Agouti

Grand Cayman Day 6: Green Parrots and Starfish

/ mariezhuikov / 18 Comments
The one good photo I took of a starfish on Starfish Point.

Nearing the end of our seven-day stay, we tried to slow down and relax more. On this sixth day, Russ and I vowed to only do activities near the East End resort and to spend time in the ocean. We mostly succeeded. We stayed true to our vow, but there was just so much to see that we didn’t spend much time relaxing!

Our first stop was the Cayman Parrot Sanctuary, which is dedicated to protecting the endangered green parrot, the island’s national bird, and to provide children with an up-close look at island wildlife. Kids at heart, that sounded good to us.

The sanctuary was begun by the head chef at Tukka Restaurant. You might recall them from my posts on Day 3 and 4 (this is the place where you can feed frigate birds). The chef wanted a playground and a mini zoo for his children and neighbors while he watched over his restaurants, but the idea caught on and grew so that now the sanctuary is one of the island’s major tourist attractions. Besides several species of parrots, there are turtles, snakes, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hermit crabs. There’s also a zipline and playground. The star of the show is an agouti named Lil’-bit. Unlike wild agoutis, this one is highly social and enjoys interacting with people. Lil’-bit was otherwise engaged while we were there, so we didn’t get that experience.

Russ interacting with sun conure parrots.

Our favorite adventure there was going into the sun conure aviary. These parrots are brightly colored and super-curious. They were all over Russ’s head from almost the moment we entered. (My thick hair must have deterred them but that was okay. I was able to focus on taking photos of Russ.) The birds seemed to like picking on anything that was plastic, including Russ’s glasses, hat, and bracelet. The attendant gave us seeds to feed the birds. Some liked to pinch while they ate, ouch! But we soon learned which birds those were and avoided them.

The sanctuary provides homes for Cayman Parrots that have been injured or ones their owners can no longer care for. Each parrot had a back story posted on their cage.

We returned to our resort for lunch and then headed toward Starfish Point, Go Pro in hand. Visitors can book a tour for the point, or they can simply go there themselves for free. The best time of day to see the starfish, which are red cushion or West Indian species, is in the morning before the ocean waves kick up. We wished we had followed that advice because by the time we arrived, it was wavy and the water was murky. The point has a shallow sand shelf that drops off into deeper water. It’s possible to simply wade around on the sand shelf to see starfish or you can don a snorkel to see more in the deeps in the seagrass (which they eat).

The crowds on Starfish Point.

That’s what I did. I saw some starfish in the deep water, but they were too far away to get good pictures, so I joined Russ on the sand shelf. We took care not to accidentally step on any starfish while looking for them. Also, it’s illegal to remove the starfish from the water. It introduces air into their bodies and kills them. Our Stingray City guide told us that there used to be many more starfish on the point – hundreds. But now, due to people lifting them out of the water for photos, there are only about a dozen to be seen on the sands. Needless to say, we did not touch the starfish in any way! There are signs on the point to this effect, but it really seems like there should be some sort of starfish police patrolling the area because I saw people not following the rules. I was sorely tempted to become a starfish cop myself but refrained. Getting into a fight with another tourist did not fit my idea of relaxing. But seriously, something needs to be done to protect the starfish more. Ironically, one island tourism company webpage about the point features promotional images that show the exact wrong things to do with the starfish! I DID just build up enough gumption to complain to the tourism company. We’ll see if they do anything with the images. Their text was okay, however.

Disappointed by the crowds and the murk at Starfish Point, we retreated back to our resort to snorkel. Ironically, I saw a HUGE (like two-feet-across) starfish hiding under a grassy ledge off the dock at our resort. But sorry, no picture. I wanted to just relax and watch the fish this time. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon reading by the pool.

We ate dinner at the rooftop sports bar at our resort. We ended up being the only ones there, so enjoyed a private dining experience under the rising moon. I highly recommend the coconut shrimp appetizer with mango sauce. We capped off our evening with a round of mini golf on the course near our unit.

Next up: Batabano Carnival, Grand Cayman National Museum, a final fancy dinner, and Grand Cayman visiting tips

Grand Cayman Day 4: Blue Iguanas, Blowholes, a Mansion, and Frigate Birds

/ mariezhuikov / 17 Comments
A blue iguana at the Botanic Park. Image by Russ.

Our fourth day on Grand Cayman Island dawned hot and beautiful, just like all the previous days. Our first adventure was a visit to Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on the island’s North Side. Besides lush and gorgeous foliage, what drew us to the park was its unique mix of culture, natural history, and endangered blue iguanas.

You heard me: blue iguanas. This special species is only found on Grand Cayman Island. The park has a conservation facility where they breed iguanas – some for release in other parts of the island. If I would have been quicker writing this post, I could have had it done on May 8, which is National Blue Iguana Day on the island. As it was, we were still traveling around the island with no time to write!

Pretty border foliage on the Woodland Trail.

We bought our tickets and then meandered toward the Orchid Boardwalk. Not far down the path, I spied a small humpbacked brown animal that looked somewhat like a prehistoric horse. As it ran into the undergrowth, I realized that I had the good luck to see an elusive agouti. These rodents were introduced to the island years ago and eat fruit, leaves, and roots. That was worth the admission, right there.

An orchid on the Orchid Boardwalk.

When we arrived and walked toward the park visitor center, a wild blue iguana greeted us on the lawn. We joked that it had been placed there just for us, or that maybe it was a statue. But no, it had moved by the time we finished our visit, so I guess it wasn’t fake.

The park’s Orchid Boardwalk takes you through a jungle of epiphytes (air plants) and orchids, some of which are only found on the island. Our next stop was the Heritage Garden, which sports a traditional homestead and garden. By this time, we were pretty hot, so we hung out in the shade of the home for a while. Across from that was a Xerophytic Garden, which features plants that require little water. We also toured a Lily Pond and a Palm Walk. My favorite was the Color Garden, which offers flowering plants arranged by color.

A flower in the Color Garden.

Our final stop after a long (and hot) walk on a woodland trail was the iguana conservation area. Here the blue iguanas are housed in outdoor natural habitats and cages. Most of the captive iguanas were hiding but a large wild iguana wandered the pathways, and Russ was able to get a good picture of it without fencing in the way. From the interpretive signs, we learned that blue iguanas can live for 50 years, that 1,000 have been released into protected areas on the island, and that they only turn blue during mating season. Apparently, it was mating season because many of them were blue.

The Lily Pond in the Botanic Park.

Pedro St. James Mansion was our next destination but before we toured it, we enjoyed lunch and a view of the sea at its Thatch and Barrel Restaurant. Russ had bruschetta burrata flatbread, with tomato, burrata cheese, garlic, and a scotch bonnet pepper-infused balsamic reduction that looked outstanding! The restaurant is known for its locally sourced ingredients and cocktails that use 1780 rum, which is blended onsite. I had a refreshing 1780 colada and a luscious castle burger, which featured onion jam, brie, local red pepper jelly and greens, garlic jalapeno aioli, and truffle fries.

Russ’s flatbread dish from the Thatch and Barrel Restaurant.

Thus fortified, we bought our tickets to the mansion. The docent led us into a multimedia theater for an orientation. We were the only ones enjoying the show! The theater uses creative lighting, wind, water, and vapors to transport viewers into the early lives of Caymanian settlers. After that, we were free to wander the grounds and tour the three-story mansion. You can opt for a guided tour, but we chose self-guided.

Pedro St. James

Pedro St. James is the oldest surviving stone structure in the islands. Its verandas and shuttered windows reminded me of Earnest Hemingway’s house in Key West. The elaborate construction made it the Caymanian equivalent of a European castle, so locals often refer to it as Pedro Castle. The mansion has had its ups and downs and has seen its share of historic events. The first island parliament was held inside, and a proclamation ending slavery was read from its front stairs (somewhat ironic, since the mansion was built with slave labor). Once again, we were the only people touring the mansion.

There’s also an interesting International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame at Pedro St. James. It’s worth a look.

On the way out, I bought a small bottle of the 1780 rum to bring home. I’m here to tell you, it’s gone all ready! I’ve never tasted a rum so smooth – dark and rich, almost root beer-y. If you get the chance, buy this rum.

On our way back to our resort, we stopped at the Blowholes. These are holes in the rock along the ocean shore where the water sprays high into the air. There are only a few blowholes, but they were fun to see; kind of like the Grand Cayman version of Old Faithful.

A blowhole blowing.

We happened to be passing Tukka Restaurant (where we ate the previous day) at 5 p.m., when they feed the frigatebirds. We hung out in hammocks on the shore and watched the large and acrobatic black birds swoop down for restaurant scraps. Recycling at its finest!

Frigatebirds hover, awaiting handouts.

We cooked our own dinner that night in our resort room kitchen. We purchased king mackerel steaks, which I had never cooked before. But I found a simple recipe online and they came out pretty good – reminded me of a cross between tuna and shark – a firm, oily meat.

Next up: Art, Turtles, Hell, and Leaving our Mark