A Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana at Little Water Cay. |
An interesting attraction is the nature reserve of Little Water Cay,
locally known as 'Iguana Island'. This small island, or cay, is home to
the few remaining Rock Iguanas that used to cover most of the islands in
the Turks and Caicos.
Getting to Little Water Cay
This trip involves taking a boat ride from the Leeward Marina area on
Providenciales to the nearby island. The island isn't far away
(just a few hundred metres), and only takes about 10 minutes to reach by
boat. You can also rent a kayak and reach the island, but be aware
of currents in the channel between Providenciales and Little Water Cay.
Local companies offer package eco-tours which combine a visit to Iguana
Island.
What you'll see
The main and only attractions are
the Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana
(Cyclura carinata), which are basically
big
lizards. They're everyone on the island, due to extensive
conservation efforts. If you're travelling by kayak, be sure to
stop by the little islets nearby to see the more wild, smaller iguanas
which in habit these miniscule islands.
Little Water Cay has two sets of loop boardwalks installed, one on the
north side and one on the south side of the island. Those kayaking
will reaching the south boardwalk, whereas those arriving by boat
depends on the operator and size of the boat. Both boardwalks
offer about the same experience, although the northern part of the
island is a bit more marshland.
This is something that families, eco-tourist, and just the average
person will find interesting. Total trip (if visiting the island
only) is about 2 hours round trip.
Conservation Status
Unfortunately, these animals are classified as endangered. These lizards
used to live on all the islands in the Turks and Caicos, but the
introduction by humans of cats and dogs quickly led to their rapid
decline and extinction on the other islands.
When visiting, DO NOT feed the iguanas and stay on the boardwalks.