12 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Cayman Islands

Without further ado, here are 12 things you probably didn’t know about the Cayman Islands!

• 1. There is an unofficial “fourth” island in the Cayman Islands: Owen Island

  It is well known that the Cayman Islands have three main islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. However, were you aware of the unofficial fourth island of the Caymans? Right off the coast of Little Cayman is an uninhabited island called Owen Island. It’s an excellent place to visit for a day if you want true peace and serenity!

• 2. One of the best scuba diving locations in the world is on Little Cayman

  Little Cayman is often overshadowed by the most popular Grand Cayman and even the somewhat more popular Cayman Brac. However, this small island (with just 200 residents) has more than meets the eye, like the Bloody Bay Wall Marine Park.

  Bloody Bay Wall Marine Park is one of the best scuba diving locations in the world! It features a stunning reef and drop down at just 20 feet below sea level, then there is suddenly a steep drop-off of over 1,000 feet. The Bloody Bay Wall provides its visitors with a glimpse of both shallow and deep sealife and creatures. Plus, it’s ideal for beginner and advanced divers alike!

• 3. Little Cayman has the largest population of red-footed boobies and rock iguanas in all the Caribbean

  Little Cayman not only has one of the best scuba diving destinations, but it also has stunning landlife as well! It has the largest population of red-footed boobies, a beautiful seabird that has coral-red feet, in the Caribbean. The island also is home to the largest population of rock iguanas, a genus of iguanidae in all the Caribbean!

  As a side note, rock iguanas do inhabit Cayman Brac as well, but there are simply more of them on Little Cayman!

  

• 4. Rock iguanas have the right of way on the roads in Little Cayman

  While wandering around the island by car, scooter, or bicycle, you have to keep your eyes peeled for rock iguanas crossing the street! Rock iguanas are so prevalent on the island that they can often be seen crossing the roads, so much so that they have been granted the right of way!

  Be sure to use caution while riding around the island and let these lizard-like pedestrians cross safely– crosswalk or not!

• 5. Little Cayman is home to the New World’s oldest reptile– and is teaching scientists a thing or two about invasive species

  The island is also home to the Anolis maynardi, which is also called the Little Cayman green anole or Maynard’s anole. This type of lizard is the oldest reptile in the New World! It’s exceptionally elusive, though, so consider yourself lucky if you do spot one on Little Cayman!

  Modern scientists continue to be intrigued by this anole, as the species has landed on Cayman Brac but only as early as 1987– yet it has become widespread across the island. These anoles likely came from Little Cayman via human transport are now giving scientists insight on how invasive species operate!

• 6. Cayman Brac has stunning unique nature to explore, like the Bluff to many caves

  Cayman Brac is a nature explorer’s paradise! It has stunning nature to discover, including The Bluff and several caves. The Bluff, which is located on the eastern end of the island, is a bluff made of karstic limestone that towers 140 feet high and provides its visitors with vistas of both the sea and island landscape.

  There are also mystifying and glorious caves to discover on the island, like Peter’s Cave and Skull Cave!

  

• 7. Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman is actually 5.5 miles long!

  It would be easy to assume that the famous Seven Mile Beach is precisely seven miles long. However, it isn’t seven miles long– it’s just 5.5 miles long!

• 8. You can go to Hell on Grand Cayman!

  You read that right. “Hell” can be found on Grand Cayman! It’s not exactly like the “horns and pitchforks amongst seething fire” image you might already have conceived. Hell is actually a tourist attraction (a safe one, might we add) that has a large collection of black jagged limestone and salt deposits.

  These numerous jagged pieces of limestone look similarly to the stalagmites people tend to associate with “hell,” yet these particular deposits are 100% real– and are 24 million years old!

• 9. The endangered Grand Cayman Blue Iguana is only found on Grand Cayman

  The Grand Cayman Blue Iguana is only found on Grand Cayman and nowhere else as they are solely indigenous to this one island! Unfortunately, this species is one of the most endangered species in the world due to predation by feral animals and loss of habitat.

• 10. You can see a natural nighttime light show at Bioluminescent Bay on Grand Cayman

  While you may assume that the beaches are only glorious during the daytime, the Bioluminescent Bay on Grand Cayman will very likely prove that notion to be incorrect! The Bioluminescent Bay, which is located on the north side of the island, has Bioluminescent dinoflagellates, a type of plankton that “lights up” due to a chemical reaction called chemiluminescence.

  The result: a stunning, illuminated sea at night! This is a popular tourist attraction– and it’s really no surprise as to why!

• 11. Christopher Columbus named the Cayman Islands “Las Tortugas”

  When Christopher Columbus first sighted the islands on May 10, 1503, he noticed numerous turtles swimming in the surrounding waters. It was when he saw the Sister Islands (Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) that he titled them “Las Tortugas,” which is Spanish for “The Turtles.”

• 12. The Cayman Islands was named after the marine crocodile in the 16th century

  The Cayman Islands were long ago home to the marine crocodile. During the 16th century, the Islands were renamed Caymanas, a word that was derived from the Carib word for the marine crocodile. Since then, it has remained the Cayman Islands, even well after the marine crocodile left the Islands!

  If you are interested in investing in property in this unique territory, then trust in us here at Crighton Properties. We are one of the best real estate companies in the Cayman Islands and have been in the business for decades!