Island Info
The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory with a British Governor appointed by the Queen. Grand Cayman is approximately 22 miles long and 8 miles at the widest. Tourism and Financial Services comprise 80% of Cayman’s economy and unemployment is less than 3%.
Grand Cayman’s temperatures range from February lows in the low 70s to summer highs in the low 90s. The island averages only 50 inches of rainfall per year however, the eastern districts can average half of that figure. Most eastern Caribbean islands experience over 100 inches of annual rainfall.
Grand Cayman's Famous Stingray City Sandbar
Southern Stingrays have been coming to the Sandbar for over a hundred years. At the end of each day fishermen used to anchor their boats in this shallow area to clean their day’s catches. Their unwanted fish remnants were thrown overboard.
The stingrays grew to rely on this area as a place to find food and the Sandbar is now their permanent home. Grand Cayman’s stingrays are used to daily human company and mingle peacefully with visitors.
National Symbols of Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman Parrot
This national bird is identified by iridescent green feathers, a white eye ring, red cheeks, black ear patches, and brilliant blue wing feathers that only appear when the bird is in flight.
Blue Iguana
Endemic to Grand Cayman, once on the road to extinction, the Blue Iguana is a conservation success story. There are approximately 700 iguanas living on the island today.
Wild Banana Orchid
Cayman has 26 different species of orchids. The Wild Banana Orchid is the national flower of Cayman and comes in two varieties and is found only in the Cayman Islands. Visit the botanical garden to see many species of trees and plants.
Silver Thatch Palm Tree
The national tree of the Cayman Islands, this palm was an important natural resource for Cayman’s early settlers who used the leaves to make rope, brooms and to roof their homes.
