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You’ll never run out of scuba diving sites to explore in the Cayman Islands, a beach paradise and diver’s haven in the Caribbean. Each scuba diving site has unique features and wonders that will surely keep you coming back for more. Fascinating steep walls, marine creatures you’ve never seen before, sunken wrecks peacefully lying on the ocean floor – they’re all here in our clear blue waters which are popular with dive enthusiasts from all over the world. Here’s a list of scuba diving sites you should never miss.
Grand Cayman Scuba Diving
One of the highlights of scuba diving in Grand Cayman is its steep drop-offs on all sides that are perfect for wall-diving. Divers typically find it convenient to dive the West Wall, which runs parallel to Seven Mile Beach. The South Wall has a barrier reef that serves as a coral fence and breaks the surface. Amateur divers may want to steer clear of this scuba diving site because it is pretty difficult. Opposite the South Wall is the North Wall famous for its weird coral formations and frequent pelagic sightings. Finally, the East Wall, which is the least explored, has exceptionally healthy coral reefs because of dive shops who enforce conservation measures on the sites.
Stingray City
– Stingray City in Grand Cayman is the most photographed dive site in the Cayman Islands, and probably in of all the Caribbean. The famous friendly stingrays of Stingray City have been featured in numerous ads, documentaries, and travel articles since they were discovered in 1986. Today, more than 200 visitors from across the globe visit Stingray City each day to caress and feed the rays. The scuba diving site is very shallow, only 12 to 20 feet, making it ideal for divers as well as snorkelers.
Trinity Caves
– Trinity Caves, which has a maze of canyon trails with a depth of 60 to 100 feet, is located at the north end of Seven Mile Beach. Its reef is filled with sea fans, towering sea whips, black corals, barrel sponges, and other unusual critters. The site is named after three caves that look like cathedrals, home to large turtles, groupers, squirrel fish, lobsters and schools of reef fish. You can easily see every tiny creature in this scuba diving site because of exceptional visibility and the mild underwater current.
The Wreck of the Balboa
– The Balboa is a freighter measuring 375 feet that rests 30 feet beneath the surface in George Town Harbor and 200 yards off the town pier. The Balboa is most beautiful at night because its wreckage can be a beautiful subject for photography or video. Visibility here is good but it’s best for small groups of scuba divers to explore because too many divers exploring at once can disturb the silt. Schools of French angels, groupers, and sergeant majors usually swim about the hull.
Cayman Brac Scuba Diving
Cayman Brac is widely considered to be the loveliest of all three islands in Cayman. It lies 87 miles east of Grand Cayman and folks say it holds troves of pirate treasure. Aside from its spectacular diving sites, Cayman Brac is known for its 140-foot-high limestone formation thoroughly covered by rich foliage, including orchids, cactus, and tropical fruits such as papaya and mango. Bird watchers will have a great time viewing rare species of birds, including the endangered Cayman Brac parrot.
Wreck of the Tibbetts
– On September 17, 1996, a 330 feet Russian destroyer originally built for the Cuban Navy, was renamed Captain Keith Tibbets, then deliberately sunk at Cayman Brac’s northwest coast. You can easily access the majestic wreck from the shore by swimming about 200 yards. Try swimming through the upper deck and bridge of the destroyer and photograph various marine life forms that swim in and out of every nook and cranny of the ship.
The Hobbit
– The Hobbit is located at the southeast tip of Cayman Brac and offers divers a chance to really feel like hobbits. At this scuba diving site, you’ll be surrounded by giant barrel sponges, corals, turtles, and chubs. You may also see queen triggerfish, grunts, octopi, and queen angels. This scuba diving site measures about 70 feet deep and is best for intermediate to advanced scuba divers.
Radar Reef
– This unique scuba diving site has a series of canyons and coral pinnacles that are home to a wide variety of sea whips, feather dusters, barrel and tube sponges, lavender sea fans, brain corals, stars, and elkhorns. This large variety of marine life forms is also joined by octopi, rays and turtles. Amateur divers will have plenty of memorable experiences in this diving site measuring 30 to 60 feet. It has a calm surface and can be accessed by boat or you can swim from the beach next to Island Dock.
Little Cayman Scuba Diving
Fewer than 200 people live in Little Cayman, the most peaceful and secluded of all three islands of the Cayman. Most of its roads are still unpaved and its almost untouched flora is home to many iguanas. Aside from scuba diving, fly fishing and snorkeling are popular activities at Little Cayman.
Bloody Bay Wall
– Bloody Bay Wall, which starts at a depth of 15 feet then plummets to a very deep bottom, is one of the best dive sites in the Cayman Islands. You’ll find soft corals, pastel gorgonians, and lavender or bright orange tube sponges in the shallow parts of Bloody Bay Wall. Eagle rays zoom along the wall while large parrot fish and turtles move slowly in the area. Both amateur and expert scuba divers will have no difficulty exploring this scuba diving site which has usually calm sea conditions.
Little Cayman Wall
– Like Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman Wall starts out shallow, just 15 feet deep, but then plummets to unknown depths. Yellow, orange and blue sponges proliferate in the area, along with big barrel sponges and soft corals. Snorkelers can also enjoy snorkeling in this dive site that is accessible by boat.
Jackson Point
– Jackson Point, also known as School Bus, is ideal for amateur scuba divers and snorkelers. To reach Jackson Point, which is marked by a small wall that towers from a sandy bottom measuring 40 to 15 feet deep, you have to swim 75 yards from the beach. Here you’ll witness hundreds of rays, fish, and turtles that mingle in the shallow parts. The area is lushly carpeted by sponges and corals. For more experienced divers, you may swim another 50 to 60 feet to reach a larger wall that drops off to unknown depths.
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George Town
