08/06/2026
World Ocean Day 2026 carries a clear global call to action: Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet.
For the Cayman Islands, that work began four decades ago. Our first Marine Parks were established in 1986, recognising what every Caymanian seafarer already knew; the reefs, walls, and seagrass meadows around these three islands are not a resource to be drawn down, but a heritage to be kept.
Today, nearly half of our coastal shelf waters are designated as no-take marine reserves. Earlier this year, that network expanded again, with new protected areas added across Grand Cayman and Little Cayman.
It is fitting work for a nation whose motto reads He hath founded it upon the seas. We are a people shaped by generations of turtlers, schooner captains, divemasters, and fishermen. The sea built this country. Protecting it is how we keep faith with those who came before, and those still to come.
To those who protect our environment, our dive operators, marine researchers, and the visitors who treat these waters with the care they deserve — thank you.
