20th February, 2026
Unnamed Ridge, Several nautical miles North of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
It has felt like a long time since I sat down to write to you about the findings from the Expedition – these days I find myself completely engrossed in my role as Cayman Team Lead.
The beginning of the Cayman part of the adventure experienced a couple of hiccups which we were able to overcome, and ever since then it’s been incredible to witness the beauty, biodiversity and bold creatures on our offshore banks – we have so much to be proud of Cayman! I’m convinced that our marine life might be as charismatic as our people, and we’ve come across everything from flamboyant free-swimming sea cucumbers to baby oceanic white tip sharks.
It does really feel like we saved the best for last – Cayman has continued to show up and show out. Before getting onboard, I was of the belief that our offshore banks (12-mile Bank, Lawford’s Bank, Pickle Bank and 60-mile Bank) were likely to be similar. But I’m happy to have been proven wrong in this instance.
- Lawford’s is big, flat, shallow(er) and sandy
- Pickle has gorgeous coral reefs on top and dramatic sloping gradients – and home to many, many cephalopods (octopus and squids)
- Unnamed Ridge – the most like an underwater mountain, extremely steep and the ridge looks as if molten lava had flowed down it and cooled
I’m not a deep sea specialist but it’s clear from what I’m seeing that Cayman’s waters that it’s not like what we’ve seen in either Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands. This isn’t necessarily surprising seeing as our islands are located right in the heart of the Caribbean Sea while simultaneously being far enough away from neighbouring countries. But the difference is evident – there’s been more squid and octopus in our first catch than there was in both TCI and Anguilla combined!
Time feels like it’s flying and we’ll be on our way to 60-mile Bank this evening – I can’t wait to share what we find there!
P.s. We’ve taken over the DoE social media for the days we’re onboard (till the 26th) and you can see real time updates there.
P.p.s. Our first livestream from the Chemistry Lab featuring our Coral Lab Technician will be available on Monday on our YouTube channel! (@CaymanIslandsDOE)
Follow the journey:
- DoE socials: @doecayman (Instagram and Facebook)
- The DoE Expedition webpage: https://doe.ky/bluebelt-expedition/
- Invitation: Port Call Party! (Governor’s Village, Village Café @ 5:30-8:00pm)
