This group of Killer whales were spotted 7 miles off of East End on July 27, 2008. Apparantly, they tried to get a room at TheReef but were denied because we didnt have any rooms big enough. Sorry guys.
Monday, July 28
World of Caybrew
Last Wednesday i got the chance to take a quick tour of the Caybrew factory located in Prospect. I initially went there to drop off my used bottles as Caybrew has a return policy where you get paid $2.00 for each returned case.
After i returned my bottles i was offered a free pint of draft Caybrew from the free sample area they have set-up inside. While enjoying my brew i was offered a free tour of both the recycling area and the actual brewery itself. How could i say no!
I walked through the warehouse area where pallets of this delicious beverage were being prepped for delivery to all the local bars.
My next stop was at the recycling part of the factory where i got to see what happens to those little green bottles and how they are cleaned. Kudos to the Caybrew team as that machine is top of the top and assures the quality of the reused bottles.
After my look at the cleaning area i then walked through the brewing area where the barley, malts, and water combine to make the drink. Walking in, one is initially hit by the strong smell of malt and the heat of the room. This is certainly where the magic happens.
After about 5 minutes of learning the step by step process that goes into brewing the beer, i exited the factory and made my way back to the reception area.
My advice is to give Caybrew a try as it is great tasting and very refreshing.
After i returned my bottles i was offered a free pint of draft Caybrew from the free sample area they have set-up inside. While enjoying my brew i was offered a free tour of both the recycling area and the actual brewery itself. How could i say no!
I walked through the warehouse area where pallets of this delicious beverage were being prepped for delivery to all the local bars.
My next stop was at the recycling part of the factory where i got to see what happens to those little green bottles and how they are cleaned. Kudos to the Caybrew team as that machine is top of the top and assures the quality of the reused bottles.
After my look at the cleaning area i then walked through the brewing area where the barley, malts, and water combine to make the drink. Walking in, one is initially hit by the strong smell of malt and the heat of the room. This is certainly where the magic happens.
After about 5 minutes of learning the step by step process that goes into brewing the beer, i exited the factory and made my way back to the reception area.
My advice is to give Caybrew a try as it is great tasting and very refreshing.
Tuesday, July 22
Let's get GREEN!
Well I have just under 2 weeks left on this gorgeous island before I have to go home (to Scotland) and start work on my dissertation for university! But before i leave, it is my mission to help theReef become GREEN! TheReef is currently working on reducing our waste and recycling wherever possible.
We have a whole list of GREEN stuff which we do right now but we have never shared this with you until now!
Our GREEN practices:
We have a whole list of GREEN stuff which we do right now but we have never shared this with you until now!
Our GREEN practices:
- towel re-use programme
- sensors which turn off the A/C in rooms when patio doors are left open
- salt water chlorination of our pools instead of using harsh chemicals
- we have a biological sewage treatment plant instead of using a traditional septic tank to treat waste
- our detergents are carefully chosen to help minimise the impact on the environment
We are looking at lots of new ways to help minimise our environmental impact, and any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated!!!!
East End Area Part 2
Part two in our East End series takes us back over 200 years to "The Wreck of the Ten Sails."
The local legend regarding this wreck is that in 1794 ten merchant ships travelling from Jamaica to Britain wrecked at the reef in East End. The story goes that the local East Enders risked their life to save all the passengers and that no lives were lost. One of the passengers on the boat happened to be King George III son the future King William IV.
Apparently, King George III was so grateful for the local Caymanians response that he pronounced The Cayman Islands free from taxation as a reward for their bravery.
Friday, July 18
East End Area
The East End side of Grand Cayman is known for its natural and unspoilt beauty which sets it apart from the commercially developed areas of Grand Cayman and Seven Mile Beach. For many visitors to Cayman it is glimpse into the Grand Cayman of yesteryear when Cayman was truly "the Islands that time forgot". Nature enthusiast will certainly enjoy the many outdoor activities and natural sites that are available exclusively on this side of the island. Today's sites are the Botanic Park and Mastic Trail.
The Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park offer visitors a tour into Grand Caymans fauna and indigenous plants as well as some indigenous animals such as the Blue Iguana Sanctuary.
The Mastic Trail is a pathway through the interior of the North Side area and was first made by Steven Watler over a hundred years ago and was recently restored in 1994.
Guided Tours are available through the National Trust of the Cayman Islands and is strongly recommended by me as the Tour Guide Paul Watler will both entertain and inform as you go through the trail.
Stay tuned as we will continue to post information on the different attractions available here in the East End.
Thursday, July 3
Record Marlin Snagged!!!
The following is taken from the online edition of Cayman Net News on June 26, 2008.
Leading Caymanian fishermen Clarence ‘King’ Flowers and Buster McLean smashed a 25-year Florida record by landing a 545lb 10 oz swordfish early in the morning of Sunday, 22 June.
Fishing off Government Cut, Miami on the 33-foot ‘Bouncer’s Dusky’, the team battled for more than five hours to bring the fish into the boat. The feat took every ounce of skill - and strength - by the experienced team, which included sword-fishing legend Captain Bouncer Smith, Captain Steve Huddleston and John Herndon.
Not only did the fish clinch the ‘Hydroglow Summer Swordfish Slam’ tournament, but it is also believed to be the biggest swordfish caught in Florida waters for more than a quarter of a century.
“The world’s largest Swordfish tournament now can say, to the best of our knowledge, that it has weighted the heaviest sword to be caught in a tournament,” said Tournament President Drew Kettlehutt.
“It’s the fish of a lifetime,” said an exhausted King Flowers who was back in Grand Cayman ahead of this weekend’s Cayman Swordfish Challenge.
“This is the fish that everyone talks about but somehow always gets away.”
The fish grabbed a day-drop sword rig at around 2,000 feet while it was being set, just an hour after the tournament began. Because of the powerful currents, it took some half hour for Captain Bouncer Smith to figure out that it was a fish, and not the bottom, that they’d hooked.
Using 80lb test line on a 70lb Penn International reel, the team managed to get the fish close to the boat within about 45 minutes.
“It circled around us at 25 miles-per-hour and we got a good look at it,” Mr Flowers said. “We couldn’t believe its size - like a sunken boat.”
The fish then sounded and, as the fight dragged on, a powerful thunderstorm closed in the boat.
“With every lightning strike, the fish pushed deeper, but it was like a submarine, steady and unstoppable, like nothing I’d ever hooked before,” Mr Flowers added.
More than five hours after hooking up, they had the massive fish within 200 feet of the boat - this after a virtual stalemate where line was gained only by quarter turns of the reel.
It was now that the experience of the brilliant Captain Bouncer Smith began to pay off and, with a combination of instruction and boat-handling skill, they were able to work the fish to within gaffing distance.
“It took five gaffs and, eventually, a tail rope, but even then he mashed the transom with his huge tail and slapped Steve Huddleston across the deck with his bill,” Mr Flowers said.
Beyond exhaustion, the crew then had to gather enough strength to get the monster into the boat.
“In 42 years as a full time fishing guide, I have never taken part in a fight with a tougher fish,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Flowers recalls that, on leaving the dock for the evening’s fishing, Captain Bouncer had predicted they would “hook up early, boat a 425 and go to the scales early”.
“So I missed by 120 pounds; it must be a fuzzy crystal ball,” Mr Flowers said.
The team is now looking ahead to the Cayman Swordfish Challenge, the second annual tournament which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, 28 and 29 June. As with the last year’s inaugural tournament, Captains Bouncer Smith and Steve Huddleston and the other top names in Florida sword-fishing will be here to offer their training and guidance to Cayman’s anglers.
“These guys simply know their stuff,” Mr Flowers said. “I thought so before, but having seen them in the ultimate battle, I can attest to it. We’re incredibly lucky to have them here for the Challenge.”
Mr Flowers urges any angler with a dream of landing a swordfish to get involved. The tournament kicks off on Friday, 27 June at 6:30 pm with registration and fishing masterclass at the Brasserie Conference Centre, Cricket Square.
Fishing off Government Cut, Miami on the 33-foot ‘Bouncer’s Dusky’, the team battled for more than five hours to bring the fish into the boat. The feat took every ounce of skill - and strength - by the experienced team, which included sword-fishing legend Captain Bouncer Smith, Captain Steve Huddleston and John Herndon.
Not only did the fish clinch the ‘Hydroglow Summer Swordfish Slam’ tournament, but it is also believed to be the biggest swordfish caught in Florida waters for more than a quarter of a century.
“The world’s largest Swordfish tournament now can say, to the best of our knowledge, that it has weighted the heaviest sword to be caught in a tournament,” said Tournament President Drew Kettlehutt.
“It’s the fish of a lifetime,” said an exhausted King Flowers who was back in Grand Cayman ahead of this weekend’s Cayman Swordfish Challenge.
“This is the fish that everyone talks about but somehow always gets away.”
The fish grabbed a day-drop sword rig at around 2,000 feet while it was being set, just an hour after the tournament began. Because of the powerful currents, it took some half hour for Captain Bouncer Smith to figure out that it was a fish, and not the bottom, that they’d hooked.
Using 80lb test line on a 70lb Penn International reel, the team managed to get the fish close to the boat within about 45 minutes.
“It circled around us at 25 miles-per-hour and we got a good look at it,” Mr Flowers said. “We couldn’t believe its size - like a sunken boat.”
The fish then sounded and, as the fight dragged on, a powerful thunderstorm closed in the boat.
“With every lightning strike, the fish pushed deeper, but it was like a submarine, steady and unstoppable, like nothing I’d ever hooked before,” Mr Flowers added.
More than five hours after hooking up, they had the massive fish within 200 feet of the boat - this after a virtual stalemate where line was gained only by quarter turns of the reel.
It was now that the experience of the brilliant Captain Bouncer Smith began to pay off and, with a combination of instruction and boat-handling skill, they were able to work the fish to within gaffing distance.
“It took five gaffs and, eventually, a tail rope, but even then he mashed the transom with his huge tail and slapped Steve Huddleston across the deck with his bill,” Mr Flowers said.
Beyond exhaustion, the crew then had to gather enough strength to get the monster into the boat.
“In 42 years as a full time fishing guide, I have never taken part in a fight with a tougher fish,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Flowers recalls that, on leaving the dock for the evening’s fishing, Captain Bouncer had predicted they would “hook up early, boat a 425 and go to the scales early”.
“So I missed by 120 pounds; it must be a fuzzy crystal ball,” Mr Flowers said.
The team is now looking ahead to the Cayman Swordfish Challenge, the second annual tournament which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, 28 and 29 June. As with the last year’s inaugural tournament, Captains Bouncer Smith and Steve Huddleston and the other top names in Florida sword-fishing will be here to offer their training and guidance to Cayman’s anglers.
“These guys simply know their stuff,” Mr Flowers said. “I thought so before, but having seen them in the ultimate battle, I can attest to it. We’re incredibly lucky to have them here for the Challenge.”
Mr Flowers urges any angler with a dream of landing a swordfish to get involved. The tournament kicks off on Friday, 27 June at 6:30 pm with registration and fishing masterclass at the Brasserie Conference Centre, Cricket Square.
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