This is cayman

Surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean Sea and unsurpassable coral reefs, it’s no wonder people in the Cayman Islands are so passionate about marine conservation.

With climate change, overfishing, invasions by non-native species like lionfish, marine debris and coral diseases threatening the local waters and its inhabitants, the commitment to conservation is more important than ever.

Many of the conservation efforts in Cayman are spearheaded by the country’s Department of Environment. Its staff, along with local and visiting divers and the dive operators, are tackling the lionfish issue, carrying out regular culls of the invasive spiny creature that is gobbling up the juvenile reef fish population.

Throughout May to November, the department’s volunteers patrol Cayman’s beaches to guard nesting turtles and their babies.

The department also keeps an eye on the larger sea creatures that pass through Cayman’s waters.

In mid-2008, it launched a marine animal sighting database, after a rare sighting of a pod of 10 killer whales off East End. In addition, it acts as a clearing house for information received from the public on sightings, and contributes them to regional sighting databases, such as the Caribbean Stranding Network.

In 2009, the department began investigating the value of sharks, rays, whales and dolphins to Cayman, both economically and ecologically, as part of its Cayman Shark and Dolphin Project.

It found that sharks may be worth between $80 million and $130 million a year to Cayman’s economy.