Cayman Compass - 14 May, 2021

With your first COVID-19 vaccine shot! Free TM & © 2021 Burger King Corporation. VOUCHER PROVIDED AFTER RECEIVING FIRST COVID-19 VACCINE DOSE. MUST PRESENT VOUCHER BEFORE ORDERING. NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH. VALID ONLY AT BURGER KING, GRAND CAYMAN LOCATIONS. EXPIRES 15TH JULY 2021. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 14-20 May 2021 News Lockdown's impact on crime Page 6 Issues Charting COVID: A deep dive into the data Page 12 Small World Photographers capture images of Cayman's tiniest and strangest sea creatures. Page 9 A gold-fringed cerberilla nudibranch. - Photo: Alfe BolosMatinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK GODZILLA VS. KONG (PG-13) (FRI) 4:10 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 (SAT) 2:00 VIP | 4:10 | 7:00 VIP (SUN) 4:00 VIP | 4:10 | 7:00 (MON) 2:00 VIP | 4:10 | 7:00 VIP | 9:50 (TUE) 4:10 (WED-THURS) 4:10 | 7:00 VIP MORTAL KOMBAT (R) (FRI) 4:40 | 7:30 VIP | 9:40 VIP | 10:00 (SAT & MON) 1:30 | 4:40 | 7:30 VIP | 9:40 VIP | 10:00 (TUE-THURS) 4:40 | 7:30 VIP NOBODY (R) (FRI) 4:30 VIP | 7:10 | 9:30 (SAT & MON) 1:45 | 4:30 VIP | 7:10 | 9:30 (TUE-THURS) 4:30 VIP | 7:10 RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (PG) (SAT) 1:45 VIP (SUN) 3:40 VIP | 4:00 | 6:30 VIP | 6:45 (MON) 3:30 | 6:40 THE MARKSMAN (PG-13) (SUN) 1:45 VIP THE UNHOLY (PG-13) (FRI & SUN-THURS) 4:50 | 7:20 (SAT) 4:50 THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD (R) (FRI) 4:00 VIP | 4:10 | 6:45 VIP | 7:00 | 9:15 VIP | 9:30 (SAT & MON) 1:00 | 1:20 VIP | 4:00 VIP | 4:10 | 6:45 VIP | 7:00 | 9:15 VIP | 9:30 (MON-THURS) 4:00 VIP | 4:10 | 7:00 | 7:45 VIP TOM & JERRY (PG) (SAT & MON) 2:15 (SUN) 4:25 VIP | 7:00 VANQUISH (R) (FRI-SAT & MON) 5:00 VIP | 7:30 | 10:10 VIP (TUE -THURS) 5:00 VIP | 7:30(TUE -THURS) 5:00 VIP | 7:30 CLASSICS JACKIE BROWN (R) TUESDAY 7PM VIP (MON) 3:30 | 6:40 KIDS CLUB ENCHANTED (PG) SATURDAY 10AM VIP AVAILABLE PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly skies with a 30% chance of morning showers. SEA STATE Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS Northeast at 10 to 15 knots. 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW SAT 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW SUN 89°F HIGH 78°F LOW MON 89°F HIGH 79°F LOW TUES 89°F HIGH 79°F LOW WED 89°F HIGH 79°F LOW FRI 89°F HIGH 79°F LOW FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Masked gunmen assault man in his home Police are investigating a report of an aggravated burglary in George Town in which two masked men with handguns entered a home on 11 May and assaulted the man living there after demanding money. Police said the incident occurred on Anthony Drive around 9:50pm. Both men ﬂ ed the premises before police were called, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said in a press release. The injured man was transported to the hospital for treatment. Police said nothing was stolen from the home. COVID-19 update As of 12 May, Cayman had 12 active cases of COVID-19, all incoming travellers who are currently in isolation. None of the cases are symptomatic and none have required hospitalisation. Cayman has recorded 560 COVID-19 cases overall, with 546 people recovered. To date, 72,948 Pﬁ zer- BioNTech vaccines have been administered, with 39,251 people – 60% of the estimated population of 65,000 – receiving at least one dose; 52% have completed the two-dose course. As of 12 May, 780 people were in isolation, either at a government facility or in their homes. Public Health continues to encourage members of the community who have not yet been vaccinated to come forward to get their ﬁ rst dose before 9 June to meet the expiration date of the last batch of vaccines that were delivered to Cayman. Drug dealer loses appeal The Court of Appeal has upheld a conviction and prison sentence against drug dealer Lynden Dwayne Walton. Walton was arrested in August 2019 after police searched his car and found crack cocaine and $1,330 in cash. He was originally convicted in November 2019, following a Summary Court trial for possession of cocaine with intent to supply and possession of criminal property. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on both charges, to run concurrently. In April 2020, Walton appealed the conviction before the Grand Court, which was dismissed after Justice Marlene Carter said she “could ﬁ nd no fault with the Magistrate’s decision”. A year later, he then appealed his conviction and sentence before the Court of Appeal. The appeal judges dismissed the application saying “the decision of Justice Carter was unimpeachable” while noting that the appeal was not on a point of law. New court date set for alleged quarantine breacher Aaron Ronaldo Montemayor, 19, who is charged with two counts of breaching quarantine, appeared in Summary Court on 10 May where his case was adjourned until 24 May. His hearing was put off while he seeks legal aid. Montemayor had applied for legal aid, but although he was told he was not entitled to it, the director of legal aid has the discretion to grant it, the teen’s attorney, John Meghoo, told Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez on 10 May. He asked that the case be deferred “to ask for more information”. Montemayor, who was accompanied to court by his mother, entered no plea. Hernandez said she expected the teen to enter a plea at his next court appearance, whether or not the legal aid issue had been resolved. In the meantime, he remains on bail. 50 cop crashes recorded over 3 years Collisions in Cayman have steadily increased over the years and so, too, have crashes involving police vehicles. In the last three years, the RCIPS has logged 50 crashes, based on data released to the Cayman Compass through a Freedom of Information request. Already for 2021, the police have recorded seven collisions, four of which occurred over three days in February. According to the data received, from 2016 to 2021, ﬁ ve ofﬁ cers were reported to the Professional Standards Unit following collisions involving police vehicles. However, none of these cases resulted in any disciplinary actions taken against the ofﬁ cers. Two of the ofﬁ cers reported to the PSU paid for the damage to the police units. In the other three cases, the Compass was told, legal advice was sought. Those cases remain pending. Premier: Cruise berthing referendum is dead Premier Wayne Panton has said the PACT government will not be holding any referendum on a cruise berthing port as the issue, in his view, is now “dead”. “I don’t think that given the fact that they [the National Unity government] had withdrawn the [cruise port] proposal and we have no proposal to put forward... there was no point to having a [cruise port] referendum at this point. The whole issue is basically void null and void,” Panton told the Compass last weekend. He was, at the time, responding to Compass questions about the UK Privy Council decision to reject CPR Cayman representative Shirley Roulstone’s application for leave to appeal the Court of Appeal’s ruling in her case that challenged the National Unity government’s referendum law. The decision, which was made public on 7 May through a statement from the attorney general’s ofﬁ ce, upheld the Court of Appeal ruling and found that there was no need for the Cayman Islands to enact a general referendum law to bring into effect people-initiated referenda. Panton said that decision was in favour of the previous government’s position and has clariﬁ ed the issue. A 2019 collision involving a police car and a Honda Civic at the top of Northward Road. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky The Central Planning Authority has adjourned an application to remove a slab of concrete at the Red Spot Bay ﬁ sh market off North Church Street, George Town. The application was supposed to be heard on Wednesday, 12 May. However, before it could be heard, Robert Johnson – who appeared on behalf of his father, Chris Johnson, the landowner – requested it be pushed back by six weeks to allow for talks with the government to continue. “At the moment there is a lot happening right now,” Robert Johnson told the CPA. The concrete slab currently serves as the foundation for the tent and tables used by the ﬁ shermen to clean and sell ﬁ sh. The application is the latest development in an ongoing dispute between Chris Johnson and the ﬁ shermen. In November, Chris Johnson petitioned the courts to declare him the sole owner of the land, and to have the ﬁ shermen removed. In December, the ﬁ shermen called on the government to purchase the property through a compulsory acquisition order. That motion was put before the Cayman Islands Parliament; however, it failed. When questioned by the CPA on the relationship between the Johnsons and the ﬁ shermen, Robert Johnson said “there was no bad blood” and that his father’s intention is not to have the ﬁ shermen deprived of an income. “There are problems on the site, from urban planning problems to health and safety issues,” said Robert Johnson. “People have stepped on ﬁ shbones and injured themselves, others have been injured by rebar, some have even slipped and fell because of the concrete slab. When it happens, they don’t call the ﬁ shermen, it’s my father who gets the call.” Johnson said the government was in the process of “addressing the urban and safety issues” on the site and said the six weeks would be sufﬁ cient time for him or his father to return to the board with an update. Even if the Johnsons had not requested an adjournment, it is unlikely that the board would have heard the application, as there were questions about whether the CPA had the power to grant such an application. “It is within the board’s power to grant after-the-fact applications, which was the case with the neighbouring landowner who applied for an after-the-fact approval for a concrete slab on the ironshore,” said CPA chairman A.L. Thompson. “However, that was a case where they were applying for it to be kept, not removed. We allowed it because the [National Conservation Council], said it would cause more harm than good if it was removed.” One CPA member pointed out that, unlike the case of the concrete slab at Balboa Beach, the slab of concrete at the ﬁ sh market was haphazardly poured at different times over several years, which means it fell outside of the board’s powers to grant an after-the-fact application. “If you are going to demolish your house, you don’t need CPA approval for that, and this is a similar case,” said Planning Department Deputy Director and CPA member Ron Sanderson. Thompson pointed out that one potential route would be to serve an enforcement notice that would require the slab to be removed. If that route was taken, there would be no need for an application. Robert Prendergast is one of several ﬁ shermen who called on the government to buy the property through compulsory acquisition. - Photo: Andrel Harris. CPA adjourns application to remove concrete slab at ﬁ sh market cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Confine narrowly (5) 4 Spirited (7) 8 Nothing (3) 9 Confronted with (2,7) 10 Investigation (7) 11 Lure into trap (5) 13 To journey (6) 15 Elementary textbook (6) 18 Founder of psychoanalysis (5) 19 Self-esteem-boosting action (3-4) 21 Straightforward (9) 23 To exercise (3) 24 Omen (7) 25 Military chaplain (5) DOWN 1 Declare guilty (7) 2 Having equal scores (3,6) 3 Cut back (5) 4 Scarcity (6) 5 Calumny (7) 6 Tavern (3) 7 Make ends meet (3,2) 12 Regain consciousness (4,5) 14 Confirm (7) 16 Filled to bursting (7) 17 Altitude (6) 18 Disgruntled (3,2) 20 Freely available (2,3) 22 Armed hostilities (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16691 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16691 ACROSS: 1 Cramp, 4 Dashing, 8 Nil, 9 Up against, 10 Inquest, 11 Decoy, 13 Travel, 15 Primer, 18 Freud, 19 Ego-trip, 21 Downright, 23 Use, 24 Portent, 25 Padre. DOWN: 1 Convict, 2 All square, 3 Prune, 4 Dearth, 5 Slander, 6 Inn, 7 Get by, 12 Come round, 14 Endorse, 16 Replete, 17 Height, 18 Fed up, 20 On tap, 22 War. 30% increase in speeding tickets That’s because there are less cars on the road and you can go faster than 10 mph. We need to tackle the drivers who pass by undertaking which is incredibly dangerous. – Sam Small Imagine how much more they’d have if they’d stop haunting a road that was de- signed to accommodate speeds of 50mph+ and started ticket- ing speeders in community areas such as West Bay, Bodden Town and East End. – Beto Anglin Please! What can be done about souped-up cars and mo- torbikes waking us all in the early hours of the morning? – Tricia Calder If they are consistent in this they can get revenue and save lives. The speed radars installed along the roads should be able to automatically identify speeding vehicles and send tickets. If not, they are a waste. If so, they need to get that system activated. – Alphaz Bank It’s going to be more than that for 2021. It could be double that if the cops had a night shift for speeders on Shamrock Road during the hours of 11pm to 4am. – Garth Mckenzie Angelica’s story: ‘I feel like giving up’ I really hope this lady gets help. I remember the day after Hurricane Ivan I was outside [and] she came over to me and said she had a gas stove and if we needed to cook anything just come over and use her stove. – Valda Hilton Taylor It is like this in the US. You have to do all of the work to get results. Keep bothering them. Squeaky wheel gets the oil. Same with health- care in our country. I hope it’s better in Grand Cayman. Visited your island for 33 years. Please take care. – Chris McCarthy Why doesn’t Dart or many of the other wealthy step up and help? A food bank or something that will respond in a timely man- ner! Caymankind is your go-to phrase, so do it! – Deborah Hoerz Today’s paper had a very informative article by James Whittaker about the NAU [‘NAU complaints log highlights frustration and desperation’, Cayman Compass 7 May 2021]. The previous government did a very poor job improving the situation for the less fortunate among us. Other countries have the same problem and we should find out what works to end poverty. Organisations like ACCION (www. accion.org) and the Grameen Bank (www.grameenamerica.org) offer a way out of poverty, mainly by a combination of micro lending and the right kind of support. Please publish an article about the different ways to end poverty in the Cayman Islands. Ruud van der Pluijm Cayman needs to pull people out of poverty What they’re saying Online Letters to the editor cartoon Cold cases - By Caymanman It’s a shame that a wealthy nation doesn’t provide for its seniors. – Denise Yano Would somebody start a GoFundMe for this lady? I’m in Canada but would help. – Susan Cochrane No accountability, no over- sight, no common sense. They go silent if you ask one question. – Victor Look Loy Shame, shame, shame. Need to go and protest! She is a senior that’s asking for help and gets nothing! – Cora Ebanks This is heartbreaking. – Eddie Thompson NAU complaints log highlights frustration and desperation This is very bad. I go to NAU with people who need assistance and I must say that most times I’m successful with getting as- sistance for them. It takes away the pride of the applicants when they have to speak through a plexiglass and every one and his brother hears what you’re saying. Patience, patience. – Alex Johnson I turned to NAU for help with health insurance after I lost my job during lockdown. It took six months to get approved. My case worker never once responded to an email, I had to complain directly to a supervisor for any responses. If I hadn’t demanded an answer from him, I don’t think I would have ever gotten one. – Allison Hidalgo This is beyond disgraceful. The whole NAU department needs investigating and a big shake-up at all levels. – Elaine Brown $18M apartment complex planned for turtle nesting beach in West Bay Oh surely not! So much build- ing on such a wee island! – Brenda Rennie Falconer So sad that once again, the most important resource of Cay- man is being sacrificed. – Alice Hamernik McNally And who will live in those apartments? Is that kind of devel- opment more important than the environment? – Musa Machembe No! I hope this is not allowed to go ahead. – Carol Adams When will this stop? What does the new government have to say? – Elaine Brown What is the point in designat- ing something as a crucial turtle nesting site and then building on that exact same site? The environment needs to be pro- tected. Why always large condos? If planning wants to approve something, how about approv- ing something that is not going to ruin the environment, rather enhance it and make it homes for young Caymanians at a price that is reasonable for them and their families. – Pauline Lambert Well, they can’t build on the beach and maybe as part of their strata agreements there will be provision for turtle patrols and nest protection. – Richard Moss cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021A ‘heart to heart’ walk. cayman compass 5 FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021involving firearms, dropped by 12%, although Cayman saw an increase in knife-related offences, leading police to launch Operation Blade Runner last year to combat knife crime. Police said there were 236 offences involving a bladed weapon, accounting for 7% of the total recorded crimes in 2020. “In the second half of 2020, the majority of blade-enabled crimes involving serious violence took place at licensed premises, including two murders and an attempted murder,” the RCIPS report noted. Recordo Lionel Pars, 27, was fatally stabbed on 29 Aug., while Michael Aaron Bush, 22, died after being stabbed multiple times on Christmas Eve. Both fatalities occurred at the Strand, on West Bay Road. The attempted murder case involved a 17-year-old girl who was stabbed in the chest outside a bar in George Town on 24 Aug. The report also pointed out that 2020 saw a noticeable shift in the profile of blade-related crimes “from machetes used to chop and slap victims, to knives used to stab”, which police said partly accounted for the increase in the proportion of blade attacks resulting in fatalities or life- threatening injuries. cgcoralisle.com |   @cgcoralisle Good Like That. British Caymanian Insurance Company Limited BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, P.O. Box 74, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands tel: 345-949-8699 Hurricane season is steadily approaching. There’s no time like now to assess how you are protecting your home. Call us to ensure you have the right coverage at the right value. Don’t waste time until there’s no time to waste. NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Cayman recorded a 12.8% drop in overall crime last year, partly due to the islands being under strict COVID-19 restrictions for three months and a corresponding increase in police presence, according to the 2020 crime statistics released on 12 May. The crime report shows that, excluding COVID-related offences, such as breaching curfew regulations, police recorded 3,604 crimes in 2020, compared to 4,137 in 2019. A total of 667 people were either warned for prosecution or ticketed for breaching COVID regulations last year. Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne, speaking at a media briefing to release the crime statistics, said, “2020 was completely dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and it completely changed our operating environment, with restricted movement of persons and vehicles associated with shelter-in-place and curfew restrictions across the islands.” Knife crimes Violent crime, including offences 3,604 Total number of crimes recorded in 2020 NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Despite Cayman’s roads being practically deserted during lockdown last year, police issued 3,999 speeding tickets in 2020 – a 30% increase on the year before. As a result of concerns about speeding in Cayman, the National Security Council is expected to discuss the possibility of installing speed cameras as part of a national road safety strategy, Commissioner of Police Derek Byrne said Wednesday. The fastest speed recorded by police last year was clocked in June, at 96 miles per hour in West Bay, according to the latest crime and traffic statistics report released by police. Traffic officers issued 67 tickets in instances where the recorded speed was 70 mph or faster. Byrne, speaking at a media briefing on the report, said the installation of speed cameras on local roads would need to involve a number of other government agencies. “While it’s relatively easy to put in speed cameras, there is a huge amount of infrastructure, networking and back-office requirements. It is a really big project to bring in. I do think it will gather traction at the National Security Council as part of the national road safety strategy,” he said. Motor vehicle accidents The 2020 statistics report also showed that there were 2,166 vehicle crashes last year, an average of six a day. That number was almost 23% lower than in 2019. There were nine fatalities on Cayman’s roads last year. Police said in the report, “The impact of COVID-19 restrictions, coupled with the decrease in population over the course of 2020 has contributed to the reduction in the number of [motor vehicle accidents] in all districts across the islands.” Cases involving people driving under the influence of alcohol were also down, from 228 last year to 272 for 2019. Police said 27% of the DUI summonses issued in 2020 involved suspects who were at least double the legal blood/alcohol limit, and in four instances the blood/alcohol reading was greater than 300 mg of alcohol, three times the legal limit. Police said 40% of all DUI offences last year involved a road traffic accident, while 22% involved multiple-vehicle accidents. The vast majority of traffic accidents last year occurred in George Town, with 1,666. Bodden Town saw 223 crashes, and West Bay had 202. There were 22 in East End, 24 in North Side, 23 on Cayman Brac 30% increase in COVID led to drop in crime Police: cayman compass 6 news N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021Police officers clock the speed of cars during lockdown last year. Throughout 2020, the RCIPS issued 3,999 speeding tickets. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay Police remain at the scene of the Strand the morning after Recordo Lionel Pars was stabbed to death there on 29 Aug. 2020. speeding tickets and two on Little Cayman. Byrne said that while the number of accidents was reduced last year compared to 2019, data for this year is already showing an increase in collisions “because of the volume of traffic on the roads”. So far this year, three people have died in road accidents. He said the RCIPS had strengthened its traffic unit, and was putting additional staff on during public holiday weekends. He added police were trying to ensure that the ‘three Es’ – enforcement, engineering and education – were being deployed, but said his officers were seeing some very erratic behaviour by motorists on local roads, including by drivers of large trucks. Byrne explained that police were working “constantly” with the National Roads Authority on speed- control measures, such as speed bumps and speed signs, as well as digital signage that displays how fast drivers are travelling. “One of the points we try to make is that the maximum speed limit on the island is 50 miles an hour, but that is not a target. You may be able to only drive at 30 miles an hour in a 50-mile zone depending on the conditions, so for drivers, don’t assume that just because it says you can drive at 50 miles an hour, you should drive at 50.” The report noted that the primary hotspot roads for speeding on Grand Cayman remain key arterial routes, including the Esterley Tibbetts Highway in George Town, South Sound Road, Shamrock Road, Hurley Merren Boulevard, Yacht Drive and West Bay Road in the West Bay district. The main speeding hotspots on the Sister Islands were Dennis Foster Road, Gerrard Smith Avenue and Cotton Tree Bay Road on Cayman Brac, and Guy Bank Road on Little Cayman. Domestic violence Unlike in many other places around the world where there was a reported increase in domestic violence as a result of COVID lockdowns, Cayman’s domestic violence numbers dropped last year. Throughout 2020, police recorded 468 incidents of domestic violence, compared to 560 the previous year. The report noted, “There was a slight decrease in the number of recorded offences involving domestic abuse, specifically physical violence. This decrease in 2020 goes against the trend of year-on-year increases seen in recent times. Like other types of crime, the COVID-19 restrictions are likely to have had an impact on overall levels of recorded domestic-related violence.” Drug crimes One area of criminal activity that saw a rise in 2020 was drug crime, which increased 7%. Police said this was mainly due to officers adopting a “more intrusive approach” as part of the RCIPS response to the COVID-19 crisis, which “led to the detection of some drug crime offending which might not in the past have been recorded”. During 2020, the RCIPS recovered 4,963 pounds of ganja, with an estimated value of $5.5 million, compared to 4,759 pounds in 2019. They also seized 137 pounds of cocaine, with a street value of $500,000, that washed up on local beaches, as well as 32 grams of cocaine recovered in operations. in 2020 cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021 7 Now this, looks like home. Step into a place that finally looks and feels like you. Apply for a Scotiabank mortgage now 4.5% INTEREST RATE PLUS MONEY BACK OF 3% UP TO KY$5,000 Visit ky.scotiabank.com or call (354) 949-7666 for more details. Promotional offer ends May 15, 2021 and is subject to change at any time. Registered trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under license. *Conditions Apply. cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021 In memory of the late Honourable Thomas Jefferson, former Financial Secretary and Leader of Government Business, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority is proud to issue a scholarship award for persons wishing to pursue a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in a Finance related field from an accredited institution. The scholarship will be a maximum of CI$25,000.00 per annum for a maximum of four (4) years. The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Scholarship THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT SHOULD: • Be Caymanian born / Cayman Status Holders. • Be accepted into an accredited university programme, as a full-time student (taking at least (12) credit hours per semester). • Have a minimum of five CXC passes, or SAT score of at least 950 for Bachelor’s Degree; or a Bachelor’s Degree with an overall GPA of 3.0 for a Master’s Degree. • Be willing and able to work with the Authority during school breaks. • Possess excellent ethics, character and an authentic interest in the Authority. • Be committed to contributing to the continual advancement of the Financial Services Industry. • Be willing and committed to work as a member of the CIMA team for a term equal to the time of study. Scholarship Application Form and additional information can be obtained at: https://www.cima.ky/internship-scholarship Submit application and all required documents to Human Resources Division | Cayman Islands Monetary Authority SIX, Cricket Square, George Town Or via email to Scholarships@cima.ky (Scholarship Application Form and the name of the applicant noted as the subject- 10MB attachment limit) APPLICATION DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, 4TH JUNE 2021 CAYMAN ISLANDS MONETARY AUTHORITYcayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021 9 M y dive buddy Sharon Davies points emphatically to a small bunch of algae in the sand ﬂ at. All I see is a small bunch of algae. She points again, and the current gently wafts the green algae, revealing a tiny greenish gray… splodge. I look at her questioningly. She nods enthusiastically. I look again. It’s still a splodge, but I can see it’s moving ever so slightly. I glance back at her and, from behind my prescription dive mask, I make the universal wide-eye gesture for “Seriously? That’s it?” What Davies is showing me is a frogﬁ sh. And as I have just discovered, it’s deﬁ nitely not the size of a frog. In fact, this one is barely the size of a pinky ﬁ ngernail. Despite its size, or more likely because of it, the sighting of dwarf frogﬁ sh in local waters in February caused a major frisson of excitement among divers and underwater photographers. The specimen we saw was one of several that macro-photography divers had found at Don Foster's, Eden Rock and other sites. Local fans of underwater photography can’t have missed the upswing in the number of incredible shots of a variety of tiny marine creatures that have been posted on social media in recent months. On any dive boat or shore dive these days, those photographers can be found, carrying camera equipment with enough strobe lights and arms that they could be mistaken for Doctor Octopus. Interest in underwater macro-photography certainly seems to have grown while Cayman’s borders have been closed. Local dive operators have been trying to ﬁ nd ways to engage the Cayman-based dive community, offering trips to rarely-dived sites, guided underwater tours, and opportunities for snap-happy divers to spend hours checking out sand chutes, hard pans and mini walls for a variety of teeny marine animals. Many of the photographers on island, including Davies, are members of the Cayman Society of Underwater Photographers, known as CAYSoUP, where they can share their images among a group of like-minded enthusiasts. Professional photographers Gill McDonald and Susannah Snowden-Smith, who run the CAYSoUP group, say that with so many local divers becoming interested in underwater photography, and especially macro, it’s very apparent that there are plenty of stunning minuscule subjects to photograph here. That’s not to say that before lockdown, people didn’t know there was a vast array of nudibranchs, sea worms, slugs, shrimps and other fantastical marine life in the water off Cayman. Photographers Everett M. Turner, Essi Evans and Cynthia Abgarian have published books of photography featuring local nudibranchs and slugs, that many divers use as a reference to determine what it is they’ve taken a shot of. But it seems now there are more macro photographers than ever donning masks, regulators and tanks, and heading underwater to capture these creatures with their cameras. For example, Alfe Bolos and Don Inose, two eagle-eyed amateur photographers who are members of CAYSoUP, were among the ﬁ rst to spot the frogﬁ sh off Don Foster’s and helped fellow divers and photographers to locate the elusive tiny creatures. CAYSoUP, which was set up in 2019, is a networking group, Snowden-Smith said. "We’d meet in restaurants pre-COVID. We took a big break during lockdown. It was basically a loose group of whoever wanted to show up. We began having more formal meetings after setting up the Facebook group." Jordan Charles from Ambassadors of the Environment at The Ritz-Carlton invited the group to use its space, and they now meet there every second Tuesday of the month. Charles, a freediver photographer who dives to depths without the aid of an air tank, has been among the guest speakers and recently gave a presentation of his photography. At each meeting, guest speakers present their work, followed by a slideshow featuring the photographs of attendees, who explain how they achieved the effects seen in their shots and the equipment they used. Snowden-Smith told the Compass recently, “I was talking with another underwater photographer two or three years ago, and we were asking why is there no group like this on the island when there are so many underwater photographers here, where you could get together and talk shop and geek out about underwater photography.” McDonald said CAYSoUP is based on the British Society of Underwater Photographers, known as BSoUP, of which she has been a member for 18 years. The groups, however, are not ofﬁ cially afﬁ liated with one another. Both women point to the support that is available to all the members within the group. “The idea is we network and bring each other up so … there is no putting your hands on people’s heads and pushing them down, we’re all here to pull one another up, help each other out. Some are using compact cameras, some have professional SLRs and everything in between. It’s a place to inspire each other and bring each other up,” Snowden-Smith said. “It’s a hobby. There’s no ﬁ nancial gain. It’s about encouraging, teaching, learning and sharing,” McDonald said. There is no ofﬁ cial membership at this stage, though that may come in time, they said. Currently, there is a core group of 20 to 30 people who attend the monthly meetings. The club's most recent meeting, on 10 May, saw its largest attendance yet. “We would like more to come. We hope when the borders open, we can have people come down to our meetings and have in-person presentations. We do remote presentations. For example, recently, we had South Florida Underwater Photographic Society,” Snowden-Smith said. One of the upsides of local divers exploring more of what is in their own backyard is that it has highlighted that the diving in Cayman is as good as anywhere in the world. “Maybe when we start getting visitors coming back, they’ll realise they don’t need to go to the Philippines or Indonesia, that they can get these amazing dives just an hour’s ﬂ ight away from the US,” McDonald said. “Indonesia and the Philippines are considered the Mecca of underwater macro. And there are some very unique things to be found there, like frogﬁ sh and seahorses… this is the beginning of a sea change. People are starting to realise that these things are here too.” Sergio Coni, who runs Don Foster’s, has been organising speciﬁ c boat trips for macro photographers. Last month, for example, Don Foster’s took a group of divers on a three-tank dive to the Kittiwake, but instead of exploring the wreck, the divers spent hours scouring the sand beside it for creatures. Coni also organised a ‘black water’ drift dive, where divers are dropped in the open sea at night, above the reef, to photograph the animals that feed in the water column in the dark. That dive resulted in plenty of weird and wonderful sights, captured by several members of CAYSoUP, and which were featured on the slideshow at its most recent meeting. The photography group supplied the Compass with several photos recently snapped underwater. You can see some samples of these on pages 10 and 11, and even more on at caymancompass.com. Sea creatures GREAT and small Cayman Compass journalist Norma Connolly takes a look at some of the tiny creatures in Cayman waters and meets the photographers who are capturing their images. closed. Local dive operators have been trying to ﬁ nd ways to engage the Cayman-based dive community, offering trips to rarely-dived sites, guided underwater tours, and opportunities for snap-happy divers to spend CAYSoUP, which was set up in 2019, is a networking group, Snowden-Smith said. "We’d meet in restaurants pre-COVID. We took a big break during lockdown. It was basically a loose group of whoever wanted to show up. We began having more formal meetings after setting up the Facebook group." Jordan Charles from Ambassadors of the Environment at The Ritz-Carlton invited the group to use its space, and they now meet there every second Tuesday of the month. Charles, a freediver photographer who dives to depths without the aid of an air tank, has been among the guest speakers and recently gave a presentation of borders open, we can have people come down to our meetings and have in-person presentations. We do remote presentations. For example, recently, we had South Florida Underwater Photographic Society,” Snowden-Smith said. One of the upsides of local divers exploring more of what is in their own backyard is that it has highlighted that the diving in Cayman is as good as anywhere in the world. “Maybe when we start getting visitors coming back, they’ll realise they don’t need to go to the Philippines or Indonesia, that they can get these amazing dives just an hour’s ﬂ ight away from the US,” McDonald said. “Indonesia and the Philippines are considered the Mecca of underwater macro. And there are some very unique things to be found there, like frogﬁ sh and seahorses… this is the beginning of a sea change. People are starting to realise that these things are here too.” has been organising speciﬁ c boat trips for macro photographers. Last month, for example, Don Foster’s took a group of divers on a three-tank dive to the Kittiwake, but instead of exploring the wreck, the divers spent hours scouring the sand beside it for creatures. Coni also organised a ‘black water’ drift dive, where divers are dropped in the open sea at night, above the reef, to photograph the animals that feed in the water column in the dark. That dive resulted in plenty of weird and wonderful sights, captured by several members of CAYSoUP, and which were featured on the slideshow at its most recent meeting. The photography group supplied the several photos recently snapped underwater. You can see some samples of these on pages 10 and 11, and even more on at caymancompass.com. “It’s about encouraging, teaching, learning and sharing.” Gill McDonald, Cayman Society of Underwater Photographers A long-snouted seahorse, photographed in local waters recently by CAYSoUP member Maria De las Alas.Next >