From TN Global Travel Industry News

LOS ANGELES, California – For years, the Southern Cross Club has been dedicated to meet the highest international standards in regards to the environment, conservation and corporate social responsibility. The resort has an important role in protecting and enhancing the island’s environment, while setting the sustainability standards in the region.

The Cayman Islands are enjoying a strong showing in the 2014 Top 100 Gold List of the Reader’s Choice Awards, and Green Globe member, the Southern Cross Club, represents the best this group of Caribbean islands has to offer.

“We are one of the few certified resorts in the Cayman Islands, and the only one in the sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman,” says Jennifer Mills, General Manager at the Southern Cross Club. “Working with Green Globe has been extremely beneficial, as it provides us with coherent guidelines and the framework, allowing us to define and improve our environmental activities.”

Warm clear water, healthy coral reefs, steep deep walls, wrecks and abundant marine life − all combine for a variety of dive experiences that secure Cayman’s place as the top diving destination in the Caribbean. Cayman’s dive sites are legendary: Big Tunnel, Trinity Caves, Orange Canyon, Devil’s Grotto, Tarpon Alley, Eagle Ray Pass. Animal encounters are a big attraction: the friendly residents of Stingray City continue to delight; the summer silverside invasion at Devil’s Grotto and other sites fascinates divers and photographers; and divers rarely leave the Cayman Islands without a sea turtle encounter.

“We are blessed with low-density islands with no industry or runoff which could normally affect the reef health, and in so, the visibility underwater. Cayman’s dive industry works hard to keep the dive product fresh and exciting, while being a good environmental steward,” adds Jennifer Mills.

Southern Cross Club is very fond of its 900 feet of private beach front, which contains a large sea grass bed – a valuable natural resource, protected by the Cayman Island Department of the Environment. This marine coastal biome is one of the nurseries for the reef fish, who begin their life here. Without the nursery area, the coral reef cannot survive.

The resort has been involved with CEPTS (Cayman Islands Environmental Program for the Tourism Sector) since 2008, and was awarded the inaugural CEPTS Environmental Stewardship Award at the annual Cayman Stingray Awards in 2013.

ABOUT SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB

The casually sophisticated Southern Club Fish & Dive Resort is Little Cayman’s original resort. It features 12 one- and two-bedroom beachfront bungalows, complete with a top-rated, professional in-house diving operation. All of the bungalows look out over the beautiful South Hole Sound, and the clear turquoise waters shimmer with the sun and the moon. The turtle grass off the beach is home to bonefish, snapper, jacks, barracuda, mullet, stingrays, tarpon, and the occasional great blue heron, wading in to try getting lunch. Guests can sit on the porch and watch the world creep by in a timeless procession. Most of the cottages feature a private, outdoor shower, overlooking the Sound. Friendly and diligent service, delicious food, inviting rooms with breathtaking views and a comfortable dive boat are a few of the things that bring back visitors year after year. The resort’s beach-based location also provides flats fisherman with access to Bonefish and Permit, just minutes away.

ABOUT GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA, and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe Certification is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, supported by the United Nations Foundation. For information, visit www.greenglobe.com

Green Globe is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

Image via greenglobe.com