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.

Build Your Dream House in Paradise

Now is your chance to build your dream house in the beautiful Caribbean!

This beautiful piece of beach front property is located on Little Cayman. It is on the north shore, just east of Jackson Point. This beauty is in a perfect vicinity to dive and snorkel the famous Bloody Bay wall. It has approximately 200 ft. of great ocean frontage with sandy beach and protected reef with boating access possible. It is reduced to sell at US $350,000.

Contact your Little Cayman Real Estate Experts for more information.

No Plastic Saturdays

Phase II of Cayman BECOME's plastic bag reduction campaign run by the Corporate Green Team Network has started. Beginning Dec. 10 and every second Saturday of each month, local supermarkets will be completely plastic bag-free to further encourage customers to bring their own bags. Last year's Phase I proved to be an enormous success by reducing an estimated 12 million plastic bags being disposed of annually in Grand Cayman alone. Local supermarkets replaced their non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags with biodegradable alternatives. In addition, they started charging 5 cents per bag to reduce number of plastic bags ending up in the landfill.

The Corporate Green Team Network or CGTN, started in June 2009 when Deloitte partnered with the Sustainable Development Unit of the Department of Environment to promote eco awareness, sustainability and to implement environmental projects in the Cayman Islands. Their goal is to gain the support of residents and tourists alike to protect our environment.

Do your part in keeping our islands green and bring your own bags to the grocery store.

Beachfront Home on Little Cayman

This lovely remodeled 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home is just the ticket for fulfilling your dreams of owning Paradise! It boasts an open, modern kitchen, island bar, dining area and living room. The Master Bedroom and sun porch both have gorgeous ocean views. Other rooms in this 2000 sq. ft. home include a pantry, laundry and hobby room. There is a private sandy beach with a protecting reef for your own personal snorkeling area. The outdoor patio includes a built-in bar and fully retractable awning. It is fully landscaped and comes fully furnished. Asking price is $549,000US and the seller is motivated!

Contact your Sister Islands Real Estate expert for more details.

More Land for Cayman's Blues

The current home of the critically endangered Grand Cayman Blue Iguana, the Salina Reserve, has recently expanded by 23 acres to give the Blues more room to establish.  “The importance of this land goes beyond the direct conservation value of the 23 acres involved,” said Fred Burton, Director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme. “The purchase has unlocked a previously blocked fragment of habitat, which together with the new parcel now almost doubles the area of shrub land available here for the Blue Iguanas to recolonize.”

A merger of funds from landowners, the National Trust’s European Union EDF9 grant and a supplementary grant from Maples FS has made this land purchase possible. The European Union grant to the Trust is part of a project "Management of Protected Areas to Support Sustainable Economies", currently being shared with the Turks and Caicos Islands and the British Virgin Islands. 


The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, the National Trust and the Department of Environment are jointly implementing the grant, which includes funds for land acquisition for Blue Iguana habitat, development of nature tourism and education infrastructure. Addition programs in the new Colliers Wilderness Reserve, which is developing into a key home for the Blues, is also part of the grant implementation.

Own a Piece of Paradise in Little Cayman

This 2 bedroom/2.5 bathroom 1858 sq. ft. condo is for sale on Little Cayman in The Conch Club with spectacular views of the sound. Unit #8 has been in the rental pool and as a result, has a large walk-in lock closet for private storage. The unit is well maintained with a new air handler installed in 2008. Each bedroom has a private en suite bath. The listing price for this beautiful unit is US $325,000.

Please contact your Sister Island real estate experts for further information.

Reduced Fees for Lionfish Culling Certification

Visiting and local scuba divers alike can now get certified and licensed to help cull the invasive red lionfish. These lionfish have now become a major menace for the Cayman Islands. Cayman dive operators can now teach the PADI Lionfish Tracker Distinctive Specialty course. Upon completion, a local lionfish culling license will be provided. Some Cayman dive operators are now offering reduced course fees to visitors and residents this fall. Currently there are boats running from various dive operators each week to use these new skills.



“Snorkelers can help too as many lionfish can be found in shallow waters just off shore and in the canals in the North Sound. This is prime breeding ground for lobsters, groupers, snappers and more, so removing lionfish from the North Sound can play a huge role in helping to cull the invasion” stated Nancy Easterbrook of Divetech. “They are tasty – a light white fish that needs a little special handling while filleting to remove the venomous spines, but well worth it. Many restaurants are now serving lionfish on a special or full time menu, so ask for lion fish when you are next out to dinner, or try it at home. Not only will this help create a market for the lionfish, but it will have the positive side effect of reducing the demand for the ‘traditional’ eating fish like conch, grouper and snapper, allowing fish stocks to grow and be sustainable.”


Contact your local diver operator for further information.