At first glance, it's just the start of another day in paradise. The sun rises brilliantly, the breeze rustles through the fronds of silver thatch palms, and a flock of Grand Cayman parrots alight on a mango tree. A green turtle slides off to sea, skimming over the reefs, after depositing her eggs in the sand. The white and purple petals of a wild banana orchid flutter from their perch on a Mastic Trail mahogany tree, and a clutch of baby blue iguana scuttle into the underbrush, ready for anything.

At second glance, such seemingly casual occurrences are actually hard-won victories. Were it not for the efforts of an army of volunteers, bolstered by two decades of far-sighted legislation and a government committed to education and preservation, the Cayman Islands might be "just another pretty face" of beaches and hotels-minus the endowments that make them one-of-a-kind in natural history and heritage. The Caymanian love of nature, coupled with inherent sensibility and economic vision, has caused the Cayman Islands to lead the way in establishing policy for eco-tourism development.

Caymanians have embraced every aspect of what is referred to as Nature Tourism, saving more than their water, land and the creatures that inhabit both. They are saving their heritage, as evidenced in social, agricultural, and architectural markers of the past. It is an undertaking of major proportion, but Caymanians know it is their lifeline to the future.


With such deliberate and thoughtful infrastructure in place, the government and private sector, knowing that visitors must become aware of the laws before they can be expected to obey them, have worked together to make this information readily available. Members of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA), Cayman National Water sports Association (CNWA) and the Sister Islands Tourism Association (SITA) have all worked to educate thousands of visiting divers each year by briefing them about local marine park laws; enforcing a 'look but don't touch' policy toward marine life; and using only dive sites marked by permanent boat moorings to prevent anchor damage to fragile coral eco-systems. Members of these Associations take a pro-active approach by trying to prevent any form of diver or snorkeller damage and by encouraging divers to practice good buoyancy skills, that alleviate collision with fragile coral.

Strict standards of safety and dedication to conservation are the two greatest characteristics of carrying out Nature Tourism in the Cayman Islands. Around the three islands, designated Marine Park Zones are clearly marked, and laws are listed on government posted signs in public waterfront access areas at beaches and boat launches. Detailed maps showing various park zones and park regulations are featured in a general information brochure, "Things Every Visitor Should Know About Our Conservation Laws and Our Marine Parks." The brochures are widely distributed by the Department of Tourism, Government Information Services, and Department of Environment's Natural Resources Unit. All dive and watersports operators also distribute this brochure. In addition, information is reprinted in many local tourist publications and on island maps available free to guests.

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The National Trust
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands Law of 1987 created the National Trust as a non-profit, statutory body which is "responsible for the preservation of Cayman's historic, natural and maritime heritage; the conservation of lands, natural features and submarine areas of beauty, historic or environmental importance, and the protection of our native flora and fauna".

It's primary responsibilities are:

The protection of flora and fauna.
The Trust's activities include protecting biological diversity; protecting public access both visual and physical-to the sea; protecting selected traditional footpaths throughout the islands such as the Mastic Trail; acquiring and maintaining structures of outstanding historical or cultural significance for which ongoing funding is assured, and facilitating the preservation of historic and cultural sites. For more information on the National Trust or to contact them visit: www.caymannationaltrust.org

Mastic Trail
Protected by the National Trust, the Mastic Reserve on Grand Cayman is the largest contiguous area of untouched, old growth dry forest remaining on the island. This area and other similar expanses of forest in Cayman are of international significance, as they are among the last remaining examples of the Caribbean's dry, subtropical forest. Which was the target of particularly intense deforestation throughout the West Indies. The area is home to a wide variety of animals and plants unique to the Cayman Islands, and also to large populations of trees which have vanished from more accessible places through logging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Mastic Trail is part of an old trail whose origins were lost in time, but we do know that at least 100 years ago William Steven Watler and his contemporaries completed a causeway of mahogany logs and beach rocks to assist passage across a deep mangrove wetland at the southern end of the trail. For a while the trail was a major thoroughfare, but later as the coastal roads and the modern Frank Sound Road were established and upgraded, the trail fell into disuse and became overgrown.

The Mastic Trail is two miles long and the guided walk takes approximately two and a half to three hours. Walkers get the chance to experience a fascinating exploration deep into Cayman's wild interior, in an area where the woodland has been evolving undisturbed for the last two million years. Special tours for small school groups and other local organizations are also available by prior arrangement. The Trust received worldwide public recognition in 1995, when Islands magazine chose the Mastic Trial as a finalist in their annual Ecotourism Award competition.

The endangered Cayman parrot, that has a population of only 350. Wetland ponds harbor a wide selection of herons and shorebirds, including the rare West Indian whistling-duck.

For more great information on Nature Tourism in the Cayman Islands visit: www.naturecayman.com