After visiting the Cayman Islands, we were convinced that the most fun things to do in Grand Cayman are either in the water or underwater. Most people who visit Grand Cayman spend time on Seven Mile Beach and take a Stingray City Tour. But another fun thing to do in the water is look for starfish at Starfish Point Grand Cayman.
Starfish Point is a shallow beach area that’s a common place to spot starfish in the water. And it got its name because of the amount of starfish that once inhabited the area. You’ll still be able to find starfish in the water here, it just won’t be as many as there used to be.
How to Get to Starfish Point
Starfish Point is located on the northern coast of Grand Cayman near Rum Point. There are two ways you can get there: by car or by boat. Because of the layout of the island, it takes about an hour drive to reach this area from Seven Mile Beach.
The north side is a pretty area with lots of big houses and quiet streets. At the end of one of the streets is where you’ll run into the entrance for Starfish Point. The beach is free to visit with no marked hours (which is great if you’re traveling Grand Cayman on a budget).
Parking
The road to the main entrance takes you through palm trees but then takes you to a cul-de-sac right back out to the entrance. The public parking lot is to the left. There’s a large open area with plenty of places to park under the trees.
Facilities
The only facility here is a bathroom in the parking lot. Though there’s some open areas around the beach, I don’t recall seeing any picnic tables or even any benches.
The surrounding area is mostly neighborhoods. But you can always head to Rum Point or Kaibo afterwards to hang out or get some lunch.
Starfish Point Grand Cayman
We happened to be staying steps away from Rum Point, a popular beach area with a restaurant and bar on the sand. From our AirBnb, we were a couple minutes drive from Starfish Point.
We knew that Starfish Point was often one of the added stops on Stingray City tours, so we always tried to show up early in the morning before any of the tours were out on the water. In the mornings, it was calm, peaceful and secluded. We hardly ran into anyone at all and were able to enjoy the area and explore on our own.
The beach area is incredibly shallow. Though it doesn’t look like there’s any starfish, wander around a bit and you’ll spot some shortly. Each morning, we spotted a handful, with some hiding in the grassy area.
Always watch where you step! Even though it may look like there aren’t any around, you might just stumble across one.
So why aren’t there as many starfish?
It’s most likely due to over tourism and the handling or mishandling of them. Starfish get their oxygen from the water and removing them from the water can suffocate them. It’s actually illegal in the Cayman Islands to remove them from the water and doing so carries a hefty fine. According to Visit Cayman Islands, the maximum fine is CI$500,000 (about $600K) and one year in jail.
Because of how unique this place is, it’s also a stop on several tours to Stingray City. With several tour boats coming a day, you’ve got a lot of people in the water who may or may not follow the rules.
Even when we went early in the morning and there was only one other family there, we unfortunately saw one of their kids take one out of the water while they were running around.
Can you hold starfish if they stay in the water?
There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t hold starfish, even if they are underwater.
- Starfish are very fragile and any mishandling of them can injure them.
- Sunscreen or oils from your skin can harm them.
- Picking them up causes stress to the starfish which is one of the common causes of death.
One google search will show you just how many people have held them or moved them for pictures. And unfortunately, the tours here are a big culprit.
The tour guides, though they presumably keep them in the water, will move them and take pictures for their tour of everyone holding them in the water. If picking them up causes stress, I can only imagine the damage caused by a dozen tour boats coming in on a given day. So, Leave them in the water. Don’t pick them up. And watch where you step!
If you wander around the paths, it will take you to other shallow sections of the beach as well. They are a little more grassy than the main area, but you may have some luck looking here as well.
Fun Facts about Starfish
At the beach, there’s some information on a sign with some fun facts about starfish! Since it’s hard to read in a picture, here are some of my favorite!
- There are nearly 2,000 species of starfish.
- Not all starfish have 5 arms–the sun star has up to 40!
- It takes about a year for a starfish to regenerate an arm.
- They move using hundreds of tube feet on their underside.
- Starfish have a red eye spot at the end of their arms that senses light and dark.
What’s Nearby
- Rum Point – A beach area with a restaurant and bar on the sand.
- Cayman Crystal Caves – a cave system where you can see formations underground.
- Bioluminescent Bay – where you can see glowing plankton in the water.
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