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| Image by Cayman Islands Department of Tourism |
WHERE TO DIVE
It can be said that diving in the Caymans is good no matter what time of year, or where you're diving. This has a lot to with the fact that the Cayman Islands are relatively flat, and since there are no rivers to speak of, there is very little run-off to cloud the waters. This makes for fantastic visibility most of the year.
The Caymans have also created many marine parks to protect fragile reefs systems from being destroyed. The Caymans also offer diving for all levels of divers, from great shore and shallow diving to wreck and walls for the technical divers. One of the most famous walls is Jackson's Wall, and some walls can actually go as deep as 20,000 feet. With more than 250 dive sites and more than 40 dive operators, there are too many to list here, so we'll mention just a few. For more on local dive operators in the Caymans, check out padi.com or divecayman.com.
CAYMAN DIVE SHOPS
Divetech Cobalt
Coast Resort
1.888.946.5656
Cathy Church's Underwater Photo Centre & Gallery
1-345-949-7415
Don Foster's
Dive Cayman, Ltd.
1.800.83.Diver
Eden Rock Dive Center
1.345.949.7243
Neptune's Divers Cayman Ltd.
1-345-945-3990
Ocean Frontiers - East End
1.800.348.6096
Red Sail Sports
1.877.Red.Sail
(733.7245)
Sunset House
1.877.854.3232
Aggressor Fleet
1.800.348.2628
Brac Reef Beach Resort
Cayman Brac
1.800.594.0842
Little Cayman Beach Resort
800.327.3835
CAYMAN'S MUST DIVES:
Grand Cayman
Trinity Caves
Named for a trio of swim-throughs, starting at 40 feet and ending at 90 feet. Here you will see amazing corals and sponges in addition to parrotfish, angelfish, lobsters and more.
Ghost Mountain
A large pillar that rises from the sea, Ghost Mountain reaches the floor at about 90 feet and offers sightings of jacks, wrasses and chromis in addition to a vary large grouper.
Chinese Wall
This dive must be accessed by boat and is for the more advanced diver starting at about 60 feet to 100 feet. Abundant marine life can be expected and you may ocassionaly spot the resident nurse shark hovering in the depths.
Turtle Pass
This site starts at about 66 feet and ends up at about 100 feet. It's a narrow passageway from the top to the bottom that's a fun swim-through. The main attraction here, though is the turtles. Hawksbill, green and loggerhead sea turtles are abundant.
Leslie's Curl
This dive is at 55 feet and features an interesting ledge under the reef filled with marine life and a large swim-through.
Victoria House Reef
Named for the resort that overlooks this Seven Mile Beach site, the Victoria House Reef can be accessed via boat or shore.
Cayman Brac
MV Captain Keith Tibbets
Originally named for the wreck of a 330-foot Russian destroyer, the site was renamed in honor of the late dive operator. The wreck starts at about 25 feet and rests on a sandy bottom, making it a great dive for all levels.
Snapper Reef
A shallow dive at about 35 feet, you'll find an abundance of fish life and opportunities for macro photography. Here, you'll see plenty of cleaning stations and hermit crabs in addition to many nudibrachs.
Strawberry Sponge Wall
Located in Cayman Brac, this mini-wall dive is at 75-100 feet.
Little Cayman
Bloody Bay Wall
One of the most pristine underwater dive sites, featuring sheer vertical walls, great visibility and awesome marine life.
The most famous Cayman dive:
Stingray City
This 12-foot dive is for both snorkelers and divers alike, and is probably the most talked about family-friendly diving/snorkeling experience where you can interact with ocean critters up-close and personal. Experience the breathtakingly graceful stingrays as they buzz you and twirl and glide in a 360-degree underwater theater!
