Little Cayman Island: Marine Sanctuary

Submitted by Emily Wilkins on the 2018 winter session program in the Cayman Islands sponsored by the School of Marine Science and Policy…

Escaping the cold and snow of the Northeast to go to the tropics for a month is a no brainer to almost everyone. Though I was extremely excited to begin my study abroad, I was also slightly apprehensive and nervous as well. I have never been out of the country before and I was unsure of what to expect being so far away from home. Once I touched down onto Little Cayman, all of my worries melted away.

The Little Cayman Island is a small island located southwest of Cuba and is approximately a mile wide and ten miles long. Most of the island is untouched by humans and is considered a marine sanctuary. Conservation is a major focus on the island and its pristine nature shows. My home for the next month is the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, which is located on the northwest side of the island. The staff is amazing and extremely knowledgeable about the island as well as the marine life surrounding it. I am eager to learn from them during my month long stay.

Little Cayman from above

After settling in on Thursday, we started off on Friday with a check-out dive to assess everyone’s skills and comfort level in the water. This was my first time diving in salt water and it was incredible. The amount of life and diversity in the water was breathtaking, and I still can’t believe that I get to dive in this incredible environment. I am so exited to see what the other dive locations have in store!

The weather has been very windy, so we were unable to go diving on Saturday. Instead we went snorkeling in Preston Bay, which is an incredible experience. Though the surface water was choppy, the water underneath was calm, and the organisms were quite active. We saw a large variety of fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates as well as an an eagle ray, which was rare to find in that shallow of an environment.

Corals in Preston Bay

Though much of the island is untouched by humans, worldwide human impact is very apparent on the island. While going for a walk along the beach near CCMI, the amount of plastics and debris that was washed ashore was mind boggling.  Most of the plastics were single-use plastics like bottles and plastic utensils. This made me begin to reflect upon my use of plastic in the States. Many people don’t think about what happens to their garbage once they throw it away in the garbage can, but most of it ends up in the ocean. By just recycling single use plastics, or using reusable products, humans can cut their waste by an exorbitant amount and keep these islands as untouched as possible.

Debris on the beach
Fossilized corals