All posts tagged: diving

Why Shark Week?

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  Eco Chic Cayman is proud to team up with Shark Conservation Cayman for our second annual “Shark Week.” Last year our collaboration aimed to accompany Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” with real information that is relevant to Cayman and our community. We shared interesting facts about our local sharks and conservation efforts and Cayman loved it. That being said, we are excited to share all new content to celebrate “Shark Week” in Cayman this year. Shark Conservation Cayman’s mission is “To better understand Cayman’s shark populations and to raise awareness of the importance of sharks to healthy reefs and the marine environment”. The research and conservation efforts are supported by the White Tip Conservation Fund from the Cayman Islands Brewery. Read more about the collaboration, between the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and Marine Conservation International, and their work on their brand new website. Each day of the following week, July 22-28, we will feature a new collaborative blog post sharing interesting shark facts, debunked myths about sharks, the latest in local shark conservation initiatives …

Sea of Life: We Have The Power To Restore Balance

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It is a huge honor to share with you our feature on Sea of Life documentary, a film debut by Julia Barnes.  Her documentary has won prestiges awards from International Film Festivals including: Winner Award of Merit Impact Doc Awards, Winner of Emerging Filmmakers Ontario 150 Film Challenge Water Docs, and the Cayman Islands very own Cayfilm. Filmmaker Julia Barnes spent over 3 years and visited seven countries to film her documentary.  The driving force that inspired Julia Barnes to make this documentary was from watching Rob Stewart’s documentary Revolution.  At 16 years old, Julia’s journey of filming her first documentary began and is a true inspiration.  Her bravery and tenacity is admirable.  She is a hero for committing to her passion for conservation, raising awareness about environmental issues and sharing what she learned through her documentary.  At the heart of her film, Sea of Life “dives into some of the most spectacular ecosystems on the planet, exposing both the destruction that’s happening in the ocean and the efforts underway to stop it,” says Julia …

Dive Into Coral Reef Conservation

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Grand Cayman Eco Divers has officially launched their non-profit foundation “Eco Divers Reef Foundation” established 28 November 2017 and is based in the Cayman Islands.  Founders Brittany Balli and Aaron Hunt, are a husband and wife team, that are dedicated to their Coral Nursery Program aimed to restore fragile and damaged reefs in the Cayman Islands.  A primary focus of their coral conservation efforts is maintaining local coral nurseries and coral out plant sites.  Since the inception of coral nurseries in the Cayman Islands it has proven to be successful.  Likewise, they are devoted to ensuring a positive future for Cayman’s reefs by educating the youth and the community of the Cayman Islands about the importance of coral reefs, ocean conservation and the proper techniques of working with coral nurseries.  Their non-profit foundation was created as a separate organization from their dive company Grand Cayman Eco Divers to help generate funding for coral conservation efforts in the Cayman Islands. Conserving Cayman’s Reefs   Over the last few decades, the Cayman Islands has seen a significant …

Cayman Islands Coral Watch Programme

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On 23rd September 2017, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) documented the first reports of a new coral bleaching event in the Cayman Islands.  Scientists have been investigating how widespread and intense the bleaching is across all three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  A particularly striking find was on Andes Reef, north coast of Grand Cayman, where there were sightings of coral bleaching happening up to depths of 50 meters.  This year’s coral bleaching event has been meticulously monitored and documented by the DOE and they continue to gather data, photos, videos and conduct surveys to fully assess the impact.  As the DOE documents this stress response, they are paying close attention to 3 particular factors: 1.       Which locations of coral reefs are affected by the bleaching 2.       What species of coral are affected and which are remaining healthy 3.       What depths are bleached corals found For instance, some coral reefs on the west side of the island in shallow depths currently …

Dive In: Guy Harvey’s Ocean Conservation Month & Fundraiser

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Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation has designated November as Ocean Conservation month. This is a first for the Cayman Islands and is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about issues our oceans and marine life face as well as ocean conservation efforts. To kickoff the month of November, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation will be hosting their 3rd annual fundraiser on Wednesday 8th November 2017. The event will take place at Luca restaurant from 6:30pm-9:30pm, and will include both a live and silent auction. This is a cocktail party not to be missed, as the keynote address will be presented by special guest Dr. Ellen Prager. Tickets are on sale now at Guy Harvey Gallery and Shoppe, CI$150.00 for a ticket and all proceeds raised will go towards funding the biannual Southern stingray survey and shark tagging by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Throughout the month, there will be a focus on: Shark Talk – educational documentaries and talks for all local students at the Regal Cinema; an educational pack and short videos made available to schools …

Dive In: Coral Conservation Community Project

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Grand Cayman Eco Divers have had great success over the last year with maintaining their coral nurseries and outplanting viable coral fragments onto Cayman’s reefs.  Brittany Balli and Aaron Hunt, are a husband and wife team, that are dedicated to their Coral Nursery Restoration Program and are devoted to ensuring a positive future for Cayman’s reefs.  Their commitment to coral reef conservation has lead Grand Cayman Eco Divers to work in a united effort with Sunset House and Dive Tech to ensure the success of their programs.  Grand Cayman Eco Divers were inspired by the positive results of their coral nursery program to initiate a study abroad program, inviting both international and local students to learn about their coral nursery program and coral conservation here in the Cayman Islands.  In an effort to expand on education of coral conservation and raise awareness for the coral nursery program Grand Cayman Eco Divers are inviting our local community to get involved and join the volunteer team for their coral nurseries. Inspiring a Community to become involved in …