Live like a local and get under the skin of a destination with our in-country concierges. The most striking and common marine life for me were the brightly yellow colored tube sponges. Diving is available year-round. Located in the Bloody Bay marine park on Little Caymans north side, Marilyns Cut is largely unspoiled and offers up pristine soft and hard corals. You will then follow a sloping reef up to 25 meters (82 feet) deep where the wall starts and drops down up to 900 meters (2,950 feet) deep. Away from the reef, divers can look around the LCM David Nicholson wreck. Canyons and drop-offs provide a varied topography making the site a firm favorite with photographers. Some of the nicest dive resorts in the Caribbean are in the Cayman Islands, and many of them have great shore diving and boat diving. The primary reason why scuba divers frequently visit the Cayman Islands is to do a different kind of investment: definitely not monetary, but instead fun, enjoyment and great underwater adventures. If you want to get rid of the tourist crowd in Grand Cayman and explore a dive site that is remote and that the diver to fish ratio is 1 to a million, then we suggest you head out northwest of Grand Cayman via a Cayman Liveaboard vessel in a site called Babylon. Look out for the big groupers who sometimes get inside the huge barrel sponges, turtle, the occasional shark, plenty of reef fish, and the macro life at the cleaning stations. Water Temperatures: Ranges from around 22C (72F) in December to 29C (84F) in July. Great diving. The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is any time of year, but hotel rates drop in March and June and temperatures rise to around 80 degrees. Sign up to get the latest updates, offers and more. This is a wreck worth a dive or two. But Little Cayman also has good diving including Bloody Bay Wall dive, which means a Caymans Island liveaboard is the best way to experience all the best Cayman's diving. Instagram, My Ideas You need to protect your fingers from the eager snappers though. Elkhorn corals adorn the tops of the ridges while large gorgonians, tube sponges, and hard corals occupy the gullies. Another great wall diving site in Little Cayman is Joys Joy. Also, check out our article where we review the top 25 things to do in Grand Cayman. Photographers can make the worst dive buddies. For water sports lovers, there are great spots for snorkeling including night snorkeling with bioluminescence, options to go sailing or on a catamaran cruise. It also does not lack of options to go visit some museums, art galleries, go on walking eco-tours or historical tours, do some shopping and even have a blast at some amazing festivals. We could easily get to reefs and wrecks by ourselves from shore and take as much time as our tanks allowed. 2. 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 best time to visit Grand Cayman is March and April. Each time has been a wonderful underwater adventure. I quickly learned that if I poked at an area with my stick, the groupers would go right there, a great tool to get them to pose right where i wanted them in my reef scenes. 6. From these locations, I was able to dive the west end and also the North Wall. Bert Brothers Boulders is one of the most beautiful dive sites on Cayman Brac. The heat may be less of an issue for anyone planning to spend a week there mainly on the beaches during the day and shopping or having fun in the cooler evenings. The Cayman Islands dollar is issued in units of $100, $50, $25, $10, $5 and $1 with coins of 25 cents, 10, 5 and one cent. While the upper part of the reef is already teeming with corals, it becomes denser as you traverse the vertical limestone where it is now intermixed with sponges and sea fans. Stingray City offers divers the opportunity to fully interact with these amazing creatures. Another top option for divers, Cayman Brac Beach Resort is, as its name implies, located on the third island in the Cayman Islands: 15-square-mile Cayman Brac. The USS Kittiwake is an ex-US Navy ship that was purposely sunk in Grand Cayman to create a new dive site. Grand Cayman makes a good dive vacation, but for us it was a great stop with plenty of good diving over 3 days on the way home from Cayman Brac. Nature lovers are lured to diverse hiking trails, caves, and a variety of flora and fauna around the island. PrivacyPolicy, 2023 Original Diving | Web Design by D3R. Address. Read more about diving in Bonaire. The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and June when the hotel rates drop. Located in popular Bloody Bay, Donnas Delight is home to some classic Cayman wall diving: Giant barrel sponges, arching sea fans, and bright corals. Welcome to my scuba diving bucket list. Best Time to Dive Cayman Islands Diving is available year-round. With regards to transportation, you have to take note that there are no taxis in Little Cayman and the best way to explore the island is by renting a bike. to dive in Cayman Islands. you are in the right place at the right time to see the very best If you don't want to sacrifice weather for a break on hotel prices, plan a trip for the region's dry season, which runs from November to April. I have traveled to the Cayman islands many times. Grandview Condominiums are located on the south end of 7 Mile Beach in George Town on the scuba diving island of Grand Cayman. From full scuba certification courses to one-day experiences for those who've never breathed off a regulator, the Cayman Islands qualify as an scuba diving shrine. Cayman Brac Beach Resort. Find the best and most popular products and review them. . With virtually no currents and outstanding underwater visibility, Cayman has amazing wall dives, coral reefs and wrecks for you to explore and discover. It seems the dive guides hunt the lionfish and then feed the groupers, so they joined us right away each dive. If wall diving is your thing, check out diving in Turks & Caicos. They can offer up their first-hand Courtesy of IreneCorti/Getty Images/iStockphoto. Trinity Caves is one Cayman dive site that never disappoints. Penetration can be done in this wreck courtesy from its numerous entry and exit points that were made before it was intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef. A shallow dive site, the colors here really pop making it a good choice for photographers. Recommended Level: Beginner Intermediate Advanced Dive Type: Boat Reef Wall Macro Wreck Canyon Shore Night Shallow Shark Cave Stingray Swim-Through Drift Liveboard Deep Great Wall East and West Little Cayman Great Wall West - Turtle Watch on The Pedro St. James National Historic Site is a great place for photography, or you can visit Rum Point for a true Caribbean beach experience. It lays at 60 ft (20 m) and scuba divers are able to explore all five levels of this 250 ft (75 m) vessel. Along the drop-off, crevices and canyons cut through the reefs face. Visibility in the Cayman Islands is wonderful, averaging between 60 and 100 feet (18-30 meters). Instead, they pass through the vicinity and bring heavy rains and wind to the island. The Cayman Islands-- Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac--have been attracting scuba divers for decades, including beginners! Ocean Cabanas Dive Resort: Great views, amazing stay - See 33 traveler reviews, 112 candid photos, and great deals for Ocean Cabanas Dive Resort at Tripadvisor. Along the wall you'll spot black coral bushes, barrel sponges and sea fans where barracudas, turtles, eagle rays and parrotfish like to show up. The Cayman Islands are one of the Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners. Boasting strong diving infrastructure, diverse types of diving, incredible walls and wrecks, and great visibility. As said earlier, Grand Cayman has over 50 dive sites and we will not leave this section without mentioning other noted dive spots. The Cayman Islands hosts one of the best dives in the World: Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman. The Seven Mile Beach area and the main city, Georgetown, are very developed with large hotels and resorts, restaurants, shops, etc. The largest among the three islands, Grand Cayman is highly popular among SCUBA divers from all over the world. I've stayed at hotels and used independent dive operators and I have stayed at dive resorts with on-site dive operations. There is a good amount of coral and fish here. Grand Cayman is the most visited island in the Cayman Islands by Scuba Divers. Collect your trip ideas, share with friends or make an enquiry. The wreck was specifically set up for safe penetration, giving divers many interior rooms to explore. Little Cayman is a lovely, quiet little island with a population of less than 170. Our mission has been to do this with the best crew, using the best equipment while offering the most competing Cayman Islands dive packages. Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. Our team will meet you at the airport and fast-track you through. Hurricanes rarely hit Grand Cayman directly. The water drops over a hundred feet. The Cayman Islands are one of the Best Liveaboard Destinations in the World. Some resorts offer "Hurricane protection". May through November, and especially September and October, are the riskiest months to visit. Eden Rock Dive Center. When diving the Cayman Islands you can see a lot of large sponges, some good macro, and some tiny fish. This is one of the deepest sea-walls in the world. The Cayman Islands continues to receive global recognition and top the charts for diving. Both are wonderful underwater. Courtesy of Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman. You can spot eagle rays, reef sharks, sailfin blennies, tilefish, peacock flounders, garden eels, or yellow-headed jawfish. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates. Scuba Divers can experience the world's best 12ft dive site at Stingray City, the beautiful Starfish Point and Bloody Bay . Tarpon Alley is part of the North Wall with depths between 15 to 25 meters (50-80ft). Here is a list of some of the marine animals you can likely spot when diving the Cayman Islands: There are over 300 dive sites in the Cayman Islands. The Caymans have one major event that also may impact the best times to go there. Of course, the Soviets didnt call her Keith Tibbets, she was renamed for a local dive operator after the Cayman government purchased the wreck for dive tourism. For this reason, wreck junkies and aficionados often have the Keith on their to-dive lists. When diving through the cut itself, look under and in crevices, plenty of little critters make homes for themselves here. However, the Cayman Islands can be impacted by hurricanes primarily between June and November. There are over 15 PADI 5-Star Centers in the Cayman Islands, ready to teach you everything you want to know about diving. Average rainfall jumps to more than five inches in May, June and July. View thelive availability of some of the best liveaboards in the Cayman Islandsand book online at the best price or check out our sidebar for land-based options! A 50% deposit is required at the time of booking with the final 50% . Cracks in the ceilings let in plenty of natural light making it easy to search the nooks and crannies for the many crustaceans and other marine creatures that occupy the tunnels. For beginners or those who get nervous in enclosed spaces, there are plenty of decks around the exterior to check out. Dive Shop and Front desk is open 7 days per week | 7am to 6pm and can be reached directly on (345)-640-7500 Resident Nassau groupers often keep divers company and if you look closely, you may be rewarded with seahorses and lettuce-leaf slugs. It does not make the product pricier for you. If you want to escape the crowds of cruise ship passengers, the East End is the place to go. They can offer up their first-hand knowledge to ensure you know when to dive to enjoy the very best marine life, be it the tiny critters or bigger beasts of . 5. Everything here is very low key and there is a small local population. Top 20 Best Dive Sites In Cayman Islands In 2023, The Best Starboard Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide, The Best iRocker Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide, Blackfin Paddle Boards: The Best Paddle boards from Blackfin, Top All-inclusive Resorts You Need To Visit, How To Choose a Kayak Paddle? Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. The worst time is September during the hurricane season. This is a fun dive spot that you can access from shore. Yes, that is true and get ready since the 333 islands of Fiji will take you into a quintessential South United Arab Emirates: Unspoiled Dive Sites. Theres also Little Cayman thats the least developed of the 3 islands. Explore the top-rated styles for every type of trip to the beach. From the mooring, divers often descend through a cut in the reef and out onto the wall. [] Book your next cruise vacation on one of these floating megaresorts. Access to tools and resources at your fingertips, curated to enhance your diving experience. Find & Book Liveaboards Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. 310-915-6677 Ive been to Grand Cayman and Little Cayman. Little Cayman GoPro Video Workshop: April 2023, Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners, shifted the Kittiwake from her original position. The main dive spot of Little Cayman is located on the northwest coast in a marine protected area the Bloody Bay Marine Park. Boat rides were no longer than 15 minutes, with most being around 5 minutes. The wreck can be penetrated in some parts but speak for your guide or instructor beforehand. 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. Schools of bright snappers brightened the reefs among colorful sponges. September and October are the riskiest months to visit Grand Cayman because of the higher than normal amounts of rain. There is a lot of soft coral here, which makes for an interesting experience. . 5. They are located in George Town in Grand Cayman. Web Visit website. If you are vacationing in Cayman Brac, then you need to visit this spot. The 20 Best Dive sites in Caymans? Black coral and colorful sponges decorate the near-vertical face and the shallows are dotted with large coral heads teeming with marine life. There is decent shore diving from their dock. It is common to see barracudas and schools of horse-eye jacks in this area. This is really a divers paradise. that the underwater world (and overwater, if you plan on surfacing Book an introductory scuba diving package to learn the basics of diving from certified PADI instructors. For example, let's look at one airline flying from Miami to Grand Cayman. As a photographer, I never lacked for subjects both wide angle and macro and anything in between. September and October are clearly the least popular months to go because of a high risk of heavy rains along with hot temperatures. Besides scuba diving, there are plenty of other things to do on the Cayman Islands. Get certified to scuba dive. The 6 Best Dive Sites in the Cayman Islands Cecily Russell 3 April, 2022 The trio of Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory situated in the western Caribbean Sea. DIVEIN.com was founded in 2009 by the two brothers Torben and Nicolai. Divers of all levels can explore the engines, pistons, and pieces of the wreck that are scattered at 18m/60ft. Bay Islands, Honduras. Jackson's Bight- Located also in the Bloody Bay Marine Park, it does not fail to provide scuba divers with an amazing dive. From spotting blue iguanas to kayaking in a bioluminescent bay to diving through intricate shipwrecks, here is a guide to making the most out of a first-time visit to Grand Cayman. Facebook There are lots of other fish and coral. Sidetrip: Grand Cayman is the biggest island and it is where most accommodations and restaurants are located. Named for the bright orange elephant ear sponges that characterize this site, Orange Canyon doesnt contain a closed canyon per se, but an open channel with lively reef on either side. Aside from taking photos at the solid bronze emblem at one of its 5 decks or at the stern with the propeller, penetration can be done with the USS Kittiwake courtesy from multiple sunlit entries and exit points. Macro photographers should keep an eye out for the neck and decorator crabs who make their homes here. Bloody Bay Marine Park is a particularly popular diving destination as it is home to 12 different dive sites, gorgeous coral, and diverse marine life. All levels of divers can enjoy the site as there is plenty to see at shallow depths or at deeper parts. For shark diving, we suggest the Maze, Scuba Bowl and the Grouper Grotto which is also filled with lots of good-size groupers. The units are privately owned and furnished, but they have 21 accommodations available for rental use. Rainfall starts to climb in May. 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. The entire experience is about 3 hours long from the time we pick you up from your hotel or condo along Seven Mile Beach to drop off. Roberts Wall is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. Although the rays who made this site their home permanently have moved on, there is still a good chance of spotting them here. There are lots of options for great photography and for posing for memorable photos, such as by the Kittiwake sign, swimming by the prop, or pretending to steer the helm on the bridge. This is also where you will board your liveaboard. September can bring rougher waters if there is a tropical storm, and that is also the month with a higher chance of a hurricane, although hurricanes are not common. dive in each month of the year. Cruise ships visit here, so expect everything you would find in most international cruise ship ports. But these arent the only good and bad times. Exploring its underwater habitats allows you to see an incredible reef that starts at 6 meters (20 feet) deep and slowly slopes down towards a vertical limestone wall that drops down up to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep. Out in the open, spotted eagle rays are often seen swimming in groups of at least 5 individuals and their passing by is often correlated to the flyby of fighter jets in low altitude. Pelagics are attracted to the wall while schools of reef fish populate the shallows, swimming around the many purple, red, and yellow sponges. Though Kittiwake is a very popular diving site on Grand Island, the shallow and crystal-clear waters of the site make it an equally amazing snorkeling spot as well. // , Call us today at+1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com. Not to be confused with the Anchor Point dive sites in Scotlands Loch Fyne, the Solomon Islands, or Sri Lanka, the Cayman dive site is located on Grand Cayman and is characterized by swathes of black coral.

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