Environmental Considerations

A few simple suggestions on ways to 'tread lightly' in Cayman and be environmentally aware of 6 issues that Cayman residents are sensitive to:

Water Consumption

Being low lying islands with very little rainfall during the winter months, fresh water supplies are limited. Try to limit your use of fresh water where possible: do not leave taps running unnecessarily or take hour long showers, etc.

Coral

Coral is extremely delicate and takes many years to grow just an inch or two. One careless kick with a fin can easily damage or kill centuries’ worth of growth, so be very careful where you put your hands and feet and never touch the coral. Be particularly careful with fire coral which inflicts a sting similar to stinging nettles.

Feeding the Fish

As tempting as it may be, avoid feeding the fish your leftover picnic sandwiches. Human food does not contain the nutrients that fish require and feeding them regularly may affect their natural feeding habits.

Turtle Hatchlings

Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs every year and a few weeks later the hatchlings climb out of the nest and, all being well, head for the sea. Should you happen to see turtle hatchlings on the beach do NOT touch them or attempt to help them, as you could do more harm than good, but contact the Department of Environment immediately. Tel: (345) 949 8469

Shopping Bags

Last year all the major supermarkets joined the Cayman Become campaign, with the aim of eliminating the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags. All grocery stores sell re-usable cloth bags for less than a dollar. Please help support their efforts by purchasing these rather than the (now biodegradable) one time use plastic bags.

Order Seafood Responsibly

Several restaurants on the island have signed up to the Sea Sense campaign whereby they only serve seafood from sustainable stocks. You will see the Sea Sense logo on their menu. Otherwise, avoid eating fish such as Chilean seabass, grouper, bluefin tuna or monkfish. More eco-conscious choices include conch, crab, mahi mahi, yellow tail snapper, calamari and wahoo.