Blue Iguana – Grand Cayman

The Blue Iguana is endemic to the Cayman Islands. It survived for years on this small island but is since European colonisation they have suffered from predation by feral cats and dogs and the recent arrival of the much more common Green Iguana, which seems to be a more adaptable and less lazy breed. When I first arrived in Grand Cayman I thought the variety of lizard and iguanas were very cool, like mini-prehistoric dragons that have survived throughout the years. The locals treat the Green Iguana as an invasive pest, perhaps not quite as bad as the Lionfish, but subject to curbing and control.

The Blue Iguanas are now critically endangered and very rarely seen on the Island.  There is a conservation program in the Queen Elizabeth Botanical gardens where the Blue Iguanas are bred and some roam freely around the park.  I have not spotted them anywhere else on the island, although the Green Iguanas are in abundance.

A series of multi-coloured iguana sculptures are dotted around the island to honour the heritage of the iguana.