In effect, there are more registered businesses in Cayman Island as compared to its local population. Seahorses - While the Cayman Islands are best known for their stunning coral reefs and diverse marine life, don't forget about the amazing small critters that call these waters home . 20 Best Dive Sites In The Cayman Islands (2023) In this article, we review the top 20 scuba dive sites in the Cayman Islands. Of the three main islands, Grand Cayman is where most divers go where you can explore over 50 dive sites allowing you to do virtually all types of diving and is suited for all levels of certification.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-box-4','ezslot_16',103,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-box-4','ezslot_17',103,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-103{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:600px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. Resident Nassau groupers often keep divers company and if you look closely, you may be rewarded with seahorses and lettuce-leaf slugs. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 cleaved the 100m/328ft ship in half but divers can still explore both sections of the wreckage. The Cayman Diving Season The islands are very much a year round diving destination. Named for a historical anchorage, Anchor Point features a tight chimney-like descent at the beginning of the dive. Swim throughs, ledges, overhangs, and an average depth of 12 meters (40ft) make this a Cayman dive site for all experience levels to explore. Share your love of diving, experience new adventures, expand your dive skills, and help save the ocean. Along the drop-off, crevices and canyons cut through the reefs face. From these locations, I was able to dive the west end and also the North Wall. For example, let's look at one airline flying from Miami to Grand Cayman. Please Sign-in or Register This site is well-known and popular with divers, snorkelers, and glass-bottom boaters alike. We conduct this course from our shore location where the water is ideal for new divers! We did not make it to Stingray city, but did get to the other must do dive in Grand Cayman - the USS Kittiwake, a submarine rescue vessel. As a diver, with a PADI account you can access your eLearning along with many more tools to help you on your adventures. Cayman Brac Beach Resort. This island is very small and there is little to do, other than dive. If you like diving in caves and grottos, Trinity Caves on Grand Caymans west side is the site for you. Located near a popular resort is a vertical drop off that is filled with all sorts of marine life the North Wall. Exploring this site requires you to descend to a depth of 18 meters (60 feet) where the entrance of this elaborate tunnel system starts. Stingrays and turtles are known to swim here. Grand Cayman's North Wall plunges deeper than 1800 metres/6000 feet and offers beautiful wall diving with opportunities to see spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. The resident goliath grouper is a popular dive buddy at this Cayman dive site. I am the father of the best two children in the world and husband to the most patient woman on this planet. Find & Book Liveaboards Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. After exploring the area, here are some of the best dive sites in the Cayman Islands: 1. Located just a short walk from George Town, the Sunset House Hotel is home to Sunset Divers, and both resort and dive center are favorites of divers. I would like to mention 2 points though, one that it is a bit expensive, both the accommodations and the diving, and secondly, it looks like they allow open water divers to do the deeper wall dives, where you can be as deep as 100 feet, just an FYI, in case youre not comfortable at that depth. It sounds like the best time overall, based on the posts so far. I have worked in the corporate world and had little time for adventure. As for temperature and weather, the Cayman Islands are tropical, meaning it's warm 365 days a year. This world-class scuba destination is colorful, bright, and teeming with life. Despite the name, there arent actually caves here. Cactus coral, sea fans, great star coral, and tube sponges blanket the reef and provide refuge for a variety of sea creatures. The people of the island are friendly and culturally diverse. The non-divers with us were content to lounge by the pool, visit the spa, ride bikes, and go for walks. Would also recommend spending an afternoon at Rum Point, where you can relax and also do some snorkeling if you like. July has a jump in visits for families in part because school children are out for the summer. Stingray City is in only 12ft (4m) of water and is a huge draw for divers and underwater photographers. I make money by sharing links to services that I personally use and recommend. While the gazebo itself is actually an arch, this small dive site never fails to please. Honduras coast hosts the Bay Islands which is a compilation of eight islands and 53 small cays and these islands are one of the best scuba diving places in the world. Live like a local and get under the skin of a destination with our in-country concierges. Little Cayman was first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503. This wreck is the only Russian warship that can explore in the Western hemisphere. You need to protect your fingers from the eager snappers though. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman house over 300 dive sites, making up the breathtaking Cayman dive map. Aside from corals, barrel sponges are sprawling in this vibrant reef that is also filled with tropical reef fish like groupers, butterflyfish, angelfish, moray eels and lionfish which is believed to be an invasive species. Little Cayman is a lovely, quiet little island with a population of less than 170. Boat rides were no longer than 15 minutes, with most being around 5 minutes. The Eden Rock Dive Center has everything you need for an unforgettable day underwater in the Cayman Islands. Many divers who have been diving in this area said that this is really an up close and personal experience with stingrays as they are literally touching and surrounding you. The shore diving was really easy to access with actual ladders or stairs and even showers at some sites. Schools of bright snappers brightened the reefs among colorful sponges. For diving, the reefs are easy to reach from many dive operators and offer a diversity of schooling fish, sponges, turtles, rays, and even sharks. Kittiwake- Though this wreck has been sunken rather recently and has not developed much coral yet, it is still a fantastic dive site for all levels. you are in the right place at the right time to see the very best StingRay City on scuba with a small group was so much fun feeding the rays. Plus, along the wall, you can meet triggerfish, eagle rays, turtles, lobsters and many more! if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'scubadivegeek_com-leader-1','ezslot_4',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-leader-1-0'); By descending down to 15 meters (50 feet) deep, you will arrive at what divers call the hanging garden which is a vertical limestone wall filled with black corals, barrel sponges, and purple sea fans. . For macro subjects, you can see angelfish, morays, lettuce slug nudibranchs and many more. The dive schedule would include a deep wall dive followed by a shallower reef or wreck. The wall drop is not for the light-hearted as it can reach over 6500ft (2000 m), but along the drop, you can see yellow tube sponges, black and wire corals and waving sea fans. While many visitors come here to scuba dive, snorkel, or relax and soak up the sun on the beach, those looking for something more adventurous can try . link to Fiji: Dive the Soft Coral Capital of the World, link to United Arab Emirates: Unspoiled Dive Sites, Wall diving, drift diving, cave diving, shore diving, boat diving, deep diving, and wreck diving, 100 different species of hard and soft corals plus over 500 species of tropical fish like the South-Atlantic stingrays, eagle rays, manta rays, nurse sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, flying gurnards, Nassau groupers, tarpon fish, Grand Cayman: Snorkeling at Stingray City, visit Dolphin Cove, hiking in the Mastic Trail, Pedro St. James National Historic Site, Cayman Islands National Museum, and the Cayman Turtle Farm. Intermediate divers can begin their dive at the chimney, a narrow tunnel starting at 12m/40ft and ending at 24m/80ft. This is a must do dive. Pinterest but the best time to visit is between May and October. September is the worst month of the Caribbean hurricane season, which officially goes from June through November. On top of being generally warm, the waters are clear with underwater visibility running from 18 30 meters (60 100 feet). Lionfish have become an invasive species and some of the dive operators offer culling excursions. Some resorts offer "Hurricane protection". Below are our recommendations for the best months to dive in Cayman Islands, as well as our suggestions for the best places to dive in each month of the year. Another great wall diving site in Little Cayman is Joys Joy. Today, Cayman is one of the top dive destinations anywhere. //