Little Cayman is of special ecological value in the Caribbean region, as it has, until recently, remained largely untouched by human development. This has allowed its substantial populations of native plants and animals to flourish.

One area in which this is particularly apparent is in the Booby Pond Nature Reserve. Based on a land-locked saltwater lagoon with mangrove margins leading to old growth dry forest, the Reserve provides a habitat for many types of wetland and shore birds, and a high diversity of native plants. Cayman's only breeding colony of Magnificent Frigate birds nest in the Reserve.

The most distinctive aspect of the Booby Pond, however, is its resident colony of Red-footed Boobies. With about 2,500 active nests present in the spring of 2010, Little Cayman boasts one of the largest colonies of these creatures in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, the bird is in decline over most of its range, and it is believed by experts that the colony on Little Cayman now represents at least a third of its entire Caribbean and Atlantic population.

The importance of this site was recognized in June, 1994, when the Booby Pond Nature Reserve was designated as a "Wetland of International Significance" under the terms of the Ramsar Convention (an international treaty on the conservation of wetlands). The Reserve covers 334 acres, which are held in perpetuity for conservation by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. The remainder, including the southern margins of the Pond, are in private ownership, but are protected as part of the Reserve under the Cayman Islands' Animals Law (2003 Revision). This prohibits the disturbance of any form of plant or animal life within the Reserve's boundaries.

Valuable natural resources such as the Booby Pond Nature Reserve need skillful and sensitive handling. To that end, in 1995, the first formal management plan for the Reserve was drawn up by the Trust's Environmental Advisory Committee, in close collaboration with the Trust's Little Cayman District Committee and the local community.

The Management Plan defines the breeding area of the Boobies and Frigate birds as a Sanctuary Zone, where human access is prohibited except for research and management authorized by the Trust's Environmental Advisory Committee. A Human Use Zone is defined at the western end of the Booby Pond, while a Buffer Zone on the southern margin of the Pond allows for some access, and the construction of a few low impact observation points.

One idea in circulation when the Trust first took on the management of the Reserve was to construct an observation platform to improve the visibility of the Boobies. With the encouragement of former Governor of the Cayman Islands, Mr. Michael Gore, and a substantial donation from the Governor's Fund for Nature, the plan became more ambitious. Enthusiastic and imaginative fundraising from the Trust's Little Cayman District Committee more than matched the initial donation, and during 1995-96, a full-scale Visitor's Centre was constructed on an old landfill site in the Human Use Zone.

The Visitor's Centre is built in traditional Caymanian style, with gingerbread trim. It has been designed primarily as an information centre, but also doubles as the headquarters of the District Committee and a Trust fundraising retail outlet. The building is suitable for use as a community meeting centre, and houses a small library too.

The Centre has a custom-built stained glass door and an observation gallery. The verandah is equipped with fine telescopes (donated, like the door, by supporters of the Trust) for visitors' use in observing the Pond's bird-life.

A detailed study of the flooding and draining cycles of the Pond began in 1996, as a joint project of the Trust and the Water Authority. The project, which was part funded by a grant from the British Government, sought to understand the processes affecting food availability for birds in the Pond, and the reasons for seasonally offensive odours from pond sediments. Such information helps the Trust assess various management options for the Pond itself, which has apparently been losing mangrove cover as a result of hurricane damage and coastal modifications which have taken place over many decades.

The aquatic life within the Pond has also been examined at intervals between 1996 -97, as part of the Saline Pond Study, again funded by the British Government. Seasonally large populations of water bugs and mud-dwelling invertebrates have been observed here, providing food for the abundant Black-necked Stilts and the migrant shorebirds that visit the Pond. The northern shore of the Pond, where fresh and brackish groundwater seeps up, serves as a refuge for pond fish in the dry season, as well as attracting West Indian Whistling Duck to the area.

Recent research in this site includes a study of the feeding strategies of the Boobies, which are fast, long distance fliers capable of traveling hundreds of miles in a day. This large and thriving Booby colony is harvesting a rich supply of squid and small fish, so the health and size of the colony may prove to be a useful indicator of the condition of the marine environment where the Boobies are feeding.

Last Updated: 27 Jun 2012