Flying around George Town
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands, has an area of about 196 km² and contains the capital George Town. Towns on the island are referred to as "districts".
The island is basically a low-lying limestone reef, with a highest elevation of roughly 60 feet above sea level. There is no natural fresh water (lakes, rivers, etc) on the island, and so any fresh water needs must be met by catchments or desalination of seawater. The lack of rivers does however account for the exceptional clarity of the sea.
The island was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. From September 11 to September 12, Ivan, with Category 5 strength, passed within 30 miles of Grand Cayman, hitting it with 180 mph (290 km/h) winds. No more than a few deaths were reported, but well over 80% of the buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed.
The eastern side of the island is somewhat undeveloped, while the western side, which holds George Town and the Owen Roberts International Airport, is more developed with fast food restaurants, night clubs and resorts. The eastern districts have more restaurants specializing in native Caymanian cuisine.
The island economy is heavily dependant on tourism, with as much of 75% of the island's GDP coming from it. There are many beaches and attractions on the island, including the famous Seven Mile Beach. West Bay district is also home to a formation of limestone affectionately known to islanders as Hell. Merchandise "from Hell" can be purchased nearby and hordes of tourists take photos with the "Hell" sign every year.
Grand Cayman and the Cayman islands in general are very well known for their diving and snorkelling. The island features many reefs and walls, some of which can be accessed by swimming from shore.
And of course one of the best known attractions of Grand Cayman is the Stingray City. Located a short boat ride from the northern end of Grand Cayman, it is a series of shallow sand bars where sting rays are found in abundance and visitors can feed, pet, and interact with the animals. These southern stingrays can grow to large sizes (100cm or more ) and are quite accustomed to being handled and fed.
Cayman Island Helicopters is the sole helicopter tour operator on the island of Grand Cayman. The fly an AS350 B2 helicopter from the George Town airport and offer three tours of different lengths. We took the Stingray City Tour which is the middle one and it is more than enough to enjoy the experience of helicopter flight and also to get a pretty good idea about the island because this tour takes you over all the main attractions including the stingray city itself, along the seven mile beach and over the cruise ships anchored in the harbour.
Overall, the pilot was very good, both technically and entertainment wise and so he offered us and amazing flying experience showing all the helicopters are capable of to a group of mostly first time flyers. Grand Cayman is not a big island and its main speciality is the Stingray City. The helicopter tour is a great way to get to know the place and taking it in the mourning it still leaves you enough time to do some other more conventional tours later. Highly recommended if you accept the price.
