Clearly Cayman
The Buddy Line Summer 2019
Fall is “Value Season” in the Cayman Islands
If you’ve dived any of the Cayman Islands, you know that their Cayman colors of fall include blue for best visibility and most marine life and green for saving money.
Get more for less when you travel July 27–October 26, 2019. Good dates still available for 7-night stays depending on resort selected.
New Reef Divers Underwater Photo Center
Little Cayman has been the backdrop to many award-winning underwater photos and videos. Its great visibility, abundant marine life—much of it within 30 feet of the surface—and stunning topography provide photographers and videographers with inspirational subjects for practicing and perfecting their craft.
Interested in learning or becoming better at underwater photography? Now there’s an on-island resource for training and assistance with equipment, skills, and even post-production photo editing with the opening of Reef Divers Underwater Photo Center at Little Cayman Beach Resort.
The Photo Center is staffed by our own underwater photo pro, Tiago Peixoto, who’s available for personal coaching and wet or dry classes year-round, although we do recommend making advance arrangements. Tiago has many years of experience in underwater photography and recently completed training with Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo, renowned experts in this field, to be able to troubleshoot guests’ equipment and perform certain repairs. Some rentals are available for divers who want to “test it out” before purchase.
Calendar of Events
August
- 2 International Beer Day
- 8 Happiness Day
- 13 Left-Handers Day
- 16 Tell a Joke Day
- 20 National Bacon Lovers Day
- 31 Eat Outside Day
September
- 2 Labor Day
- 4 Eat an Extra Dessert Day
- 13 Positive Thinking Day
- 19 Talk Like a Pirate Day
- 26 National Pancake Day
- 28 Ask a Stupid Question Day
October
- 1 International Coffee Day
- 14 Columbus Day
- 14 Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
- 18 National Chocolate Cupcake Day
- 26 Howl at the Moon Night
- 31 Halloween
You’ve Got a Friend (or Two)
These are among our staff rock stars. Look for these people to help you feel at home on your next visit to one of our resorts.
Meet Jinky, Front Desk Supervisor at Cayman Brac Beach Resort
One of the first big smiles guests at Cayman Brac Beach Resort normally see is Jinky’s. She’s at the front desk and has been a Bracker for about a decade and a team member at our resort for more than six years. Her career experiences, from the dining room to the front desk, make Jinky a great “go to” person when you have questions, because she likely has the answers.
Jinky’s personality and the way she approaches her job lay the groundwork for fabulous dive vacations for guests from all over the world. “It makes me feel good to know that my welcoming smile and efficiency in getting guests checked in and settled are among their first memories of our resort’s personalized services,” she says. “I want them to feel like they’ve gone from being strangers to friends—and that they’re part of our family by the time they leave.”
Jinky is originally from the Philippines. Some of her family members are also here in the Brac, including her husband. When not working, she helps out with the YMCA’s after-school program, does yoga, and gets involved in all kinds of outdoor activities, including beach clean-ups and rock climbing.
Meet Bernie, Instructor and Boat Captain at Reef Divers Cobalt Coast
Bernie is one of five Kiwis who call Cobalt Coast Resort their home on Grand Cayman. He started diving in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he became an instructor, teaching in cold water with limited visibility. Although not optimal, those conditions helped hone his teaching skills for our warm, clear Caribbean.
He loves the underwater world off Grand Cayman because so many great sites are only short boat rides away. “It gets our guests diving comfortably and quickly,” he says. “We have so much varied topography, including canyons, walls, wrecks, and reefs all with abundant marine life, so we definitely can find something to excite every diver.”
Bernie’s goal is to ensure that all guests have safe, memorable dive “holiday” vacations—and are satisfied with the adventures and experiences he and his Reef Divers colleagues deliver. “I’ve had many amazing dives here and want to share them with our visitors.”
When not diving, Bernie enjoys venturing into town and practicing street epistemology in cordial conversations with people he meets, discussing any strongly held beliefs and their reasons for holding those beliefs.
The Safety Stop
Three Minutes’ Worth of Ideas for Making Your Next Dive Trip Less Stressful
Many of us work an entire year to save money for a great dive vacation. Here are our top five tips to help you avoid frustration on your next trip:
- Pack a bathing suit, a change of clothes with undies, your mask, and the bare-essential toiletries in your small carry-on bag. If by chance you get separated from your luggage, you’ll have what you need to get through your first day without missing any dives. We provide free rental gear if your dive equipment gets delayed.
- Less is more, so pack as lightly as possible. Additional fees for overweight, oversized, or extra bags can add substantially to the cost of your dive vacation.
- Test out all dive equipment (including new gear) far enough in advance of your trip to allow time for servicing, if needed.
- Take a photo with your phone of your C-cards, as proof of your certifications or as back-ups if yours get lost (both sides if there’s important information on the back).
- Bring layers or exposure protection (wetsuit, vest, hood, skin, etc.). Everyone’s idea of a comfortable temperature is different. After a couple of three-dive days, even the most chill-resistant divers may feel cool during that third dive. With layers you can adjust.
If you have ideas for lists, please submit to editor@clearlycayman.com.
Clearly Cayman Dive Log
Find Out Why This is One of Our Staff’s Favorite Dives
According to Little Cayman Reef Divers staff member Anna, Randy’s Gazebo off the island’s northwest shore never disappoints. We start this maximum 110-foot dive near the mooring, and then you have choices. For the adventurous, there’s a narrow, nearly vertical chimney that leads out through the wall with an opening to the deep blue Caribbean. Or, you can just swim out over the wall through some lush soft corals and sea fans.
The gazebo is reached about ten minutes into the dive. Although “just a big hole in the wall,” it’s one of the most photographed sites in the Bloody Bay Marine Park because of the magnificent window it offers to the sea. During the dive we find many varieties of fish, little neck crabs, sometimes sharks, and turtles almost every time.
There is a second swim-through on the way back to the mooring called the “chicken run” because it’s much less challenging than the chimney earlier in the dive. And swimming back toward the mooring, we encounter a beautiful, manmade phenomenon: tiny “champagne” bubbles rising from the reef as a result of previous divers passing through the various swim-throughs.
Anna is from the Netherlands and considers diving her form of meditation and spiritual renewal. She feels like she’s going home every time she jumps into the sea.
I’ve Seen That!
Marine Life from Our Cayman Islands’ Caribbean
It never fails to delight divers when they spot the yellow jawfish (Opistognathus aurifrons) poking its head above the sandy rubble it calls home. Particularly exciting is finding a male with eggs in its mouth like the one pictured here. Jawfish are mouthbrooders, meaning that after courtship, the male fertilizes the eggs and then gathers them into his mouth, protecting the eggs until they hatch 7–9 days later. During this period, he will spit them out to rotate and aerate the eggs, keeping them healthy.
Here’s more you should know about jawfish:
- Can be as large as 4 inches long.
- Found at depths as shallow as 10 feet, but more commonly at 30–50 feet.
- Tend to be rather shy. Look ahead to find one “dancing” above its hole. Approach very slowly along the bottom and stop as close as 12 inches away—then patiently stop and wait for it to get comfortable with your presence and pop its head back up.
- Can also carry away sand, pebbles, shells, and other small matter in their mouths. You may also see them burrowing in their holes, popping up to spit out the sand they remove.
- Eats small fish and krill.
Learn more about our marine environment and creatures from Katie Correia, Science & Education Manager at Central Caribbean Marine Institute, Little Cayman. For more information on the CCMI, visit www.reefresearch.org.