Discovery Day in Cayman Islands
Yesterday, May 17, was Discovery Day, a national holiday, in the Cayman Islands. The holiday commemorates the discovery of the Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman by Christopher Columbus in 1503, and is celebrated on the third Monday in May.
Columbus was on route to Hispaniola when his ship was blown westward toward “two very small and low islands, full of tortoises. as was all the sea about, inasmuch that they looked like little rocks, for which reason these islands were called las Tortugas.” (From The Life of the Admiral Christopher Columbus by His Son Ferdinand, the journal of Ferdinand Columbus, fourth & final voyage 10 May, 1503.)
A 1523 map shows all three Islands with the name Lagartos, meaning alligators or large lizards, but by 1530, the name Caymanas was being used. It is derived from the Carib Indian word for the marine crocodile, which is now known to have lived in the Islands.
Sir Francis Drake and crew were the first known Europeans to set foot here on 22 April 1586. The first recorded settlements were located on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman during 1661-71.
The Ken Chand 5K Walk/Run with more than 200 participants, benefiting the Cayman Heart Fund, was part of the festivities, and held May 10.