Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
169
Did You Know?
• The green sea turtle can survive underwater for days at a
time?
• The Cayman Trough, between the Caymans and Jamaica, con-
tains the deepest waters in the Caribbean, reaching depths of
4 miles or more.
• Fire coral will actually defend itself and attack you. You'll feel
like a match has been put to your body.
• A peg-legged, swashbuckling turtle is the national symbol of
the Cayman Islands, a sort of mascot.
• Caymanians refused to become a protectorate of Jamaica
when that island country achieved independence in 1962.
• Agouti, rabbit-sized rodents, still live on the island. Cayman
residents once hunted them for meat.
• Only one egg out of 10,000 laid by the green sea turtle
reaches maturity.
• More than 100 nationalities, one-fifth from Jamaica, live on the
Cayman Islands.
• The first settlers on the Caymans may have been deserters
from the British army in Jamaica.
• Caymanians have one of the highest standards of living in the
Caribbean.
• The root cassava was used by the Taíno Indians to make flour,
and Caymanians use it today to make a local dessert called
“heavy cake.” But it is poisonous until processed to remove its
prussic acid.
• In the summer months, Texans and many Southerners flee to
the Caymans to beat the heat.
9
Bat C ave
takes its name fr om its inhabitants, sev eral species of
which can be seen hanging from above if you shine your flashlight up
to the r oof. Most of the bats y ou'll see her e are Jamaican fruit bats.
The bats emerge in the ev ening to fly about, usually after 9pm. B at
Cave is on the south side of the island and is mar ked by signs.
A final cave,
Great Cave,
stands a mile or so fr om the lighthouse
that designates the easternmost point of the island, at the top of the
Bluff. F illed with stalagmites and stalactites, it is one of the most
interesting caves to explor e, although a bit eerie. The terrain is dr y
and r ocky, with plenty of sharp , loose r ocks. Wear long pants and
sturdy shoes, pr eferably with ankle suppor ts, for scrabbling ar ound
underground.
