I
have worked in many islands of the Bahamas since 1998,
but the island traveled to most frequently is Mayaguana.
I joined John Bendon of the UK for my first trip to
Mayaguana. This was actually the first of many trips,
usually accompanied with Steve Conners of Miami Metrozoo,
but bringing along guests for many of the trips. The
animal to be studied is the Booby Cay iguana (Cyclura
carinata) the only member of the species in the Bahamas.
It was originally classified as Cyclura
carinata bartschi but as a result of blood samples it has officially been
reclassified in 2008. Booby Cay is approximately an 18
mile boat ride from Abraham's Bay, Mayaguana. The the
ride takes us through perilous reefs. Over the years,
Steve and I have taken a number of transects and calculated
the number of iguanas inhabiting the island to be 500-550.
Booby Cay is so far removed from the mainstream that
the only people traveling there are occasional fishermen.
Before our annual presence, the iguanas were reviled
and considered as vermin, but over the years they have
come to embrace the iguanas, going as far as protecting
them. We will continue our annual trips to the island,
checking on the poeple and the iguanas. Stay tuned for
more information and photos.
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