A seawall is the worst of both worlds for a property owner: the flat cap is a prime basking spot in the morning sun, and the soft backfill behind it is prime burrowing ground. Iguanas dig into the joint between the wall and the soil, and those burrows are exactly what undermines a seawall over time — so removal here is tied directly to protecting the structure.
The approach
The work on a seawall pairs trapping with burrow repair, because the two problems — basking and denning — happen in the same few feet:
- A trap line along the cap where they bask and travel
- Collapsing and backfilling the burrows behind the wall
- Closing the wall-to-soil joint so females can't re-nest there
- Repeat passes to catch the ones that were in the water each visit
The honest caveat about open water
The honest caveat is that a seawall borders open water, which means it's a highway — clear it and more will travel along it from adjacent properties. That's why heavy seawall frontage does best on a monitored program rather than a single clear-out. A seawall is a border, not a barrier, and the water on the other side keeps sending animals across it.
Removal and burrow collapse stop new damage and nesting, but existing washout or cracking may still need a repair contractor. Clearing the iguanas keeps it from getting worse; it doesn't rebuild what's already eroded behind the wall.
Common questions
Why do iguanas love seawalls so much?
The flat cap is a sunny basking spot and the backfill behind it is easy to burrow into. Those same burrows are also what undermines the wall over time, so it's a nuisance and a structural problem at once.
Will removal fix my seawall damage?
Removal and burrow collapse stop new damage and nesting, but existing washout or cracking may still need repair. Clearing the iguanas keeps it from getting worse rather than undoing damage that's already there.
Why do they keep coming back to the wall?
Because the wall borders open water, and that water is a constant supply line from up and down the canal. You can clear your stretch, but a seawall is a highway more animals travel along — which is why heavy frontage needs an ongoing program, not one visit.
