The Ministry of District Administration, Works, Lands and Agriculture restored Little Cayman Tarpon Lake boardwalk back to its natural splendor for all to enjoy.

The dock or boardwalk had fallen into disrepair due to a combination of factors, including age and many storms throughout the years.

The boardwalk/dock was officially opened, by H.E. the Governor, Michael Gore CVO, CBE on 14 August 1995. The dock is used for tarpon fishing and bird watching by both locals and visitors.  It is located in the middle of a mangrove forest and is about 350 feet long.

Hon Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for District Administration, noted that the Tarpon Lake boardwalk/dock is a focal point for Little Cayman’s tourism. “We are always looking for ways to provide better service or to improve our tourism product and the boardwalk/dock is one of those projects,” she said.

The boardwalk was rebuilt by Hector Bustillo in January of this year at a cost of CI$27,000. The site is one of the major tourist attractions on Little Cayman and is frequented for tarpon fishing charters.  It has also been the feature of many journalists and video journalists.  The most recent video was a fishing tour, shot in December of 2011. What makes Tarpon Lake Pond special for Little Caymanians and tourist a like? It is an ideal location to sports fish and the pond is landlocked. People are allowed to fish if they are accompanied by a guide from one of the three fishing charter companies on Little Cayman. Two types of fishing are allowed – flying fishing and spin cast. There are a couple of rules – the unwritten rule – is there is no bait fishing, and of course a catch and release policy is in place. There other reasons for Tarpon Lake Pond’s uniqueness – it offers bountiful bird-watching, with more than 200 indigenous and migrant species including red-footed boobies, frigate birds and West Indian whistling ducks in the area. Unspoiled wetland blankets more than 40 per cent of the island and elevated viewing platforms (carefully crafted from local wood to blend harmoniously with the environment) allow residents and visitors to take advantage of nature watching.

South Cross Club’s manager Peter Hillenbrand said he was pleased to see the dock repaired “Without this dock we would not have access to this unique ecosystem. It is a beautiful piece of the world.”