the boat and then he took us down where he wanted to take the pictures. We didn’t have any problems at all.

Since there were several young ladies in the commercial, how did the romance get going? 
He kept asking me to go out to dinner and I went a few times. Then he wanted me to marry him and I said ‘no.’ I liked him, but he was 24 years older than me. But he would never let up, so I ended up marrying him.

The night before the wedding the photographer dropped dead and we had no one to take photos. I thought that might be an omen. All we had was my husband’s movie camera so a friend of ours ran that. My husband’s brother-in-law was a photographer in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. So after the wedding, we went up there to his studio, put on our clothes from the wedding and he took our photos.

What was it like diving with your husband? Did you find treasure, too?
We did a lot of diving on sunken galleons. There were a lot of wrecks near the Florida Keys, strewn from Key Largo to Key West. The first time I went in with a Miller-Dunn [enclosed] helmet I got hugely claustrophobic. It was about 30 feet of water, so it wasn’t deep. I found out the Miller-Dunn helmet is fantastic. The water comes up around the chin area and you can stay down there for many hours without decompressing because the water was shallow. We would find all kinds of things: a large religious pendant, Spanish pieces of eight (Spanish dollars), pocket watches, ivory tusks, copper pots and buttons from uniforms. I dove with him for a long time on the wrecks until the kids came along.

Have your children followed in the family’s business of treasure hunting?
Due to their dad’s line of work, both of our children learned how to remove the coral from the silver coins and artefacts without damaging them. My son Kevin and daughter Karen are both divers who worked with Mel Fisher when he found the Spanish galleonAtocha off Key West. My son is also a goldsmith and frames pieces of eight and gold doubloons, and my daughter is an expert on Spanish colonial coins.

How did you start working for Cayman Airways? 
My husband died in 1980 and I came back a few years later to care for my sick mother. I needed a job so I applied at Cayman Airways and the only opening they had was in baggage tracing. Back then we did it by teletype. It was like investigative work. And you were only as good as the person you were dealing with at the other airlines. In 1993, I became the claims manager and I have had that job ever since.

I had never thought about working for an airline before I started here, but once you get it into your blood, it’s something you want to keep doing. I wouldn’t change my 28 years here for anything.

Source: caymanairwaysmagazine.com