Beauty of the Botanical Park

The Queen Elizabeth Botanical Park is a hidden gem here in the Cayman Islands. The lush foliage and flowers, the Woodland Trail, Heritage Garden, the lake, orchid boardwalk, lily pond and of course the extra special Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas are just a few of the attractions. 

About a 45 minute drive from Silver Sands, the park can offer a nice change of scenery from the beautiful beach and will allow you to discover a different side of the Cayman Islands. It is recommended getting there when they open at 9am to avoid the heat of the day. You can spend as long as you want wandering around the grounds, and keep a keen eye out for rare birds and the iguanas, they are wild animals and if you are quiet and calm, your close encounter can be one to remember! Finish your experience at the gift shop where you can buy your favorite Cayman souvenirs. 

The National Trust of the Cayman Islands began its work with the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana soon after its formation in 1987, with an ultimate repopulation goal of 1000. The Habitat has become an exceptionally popular area as the captive breeding grounds for these fascinating reptiles, who only two decades ago were facing extinction. These intriguing creatures are frequently found freely roaming the grounds of the Park, and delight both local and foreign visitors who happen upon them. They will not hurt you and if you are calm you can have quite a close encounter, and if you are lucky they will strike a pose for you to get the perfect pic.

Visitors can even take a Blue Iguana Safari Tour and check out the breeding grounds and see where the magic happens. Reservations are necessary and can be made by phoning +1-345-749-1132 or emailing: tours@nationaltrust.org.ky

For a past post we did on these "Blue Dragons" check out:

The Botanical Park Blues

The Orchid Boardwalk features native orchids as well as non native species. It is fun to walk along the wooden boardwalk through the lush garden and spot these elusive blooming beauties. The Botanical Park teams up with the Cayman Islands Orchid Society to have their annual Orchid Show and sale. A fun event for all the orchid enthusiasts out there.

The bird watching in the park is such fun! You never know who is going to fly by. Pictured in this blog are the Greater Antillean Grackle (or lovingly referred to locally as the ching ching), the Cayman Parrot (the national bird of the Cayman Islands), the Cayman Bananaquit, and the West Indian Woodpecker.

Above Photos: Heather Holt Photography
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Cayman's Hardy Hermit Crabs

As you adventure out from Silver Sands you will most certainly come across some of Cayman's resident hermit crabs, the Caribbean Hermit Crab or sometimes called Soldier Crabs. A few quick facts:

-Hermit Crabs take their homes with them. They scavenge empty shells to use as their home and when they grow too big, they exchange it for a bigger "newer" model.

-Hermit Crabs are herbavores but are also scavengers making their diet full of variety.

-Hermit Crabs can live for decades!

-Hermit Crabs only breed in the wild. Once they mate and the eggs are ready, they go to the sandy shores of the sea and release their eggs into the water.

-Hermit Crabs are often for sale in a pet store. Sadly because hermit crabs only breed in the wild, most certainly all pet store crabs have been ripped away from their natural home and family. They also tend to not do so well in captivity. So perhaps it is best to only visit hermit crabs here in Cayman rather than buy them and try to keep them as pets.

The above crab is from the Mastic Trail here in Cayman and it was HUGE! Probably one of the biggest crabs I have ever seen.

Hermit crabs are social creatures and congregate for mating, shell swaps, or even to forage for food together.

Living here in Cayman they are found on the beach, in the bush and on my aloe plant in my garden!

With all the plastic polluting the oceans and people taking natural shells as souvenirs, there is a hermit crab housing crisis. These crabs have had to find what they can to protect themselves.

Photos by Heather Holt Photography

Whats the deal with the Sargassum?

You might be wondering what that orangy-brown seaweed is that is seen across the island. Sargassum is a type of common seaweed that floats on ocean currents in large matted areas that can stretch for miles. It is found in temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral reefs. It is free floating and once it gets near shore it will wash up on the beach, dry out and produce a stinky odor.

While it is a nuisance on land when it washes up on our beaches in massive quantities, floating rafts of sargassum in the open ocean form rich ecosystems that provide critical habitats for a diversity of marine species.

This year especially, but in the past few years sargassum has become a large problem in the Cayman Islands and throughout the Caribbean and it is unknown why this seaweed has become so prevalent.

Here is some further info on the sargassum issue in Cayman:

Department of Environment: Media Release

Cayman Compass: Cayman coastline hit by stinky seaweed, again

At Silver Sands we are diligent about keeping our beach clean, and maintaining the pristine beauty of our shores. Once it washes up we try to get rid of it asap. During your stay on our beach you will not be bothered by this stinky seaweed.

Photos by Heather Holt Photography

Stingray Serenity

In our eariler post we mentioned that Starfish Point was a must see while staying at Silver Sands. Well you are in luck because the infamous Stingray City is also a must see and most boat trips combine the two amazing animal encounters into a fun day trip out on the North Sound of Grand Cayman. Nothing to be afraid of with these big lovely puppy dog like fish, they know the drill, cuddle/kiss a tourist, get a piece of squid and everyone is happy. 

For another post on Stingray City and other must-see snorkel spots check out:
Grand Cayman's Snorkelling Secrets

Photos by Heather Holt Photography

Simply Starfish

While staying at Silver Sands, a visit to Starfish Point is a must! Located in the quiet area of the Northside of Grand Cayman live the beautiful Red Cushion Starfish. This beautiful spot is accessible by boat or you can make the hour drive up, enjoying the scenic island along the way, and explore the beach and surrounding area of Rum Point and Kaibo.

Check out more here:
Starfish Point, Well Worth the Trip

Photos by Heather Holt Photography

Animals from Hell!

As you may have learned from our past Hell post, Who Know Hell Could be Fun!, hell is an area in West Bay that has some interesting grey/black limestone formations that not only are a fun tourist attraction, but also home to some of Cayman's wildlife. When I visit Hell I like to head to the orange building to the right of the main post office. The proprietors of this property are the cutest older couple and have a vast knowledge of the wildlife that frequents the area, as well as a keen eye to spot them. In the photos below see if you can spot some of the Cayman critters!

Photos by Heather Holt Photography