The Booby Pond Nature Reserve is located in Little Cayman.
In addition to being an Animal Sanctuary, the Booby Pond is the Cayman Island’s only Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance.
Owned and managed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, the Booby Pond is a unique habitat for breeding seabirds. Large nesting colonies of Red-footed Boobies (Sula sula) and Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) contribute to the Booby Pond’s status as a wetland of international significance. With some 7,000 Red-footed Boobies nesting here, the Booby Pond Nature Reserve is the largest rookery for these spectacular seabirds in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the only place which they breed in the Cayman Islands. The reserve additionally protects habitat which supports a diversity of resident and migratory birds.
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands took on management responsibility for the reserve in 1995. The Trust’s Environmental Advisory Committee, in collaboration with the Trust’s Little Cayman District Committee and the local community, drew up a formal management plan for the reserve. The management plan details the conservation management and research requirements of the reserve, along with highlighting the potential threats to the sanctuary posed by inappropriate development and activities.
Most of the sanctuary is maintained as a strict nature reserve, with no public access allowed. However, a Human Use Zone has been designated at the western end of the reserve. Here, on land which had previously been impacted, the National Trust has constructed a visitor centre, built in traditional Cayman-style. This well-equipped building includes a library, information centre and small retail outlet. The visitor centre also supports excellent viewing platforms, which overlook the pond and breeding bird colonies.
