Offshore City

On some islands, shore diving is regarded as a consolation prize for missing the dive boat, but not so on Grand Cayman. Shore diving is very much part of the mainstream diving activities, representing quality reef and wreck excursions at more than a dozen locations that can be done at your own pace. Perhaps the greatest variety of shore dives can be done from the Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman's longest-established dedicated dive resort. Over the past 30 years, this dive resort has developed Sunset Reef into an amazing city beneath the sea - with landmarks and attractions that you will not find anywhere else. Reef Roving Access is about as easy as it gets. The reef is right off the resort's shoreline, just a few steps from where guests store their gear. The sea is often flat calm because Sunset House is nestled in the lee of the island. A sturdy metal dive ladder allows comfortable exit and entry into the water, or you can simply make a giant stride. Sunset Reef is a cascading coral reef beginning just a few fin strokes offshore, sloping gently to past 30 feet and ending on the sand flat at 60 feet. It is a very healthy coral reef with lots of hard corals, soft gorgonians and sponges. The reef is loaded with marine life of all sorts: macro critters, tropical reef fish and turtles. I have always been struck here by the variety of fish, such as the hamlets. I would encounter a pale butter hamlet, and then a bright blue indigo hamlet further on, and then a stunning yellow golden hamlet just a few yards beyond. It was the same with other species: three types of groupers, two species of moray eels, all kinds of grunt and butterfly fish. Farther out on the sand flats, you encounter stingrays and the occasional eagle ray. The fish are accustomed to seeing divers, making it a perfect place for underwater photography. Other Attractions In the spring of 1990, Sunset House supplemented this undersea menagerie by sinking its own shipwreck, a 50-foot-long World War II LCM landing craft. Out on the sand in 65 feet of water, it sits upright in between large fingers of reef. The wreck was named the LCM David Nicholson in memory of one of Grand Cayman's pioneer dive operations managers. Today it is a favorite haunt for a pair of gray angelfish that follow the divers around the wreck like puppy dogs. In the fall of 2000, Sunset House added another attraction for divers by sinking a 9-foot-tall bronze statue of a mermaid, one of only two in the entire world. The 900-pound metal sculpture was lowered to the base of the coral reef, where it was mounted on a special stone base to face upward to the surface. It has become one of the most beautiful images of this very special reef. Just when you think you've seen it all, you are likely to see a full-size, 65-foot submarine cruising by. Sunset Reef plays host to the Atlantis touring submarine, which takes non-diving passengers on a dry tour around the reef and past the Nicholson wreck. The submarine comes up out of the deep drop-off, circles around the wreck and sets down on the sand bottom next to it. Soon, two scuba divers appear on propeller-driven scuba packs and begin feeding the fish. It's quite a show, particularly when the submarine turns on its exterior flood lamps. It looks like an alien spaceship landing on the ocean floor. The Resort Sunset House is just as much fun above the water as on the reef. This palm-studded seaside resort has a fully staffed dive center on the premises offering training courses in scuba, nitrox, rebreathers and mixed-gas diving. Moored just offshore is a fleet of custom dive boats, ready for dive trip departures every morning. Sunset House is also home base for the Manta - Grand Cayman's largest and fastest day boat for diving. It can carry 20 divers comfortably and cruise at 20 knots. Manta is used for all-day, three-tank dive trips to the East End and other remote dive sites along the North and South coasts. Sunset House is also home base for the world-famous Cathy Church Underwater Photo Centre & Gallery. It is one of the world's best-equipped photo centers, complete with a film processing lab, classroom, picture gallery and retail sales store. One of the major events at this location is the Cathy Church Photo Super Course, an intensive photo specialty program conducted several times a year. For more information... For general information...