The rustling from a palm tree just out of sight roused me from my well placed balcony chair. A sound like a watermelon hitting the ground from a great height came from the palm's vicinity. Leaning over the balcony’s railing, I spied an emerald green iguana, almost electric in colour and rivaling a cat in size and stature, shaking its prehistoric head ready to trot off towards the next awaiting palm. This was my introduction to one of the building's resident iguanas and the start of a fascination with the indigenous wildlife of the Cayman Islands.
The Cayman Islands setting
The Cayman Islands are a trio of islands located south and west of Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea. Basically a sand bar, the highest point for all three islands combined is 24 m (79 ft). Grand Cayman, the largest island and the point of first contact for most travelers, is where we found ourselves on this our greatly deserved winter vacation. This island is known for its diving, as the island is surrounded by an enormous reef creating a rich environment for sea life. Though the diving is supposedly spectacular, I have yet to develop the level of bravery I attribute to deep sea divers. Needless to say, I stuck to snorkeling, another activity that definitely didn’t disappoint. The variety of fishes and other sea creatures was fascinating. Being that close to barracuda or green moray eels rank among experiences to be remembered.
The Cayman hosts
Apart from the wet activities the area is known for, I was quite taken by its scaly population. A wonderfully eclectic variety of iguanas are present on the island, including the very rare Blue iguana, found only there.
Turns out, the common iguana, Iguana iguana, otherwise known as the green iguana, is not native to the Caymans. It has escaped from private homes and has begun to breed in the wild, often at odds with cats and dogs, but able to survive despite its smallish size. We’ll call them the street smart bunch. The Blue iguana, Cyclura lewisi, is a much larger, much more aggressive species of iguana, although it is shy and not often seen outside protected areas. The Blues do seem to be the smarter, we’ll say the more “educated”, of the two. The adult Blues tend to spend their time on the ground, contrasting with their distant green relations. I'm hoping the green's fall from great heights doesn't happen often, or there can't be much hope for their species.
The Blue Iguana looks like a dinosaur
The Blues evolved from the Cuban iguana, having made the 366 kilometre trek crossing at some point in the past 3 million years, eventually becoming genetically specific after reaching the archipelago of Cayman. Their skin has a distinctly blue colour to it which I'm certain inspired their common name. With a row of thick, solid spines running down their backs and intimidating looking pointed spikes on their cheeks as they age, these creatures do seem to be small relations of the giant lizards that roamed our planet 65 million years ago.
Grand Cayman boasts a first rate facility for the breeding of the very special Blues, which are now critically endangered in the world. In 2002, there were only 10-25 iguanas remaining from the original wild population. It seems habitat destruction has been the main cause of the severe decline in their numbers. Natural predators of the Blue iguana are lacking on the islands, other than the consistent threat of humans. However, due to the efforts of the breeding programs on the islands, today the numbers are estimated around 290 individuals. That’s a breeding program that works!
There is hope for the Blue Iguana, and it starts with you!
The future of the Blue is no longer as bleak. Breeding programs on the islands and tourist enthusiasm and support will ensure these very adept and robust creatures will endure. Whatever your motivation to land on the Cayman Islands, your visit to the islands should include a stop in at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park to witness this magnificent beast and its success first hand. Just don’t touch the Blues, they bite!
Lauren Diemer - Travel writing supplemented by life and its many challenges.
Join the Conversation