All posts tagged: shark sanctuary cayman islands

Dive Into Shark School with Jessica Harvey

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Sharks are fascinating creatures.  Over the years, sharks have often been misunderstood and this helped create a negative perception of sharks.  Gradually, that perception is beginning to shift and sharks are being seen in a more positive light.  If anything, we should be more afraid of not seeing sharks.  Our marine environment has a delicate balance, and everything is interconnected.  Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the health of our oceans, keeping marine ecosystems in balance and our coral reefs in check.  Seeing a healthy population of sharks is typically a positive indicator of a healthy coral reef.   The Cayman Islands is a designated shark sanctuary.  Sharks and rays are a protected species under Cayman’s National Conservation Law.  Here in the Cayman Islands, there are eight species of sharks commonly found in our waters including: Great Hammerhead, Nurse shark, Lemon shark, Caribbean Reef shark, Blacktip, Tiger shark, Oceanic Whitetip and Silky shark. Amongst the variety of shark species found in the Cayman Islands, some species of sharks reside in Cayman waters all year …

Meet Our Local Sharks & The People Protecting Them

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The Caribbean is famous for being a paradise, rich in colour, biodiverse coral reefs and an abundance of marine life including sharks.  A healthy population of sharks is an indicator of a healthy reef ecosystem and is valuable not only for our marine environment but also for the tourism industry and our economy.  The Cayman Islands is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world and people travel from all over to experience our world renowned underwater world but also for the opportunity to see a shark(s) on their dive.  A survey in 2011 showed that sharks are worth more alive than dead in Cayman. The economic value of an alive shark was estimated to be about US$54 million per year.  So not only do sharks help keep the balance in the marine environment but also add to our islands economy.  The survey also showed that even if tourists don’t want to see sharks while swimming, they do want to know that there is a healthy shark population in Cayman as it is …

Protecting the Sharks of the Cayman Islands

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Sharks play an integral role in protecting the balance of coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment.  Since April 2015, the National Conservation Law provides protection for sharks and rays in the Cayman Islands.  Provisions under the National Conservation Law effectively make Cayman Waters a sharks and rays sanctuary.  All shark species are protected in the entire Cayman Waters including, coastal and offshore.  This year marks the 3rd anniversary of protecting sharks and rays in the Cayman Islands.  Shark conservation efforts continue to remain a priority as sharks are an invaluable species to our island’s marine environment and coral reef ecosystems.  There are 8 species of sharks that can be regularly found in Cayman waters including: Great Hammerhead, Lemon Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Blacktip, Tiger Shark, Oceanic Whitetip, Silky Shark, and Nurse Stark.  Some species of sharks found in Cayman waters reside all year long inhabiting coastal waters.  Whereas, other species of sharks are pelagic and seasonally pass through Cayman while on migratory routes.   The Cayman Islands is synonymous with marine tourism and famous …

PWC Ocean Awareness Week: Saving Sharks

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PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) kicks off their second annual Ocean Awareness Week on Sunday, 19th November 2017.  In the spirit of ocean advocacy PWC’s employees are showing their love for the ocean and commitment to ocean awareness by competing with one another in a series of Ocean Friendly Challenges.  Bonus! This year, they are extending an invitation to community of the Cayman Islands to take the challenge to raise ocean awareness whether as an individual, with friends and family or with your colleagues.  In addition, PWC’s Ocean Awareness Week would like to use this opportunity to raise awareness for sharks.  In particular, they would like to highlight the dedicated hard work and commitment to protect sharks by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment through their Cayman Islands Shark Project. Cayman Islands Shark Project By Dept. of Environment and Marine Conservation International. The Cayman Islands Sharks Project provides information leading to a greater understanding, both locally and regionally, of the need to conserve these species and the environment on which they depend. With the help of acoustic tags, …