Fly to Dallas Year Round

Starting April 10, 2013, Cayman Airways will be offering twice weekly non-stop flights to and from the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport in Texas. These Wed. and Sat. flights will become a permanent offering from Cayman Airways and will facilitate immediate connections to Cayman Brac from Grand Cayman. 

These flights will also make it easier for West coast and Southwest passengers to connect to Cayman. 

Flight KX320 will depart Grand Cayman at 8:30am, arriving in Dallas at 12:30pm.

Flight KX321 will depart Dallas-Ft. Worth at 1:50pm and arrive in Grand Cayman at 5:50pm.

Little Cayman

This is one of the reasons why Little Cayman remains pristine, uncomplicated and perfect for your next holiday or a second vacation home. Contact Tranquil Realty for more information on how you can change your priorities!

Support Expansion of Cayman's Marine Parks

The Cayman Islands Tourism Association is sponsoring a petition directed to Hon Mark Scotland, Minister of Health, Environment, Youth, Sports and Culture. The petition is in support of expanding the current Marine Park area as outlined by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment. Cayman's dependency on tourism relates directly to our marine environment. By protecting the environment, business and tourism can look forward to a more secure future.

For more information and to sign the petition, visit this website:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/954/914/205/support-the-expansion-of-caymans-marine-parks/

New Hotel Coming to Hyatt Site

It has been 8 years since Hurricane Ivan devastated the Hyatt Hotel on Grand Cayman. After years of insurance company issues, the owners are redeveloping the site. It will soon become a branded hotel which will cater to the business community. Being the first of its kind on Grand Cayman, this brings welcomed possibilities to the island. Previously catering to the tourism industry, the new hotel will host 168 rooms, a major convention center, spa and new swimming pool. Demolition work has already started, although a general contractor has yet to be named.

Cayman Brac Airport Renovation Scheduled

The Charles Kirkconnell Airport on Cayman Brac will soon be able to accommodate nonstop outgoing international flights to the US and other destinations. The renovation will commence later this year. A local Cayman Brac construction company, DSS Contractors will complete the work.

The renovation will include two phases. The first will increase the size of the existing terminal on the eastern side with a 6814 sq. ft. addition to include a check-in area, restrooms, security room, baggage screening, enlarged departure lounge and relocated cafe/bar.

The second phase will include a new 4670 sq. ft. expand on the west side resulting in a new baggage claim area.

Beautiful Cayman Brac Home

 This lovely home is located right on the edge of bluff land on Cayman Brac. Encompassing 1 acre, this 3100 sq. ft. home boasts an open-plan living area with 2 bedrooms and one office/den space. Both bedrooms offer en-suite bathrooms. There is a large screened porch on the Bluff edge, in addition to an attached garage. There is plenty of undeveloped area on this parcel which has been left undeveloped. Asking price is $ 660,000 US. Contact Tranquil Realty for more details!

Electric Cars Come to the Brac

The Wheego LiFe electric car is now available for daily rental at The Alexander Hotel on Cayman Brac. This has been a 7 year project for John Fielder and the Cayman Automotive Group. As of Sept. 21, all-electric cars can be registered in the Cayman Islands.

Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush stated this gives Cayman a feather in their cap being the first island in the Caribbean to offer eco-friendly cars to their visitors.

Bluff Edge Home For Sale!

 This lovely home is located right on the edge of bluff land on Cayman Brac. Encompassing 1 acre, this 3100 sq. ft. home boasts an open-plan living area with 2 bedrooms and one office/den space. Both bedrooms offer en-suite bathrooms. There is a large screened porch on the Bluff edge, in addition to an attached garage. There is plenty of undeveloped area on this parcel which has been left undeveloped. Asking price is $ 660,000 US. Contact Tranquil Realty for more details! 

Brac Airport Getting Facelift

The Charles Kirkconnell International Airport, formerly known as Gerrard-Smith Airport on Cayman Brac will begin an upgrade to its facility in two phases. Phase One will include an east-side expansion and renovations to its existing building, almost doubling its current size. Work will start in August, concluding sometime in 2013. Phase Two will expand the west side of the building and will be started at a later date when funds from CIAA become available.


The expansion will enable proper baggage screening equipment to be housed, enabling direct flights to and from the US. As it stands currently, passengers traveling to and from the Brac must stop in Grand Cayman first.

Adaptive Divers Come to the Brac

Dive Pirates, a not-for-profit organization from Houston, Texas brought a group of divers with varying degrees of special physical needs to Cayman Brac for a week scuba diving.  Eels On Wheels, another adaptive dive group from Austin, Texas visited recently as well with 76 divers. These dive clubs teach people with quadriplegia, paraplegia, and amputations to dive.


The Department of Tourism has been steadily increasing its support of such groups as Cayman has a well-earned reputation of catering to individuals with physical disabilities. Diving brings a much welcomed freedom to these divers. “For the past seven years we’ve heard from our recipients the joy in getting out of a wheelchair and swimming underwater over shipwrecks and coral reefs off the shores of Cayman Brac,” said Sophie Wimberley, co-founder of the Dive Pirates.  “We also have ten of our past recipients joining us on this year’s trip, which is a testament to our success that we’ve introduced them to a sport that they can enjoy for years to come.”

Little Cayman west conch club #20

Summer Special! Great prices on the best Little Cayman Properties by your sister island realty experts. West Conch Club unit 20 offers every amenity and one of the most stunning views in the Cayman Islands. How would you like to wake up in the morning and look out this window?!

Little Cayman Condo Perfect for Vacation Home

This 3 bedroom-3.5 bath condo in the Sunset Point development is priced perfectly for a 2nd getaway vacation home at US $250,000. This condo development contains only 4 private units. It is located right on the beach on the far west point of the island to view those beautiful sunsets. It has been recently painted and offers hurricane shutters. For more information, please contact your Sister Islands real estate expert.

Our Own Sir Thomas Turtleton

In celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, Sir Thomas Turtleton, a 600 pound adult turtle was released into the wild. Sir Tom has been a resident of the Cayman Turtle Farm for over 30 years, coming to the farm when he was around 20 years old. He is estimated to be approximately 60 years old now. Sir Tom was captured in 1970 as an original member of the breeding stock of Mariculture Ltd., original name of the Cayman Turtle Farm. 

Tracking Sir Tom has been easy with the help of a satellite-tagging device. He is currently heading toward his original home of Suriname, South America. The data obtained from his tracking device will be used to ensure he as adapted to the wild and successfully survived after years of being pampered at the Turtle Farm. Track his course at www.seaturtle.org.

Free Solar Panels

As part of a new renewable energy programme, the government has designed an initiative to assist the elderly and indigent with increasingly high energy costs. A planned $15 million investment will install 1500 homes with solar panels. According to Joey Ebanks, the new managing director of Cayman's Electricity Regulatory Authority and chairman of a new committee to promote this new programme, Cayman “has been too, too slow” in getting onboard with reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. 


According to Mr. Ebanks, the first to receive the panels will be those who are currently being assisted by government to pay their power bills. Then will come those on a fixed pension income to install panels in their homes. If homes are not able to have panels installed, free standing panels can be utilized. 


In addition to reducing the carbon footprint, the initiative will assist in generating jobs and providing local companies with additional business opportunities.

Cayman Islands Dictionary Now Available

In the hopes of preserving Caymanian culture and heritage, The Cayman Islands Dictionary is now available in supermarkets and authorized retailers across the three islands. Particular interest lies in protecting Cayman's unique language and dialect. According to author Kevin Goring, the publication came about when he began collecting Caymanian words 12 years ago. The dictionary is part of a line of products he hopes will fuel cultural interest in promoting Cayman's culture, comprising over 1000 words used in the Cayman dialect. “I was in college at the time and simply became interested in learning more about my culture,’ he said. “I started researching words by interviewing my friends and family members, reading local books, and I even made several visits to the National Archive. After reviewing the massive collection of information that accumulated over several years, I decided that I should publish a dictionary. It’s just something that needed to be done, because the Cayman Islands are over 500 years old and we have never had our linguistic heritage documented for all to see.” He said that he hopes to expand Caymanology as a movement towards heightened cultural awareness and native pride.

Doppler Weather Radar Station in Cayman

With a CI $4.6 million European Commission grant, Cayman officials are hoping the new Doppler Weather Radar Station currently under construction in East End will be ready for the 2013 hurricane season. All information gathered, covering some 250 miles, will be available online in real time accessible to anyone. “At the moment the Cayman Islands uses satellite imagery, which requires interpretation of the data, but with the Doppler system Cayman will get accurate real-time information when storms or any other weather systems threaten or move through our area, so that residents can be better prepared,”said Fred Sambula, Director General of the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. This system is the final link that will connect radar stations in Belize, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. 

Doppler weather radar is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, and estimate its type. Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the intensity of the precipitation. Both types of data can be analyzed to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause severe weather.

 

Affordable Beachfront Cottage in Little Cayman

This is the perfect vacation home to get away from it all! Seaheart Cottage is a 1 bedroom/1 bath home located right on the beach. Sitting pretty on a .35 acre parcel, it has swimming and snorkeling right off the backyard, located just east of Mary's channel on the North shore of Little Cayman. The asking price is US $335,000.

For more information, contact your Little Cayman Real Estate expert.

Indigenous Iguanas Get Counted

A special subspecies of the Cuban rock iguana found only on the Brac and Little Cayman has been the subject of a census to determine their numbers. The Department of Environment is spearheading the count of this endangered species to preserve their habitat and educate the public to ensure their continued survival. The last count numbers 63 and rising with the help of researchers and many school aged children as volunteers. Fellow Brackers and members of the Brac National Trust are also coming out to help with this undertaking. The US International Reptile Conservation Foundation has also been in support of the program.


The rock iguana faces many of the same perils as its Blue cousin on Grand Cayman. Feral cats and dogs and speeding cars have taken their toll on their numbers. With the help of a hotline number, researchers take location information of the iguanas and capture them to record pertinent information such as length, weight and gender. A microchip is inserted which will record its entire life span and be regularly monitored. A small number is then painted with white-out on its side to be visible in case of future capture. Photos are taken and the animal is released back to its original location. Continued monitoring will also determine the mating and births of these recorded iguanas, which will also be added to the growing data collected.


If you spot a rock iguana, call the hotline number at 917-7744.

New Life Form Found in Cayman Trench

A marine expedition to the Cayman Trench has resulted in the gathering of first ever species of eyeless shrimp and white-tentacled anemones by scientists aboard the research vessel Atlantis. A 6cm long eyeless shrimp with a light sensing organ on its back was discovered by a group of scientists from the National Oceanography Centre. During a visit in 2009, the Cayman ridge found home to two seafloor chimneys - the Von Damm and the Piccard. These chimneys emit scorching seawater of 450 degree Celsius rich in minerals to support life never seen before. Scientists suspect these mineral-rich sea vents gave rise to the world's first organisms. The Cayman ridge is the deepest spreading ridge on Earth, plunging to nearly 20,000 feet in some places.


"Studying the creatures at these vents, and comparing them with species at other vents around the world; will help us to understand how animals disperse and evolve in the deep ocean," Dr. Jon Copley, a marine biologist at the University of Southampton said about the discovery.

 

A tube worm at the Von Damm site, the first ever spotted at a hydrothermal vent in the Atlantic. (The worms had been seen at cold seeps, but not the superheated vents.)CREDIT: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, MCR Expedition 2011.