CANOE (Toronto, Ontario) 25 April 06 Iguana watching in paradise (A. P. Rodrigues)
"There's one!" shouted one of the tourists on the boat. His hand was frantically pointing to something on the white, powdery sand as we moved closer to the shore.
When the boat was within spitting range of the beach, I suddenly saw it. I was looking at the largest native animal known to the Turks and Caicos Islands sunbathing silently in the afternoon sun. The clicks of 20 cameras snapping furiously made it cock its head for a second and then it scurried away.
My husband Phil had missed the shot, but that was okay. We were about to set foot on an island where 2,000 of these creatures roam freely, so the paparazzi posse would have more opportunities to meet up with the island's superstar: the Rock Iguana.
Little Water Cay, also known as Iguana Island, is an uninhabited refuge where this creature can live in relative quiet, except for the daily interruption that comes in the form of boat loads of tourists.
Only a few of us jumped off the boat and followed our guide, Pop, co-captain of the Silver Deep Excursions tourist boat we boarded. The others who stayed behind had voiced their discomfort with getting so close to the giant reptiles. With some reaching almost one metre long, the reluctance is understandable, but we quickly found out that the Rock Iguana has little interest in humans.
The gentle Rock Iguana is a shy reptile who wants nothing more than to lurk in the beautiful cays of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Unfortunately, its numbers on the 40 different islands that make up the T & C archipelago (only eight of which are still inhabited) have dwindled considerably to the point that this reptile is on the endangered species list. Though they number 50,000 on the islands, loss of habitat and the fact that dogs and cats are their biggest enemies, has put them still at danger of extinction.
We followed our guide along the boardwalks that encircle the small island. The nature reserve is set-up to facilitate the viewing of the Rock Iguana while minimizing damage to their habitat. At one point, Pop pulled some red berries off one of the bushes and began to feed one of the creatures that happily accepted his offering. This is something signs placed around the island advise visitors to not do, but Pop wanted to make sure we had a good look at one.
With long tails reminiscent of a miniature dinosaur, a ridge along their backs and a blue-greeny body colour, they are somewhat lacking in the looks department. They are, nonetheless, a fascinating creature to observe. The ridge found on their backs is the key to identifying male and female. The girls have a smooth one while the boys have a spiky ridge.
From an observation deck, we watched a few interacting. Now that the sun was sitting lower on the horizon, the iguanas had left the shallow burrows they dug in the sand where they nap during the hottest period of the day.
A fight between two big ones broke out and several of us descended from the deck in a hurry to see the two reptiles battle it out. Our guide explained to us that Rock Iguanas, unlike other types of lizards, love to hang out with their own. This socializing sometimes leads to the larger males fighting, and it's not uncommon to see iguanas missing a toe or even a tail. This fight ended quickly since the creatures scurried off in different directions as we approached them.
As we made our way back to the beach, our group was followed by some of the more brazen reptiles. I quickly looked back as we stepped on the boat. A few sentinels remained on the sand as if to make sure the intruders to their island paradise were actually leaving.
Getting there:
Silver Deep Excursions (www.silverdeep.com or 649- 946-5612) located at Leeward Marina, on the island of Providenciales, has weekly trips to Iguana Island. A boat trip to the island is only 10 minutes from the marina making it a great option for families with small children. The rate per person is $45 (US) and children under two are free. There is a $5 (US) entrance fee to the nature reserve.
Iguana watching in paradise