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Many more iguanas than people live on Little Cayman, a ten-mile-long island with a year-round population of 170. Across a seven-mile-wide channel lies Cayman Brac, population just under 1,800. Both islands lure divers the 89 miles northeast from Grand Cayman.

Postcard pretty Little Cayman serves as a true Caribbean escape, where signs declare "Iguana! Drive Carefully." Wild cotton, scrub brush, and palm trees grow along the roadsides and the occasional West Indian whistling duck flies overhead. Bountiful reefs lure divers and snorkelers, and birders travel here to see the largest colony of red-footed boobies in the Caribbean.

During February's nesting season, thousands of boobies and hundreds of magnificent frigate birds make the Booby Pond Nature Reserve home. Around sunset, when the boobies bring back their catch to feed the young, the frigate birds swoop in, harassing the food-bearing birds until some of them regurgitate or release their fish. Take a tour and observe these natural behaviors. If you book a property bordering the reserve, keep in mind that if the wind shifts late at night, the stench of booby guana can be a bit overwhelming.

Why do iguanas cross the road in the west end? Because they hear a guide's car horn, the food arriving signal. Soon after the honking listen for the crunch of breaking leaves and twigs as iguanas slowly emerge from the underbrush. When the guide throws bread toward one, prepare to be surrounded by a half-dozen pairs of beady red eyes, a fun experience for kids. Bone fishing is another popular activity on Little Cayman as is kayaking to nearby Owen Island for a swim and picnic.

Families with experienced divers come to Little Cayman for good diving and a quiet getaway. More than 500 types of fish and 100 species of coral inhabit the 56 walls, wrecks, and sites off Little Cayman. Most snorkelers go out on dive boats, but a few snorkel sites such as Jackson's Bight may be accessed from the beach. This mini-wall begins about 50 feet from shore, where schools of blue tang and parrot fish hang out amongst the bright orange boulders of brain coral and beds of purple fan coral. Drawn by the iridescent, almost eerie light, float toward the wall's edge to peer down into the vast blue emptiness.

Scuba experts rank Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall one of the best dives in the Caribbean. The wall, which begins at about 20 feet, teems with marine life from whale sharks to colorful sponges, eagle rays to tiny anemones. Eagle Ray Round-Up, Jackson Wall, and Fisheye Fantasy also draw dive aficionados.

Cayman Brac also draws divers, especially to the northwest coast where the wreck of the 330-foot M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts, a Russian-built Cuban naval frigate, sunk and now attracts abundant fish and marine life. Cayman Bracs' other popular attraction consists of the more than 150 caves carved into the island's limestone bluff. Ask your hotel for local guides who can take you to Great Cave, known for its ocean view, Bat Cave, named for the critters that dangle from the ceiling, and others.

Tip: Enjoy Cayman Brac's nature trails—grab a free brochure from their tourist office.
www.caymanislands.ky