Okay, here’s the low-down on life on LC. First a few facts: LC’s coral runway is only suitable for prop planes, no jets. Iguanas rule the island – in fact road signs inform visitors that “Iguanas have the right of way.” Many of these leathery reptiles are quite tame – “Handbag” hangs out at Pirates Point and will pose for pictures when fans offer grapes or other fruit tips. Other island inhabitants include tarpon in the pond and visiting red-footed boobies. As mentioned in the title of this blog, the island is roughly 10 miles long by 1 mile wide. Most of the island is at sea level – the summit elevation is 40 feet. (Mountain friends, if you visit, you may experience oxygen toxicity.)
According to Wikipedia (the source for all facts cited by bloggers) the first recorded sighting of Little Cayman was by Christopher Columbus on May 10, 1503 on his fourth and final voyage, when heavy winds forced his ship off course (early human flotsam, way before Gilligan got all the cred, a TV series and that painfully memorable jingle we can all sing after a beer...or 10). Later LC also was reputedly a pirate haunt – even today divers fin past cannons on one dive site and a very large anchor on another. Locals use recovered cannonballs as paperweights. Dive addicts flock to LC for Bloody Bay Wall, an underwater drop-off that goes from 18 feet to roughly 1000 feet. Topside, waterlogged divers nitrogen nap at one of four small resorts, including Pirates Point, my employer. PPR (www.piratespointresort.com) is an all-inclusive resort with 11 rooms, a small pool, gourmet food and..., drum-roll please, an honor bar. No phones, no TVs, no attitude. Other notable PPR facts: Dominos is a blood sport; hermit crabs dine on catfood (see photo at left); guests sculpt tide trash into bar art; and the resort’s computer printer occasionally jams when crabs take up residence in the paper tray.
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