They have ladders that you can use to enter and exit the water safely. Before she was decommissioned in 1994, the USS Kittiwake was a Navy Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel. Best Time To Dive The Cayman Island Income disclosure: We are reader supported, and earn affiliate commissions when you buy via links found on DIVEIN.com: If you find a good deal on our site, you click to the retailer and you buy the product, we get a commission of the sale. From 5 star restaurants to fish frys at the local gas station. While diving is a year-round activity in the Cayman Islands, June to August is considered to be the best time of year to dive Grand Cayman and the nearby islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Trinity Caves is one Cayman dive site that never disappoints. The dive boat did make the excursion across to Little Cayman's Bloody Bay wall one day which is very achievable from Cayman Brac. For water sports lovers, there are great spots for snorkeling including night snorkeling with bioluminescence, options to go sailing or on a catamaran cruise. Best Time to Dive Cayman Islands. Exploring this site requires you to initially descend to 18 meters (60 feet) deep where the wall starts. From Grand Cayman, you can transfer to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac. This is the most famous dive site in the Cayman Islands - and with good reason. The Cayman Islands has also designated four special areas for protection such as marine park zones, replenishment zones, environmental zones, and no diving zones. 310-915-6677 Away from the reef, divers can look around the LCM David Nicholson wreck. It is 330-feet in length, and was sunk in Cayman Brac in 1996. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 cleaved the 100m/328ft ship in half but divers can still explore both sections of the wreckage. This is one of the top island destinations in the United Kingdom. It's the kind of peaceful place where you will make your own fun. The wreck was specifically set up for safe penetration, giving divers many interior rooms to explore. Though scuba diving in the Cayman Islands is mostly known for close encounters with stingrays, it has much more to offer. A 2.75 meter (9ft) bronze statue of Amphitrite (the wife of the mythological god Poseidon) rises up from the base of the reef. 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. This is a shore dive, meaning that you enter the water from the shore, and then swim to Cheeseburger Reef. Hotel prices are sourced from a sample of U.S. News Best Hotels rates through 2015-2016. Live like a local and get under the skin of a destination with our in-country concierges. Bloody Bay Wall is considered the epicenter of scuba diving in this marine park. Closely packed ridges form huge coral heads between the shore and the reef wall. I have stayed there several times at a dive resort with on-site dive operation. U.S. News rates the cheapest travel insurance options, considering expert and consumer recommendations. June to October brings higher topside temperatures (up to 33C, 91F). The flight and hotel fares are discounted up to 50 percent this time of year. Grand Cayman has more dive sites than Little Cayman. While the gazebo itself is actually an arch, this small dive site never fails to please. Grab your gear and dive into the crystal clear waters of Grand Cayman! Grand Cayman also offers accessible shore diving on great coral reefs with little to no current. This is really a divers paradise. There are plenty of great dive resorts available, but liveaboard is the best option if you want to dive around all three islands. Our reviews: We can make the world a little bit better with great in-depth reviews. Generally, the off-season is the cheapest time to visit Grand Cayman, from May through November. Babylon- Grand Cayman Island is surrounded by a wall, but what makes the Babylon site special is the pinnacle with a canyon cutting the north wall. I know there are shore dives that can be done, and we plan to do some of those next time. They can offer up their first-hand The dive resorts are more expensive than places like Roatan or Belize, but given the reputation of the islands and the quality and ease of the diving, we find the prices reasonable. Enjoy 20% OFF select PADI eLearning programs, FREE ReActivate online refresher, subscription to Scuba Diving magazine + so much more when you join PADI Club. The Kittiwake wreck as well as other wrecks in the close vicinity add variety and interesting structure which I really enjoyed. Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. 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 . Enquire But these arent the only good and bad times. The protected Bloody Bay Marine Park lies in Little Cayman and offers magnificent marine life, great visibility, and spectacular bioluminescent corals. Grand Cayman has beautiful beaches and probably the most topside activities or restaurants anyone would want. Divers can observe the bow guns and go along the rails to make some great photos. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman house over 300 dive sites, making up the breathtaking Cayman dive map. A huge pinnacle branches out, creating a corridor-like passageway that is used by large pelagics cruising up from the abyss. The seven mile beach area is beautiful for walking and photo opportunities. 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! Fiji: Dive the Soft Coral Capital of the World. There is decent shore diving from their dock. It was quite crowded with dive and snorkel boats when we got there, but it was no big deal once we got in the water. When diving through the cut itself, look under and in crevices, plenty of little critters make homes for themselves here. January and February are the coolest months with average lows in the high 60s. Our Original Diving experts, made up of marine biologists, The Seven Mile Beach area and the main city, Georgetown, are very developed with large hotels and resorts, restaurants, shops, etc. Cayman Islands has an average water temperature ranging from 26 29C (78 84F). 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. 1. 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. Dive Shop and Front desk is open 7 days per week | 7am to 6pm and can be reached directly on (345)-640-7500 Sign up to get the latest updates, offers and more. In the Cayman Islands, spring is in full force. Click here to learn more. Orange Canyon is a popular dive site on the west-side of Grand Cayman. Both are wonderful underwater. This is a fun dive spot that you can access from shore. Even if they are stingrays and have the potential to inflict painful wounds via their tail, do not panic as they are not in their aggressive or defensive mode. Little Cayman is a lovely, quiet little island with a population of less than 170. Aside from being outside the high season which means that Grand Cayman dive resorts all-inclusive hotel prices and Caribbean dive packages are cheaper, this is also the months that the diving parameters are at its best. Part of the Bloody Bay wall, descending from the mooring here reveals a brightly colored vertical reef packed with sponges, corals, and vertebrate and invertebrate marine life. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Our team will meet you at the airport and fast-track you through. PADI Dive Resorts for all budgets, in the best dive locations around the world. The winter and early spring months are the most popular time in the Cayman Islands. 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. 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. We were lucky enough to see the tail end of silversides on the wreck of the Balboa right in the Harbor too. It does not make the product pricier for you. Find the best travel insurance for you with these U.S. News ratings, which factor in expert and consumer recommendations. So, either way, the experience is well worth the money. In the shallows, flamingo tongues cling onto sea fans while lobsters, eels, and jewfish can be found hiding in the ridges and gullies. Drop us a comment below and tell us your favorite site! Take your camera and get a snap with one of the abandoned bicycles that have also found a home here. Grand Cayman is the most visited island in the Cayman Islands by Scuba Divers. With a PADI Travel account, you can favourite dive operators to come back to later on any device or computer. Stingray City offers divers the opportunity to fully interact with these amazing creatures. As well as healthy coral and large pelagic species, you can expect to catch sight of Nassau groupers, stingrays, angelfish, snappers, horse-eye jacks, and turtles. Northerners also want to get away from the cold and snow of winter. This is a wall that drops 2000 meters to the sea floor. This is also where you will board your liveaboard. Greenhouse is a nice medium-depth reef dive with plenty of grooves and gullies to explore. If you're looking for great diving and hotel prices, the best time is between March and June when the rates all drop. September and October are the riskiest months to visit Grand Cayman because of the higher than normal amounts of rain. December and July are good times for families because children are out of school for the holidays and summer. The three islands that make up the nation, Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman, are diverse and have distinct diving. Only ten miles long and one mile wide, this is a place where you can truly focus on your opportunity to relax. As the name suggests, this Cayman dive site is known for eagle rays. Click the link below to read our article about Eden Rock: Deep Stingray City is located in Grand Cayman. This pristine wall on the south side of Cayman Brac features an abundance of hard corals, gorgonians, and massive red, orange, green, and purple sponges. While diving is a year-round activity in the Cayman Islands, June to August is considered to be the best time of year to dive Grand Cayman and the nearby islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Swim throughs, ledges, overhangs, and an average depth of 12 meters (40ft) make this a Cayman dive site for all experience levels to explore. Scuba Divers can experience the world's best 12ft dive site at Stingray City, the beautiful Starfish Point and Bloody Bay . Lighthouse Point is located in West Bay in Grand Cayman. Also, check out our article where we review the top 25 things to do in Grand Cayman. Click the link below to read our article about the USS Kittiwake: Wilderness Wall is located on the south-side of Cayman Brac. The worst time is September during the hurricane season. For us divers, the financial self-sufficiency of the Cayman Islands is only the icing on the cake. Through this site,my intent is to be able to sponsor the new chapter in my life as a scuba diver. . 4 of the Best Places to Go Shore Diving in Grand Cayman. Theres plenty to do if you are not diving. The course includes a 2-hour pool and theory session, and an . Stingray City- You can thank the local fishermen for this dive site as they used to clean their catch here that attracted the rays to the site. The islands are warm year-round with average highs holding steady in the 80s. Stingrays and turtles are known to swim here. Bloody Bay Marine Park is one of Cayman's best known dive sites and is named after the battles that took place between the British navy and its privateers following the outlaw of piracy. The ship was originally built for the US Army Transportation Corps over 70-years ago. I stayed at an all inclusive where the food was exceptional, prepared by a world class chef. 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. If you find a good deal on DIVEIN, you click to the retailer, and you buy the product, we get a commission of the sale. For deep divers, we highly suggest you explore the elephant-ear sponge laden reef of the Orange Canyon or go cave diving in Bonnies Arch. It lays at 60 ft (20 m) and scuba divers are able to explore all five levels of this 250 ft (75 m) vessel. Best Time to Dive in Little Cayman. Wakatobi Dive Resort, a private island south of Sulawesi, understands thisand that shooters trek to this country, one of the most biodiverse hotspots on the planet, to capture images of every critter possible. 20 Best Dive Sites In The Cayman Islands (2023) In this article, we review the top 20 scuba dive sites in the Cayman Islands. Dive N Stay Vacation Packages - Compass Point Dive Resort - Cayman Islands (1st January 2023 - 31st December 2023) We offer pre-set Dive & Stay Vacation Packages for 3, 5 or 7 nights, and can also customize your package for any number of nights and for various group sizes. info@bluewaterdivetravel.com, Visited on 04/2018 - Submitted on 02/04/2020, Visited on 03/2013 - Submitted on 08/31/2014, Visited on 02/2014 - Submitted on 04/19/2014, Visited on 02/2014 - Submitted on 03/01/2014, Visited on 08/2013 - Submitted on 02/21/2014, Big savings on 7-night group stays at Little Cayman, Cayman Brac and Cobalt Coast Resorts, live availability of some of the best liveaboards in the Cayman Islands. Grand Cayman is somewhat unique among major Caribbean destinations because it is one of the few islands that has average daytime temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer and fall. There are lots of beautiful beaches to visit and to relax. The best dive site is either Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman or the USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman. The dives are shallow and you can closely observe them swimming around or above you. Moray eels and angelfish move among the coral, and turtles are often seen cruising over the reef. There is a separate fee to dive this wreck that goes towards conservation, and you also get a nice yellow diver medallion to keep. Still great for diving with great walls for all levels of divers and the walls and the Russian destroyer 356 aka Russian destroyer. This is a deep wall that drops several hundred feet into the abyss. Perhaps because of this, the coral isnt looking a healthy as it could. It does not make the product pricier for you. Divers of all levels can explore the engines, pistons, and pieces of the wreck that are scattered at 18m/60ft. Wheres the best place(s) to stay when looking into a diving trip in the Caymans? Click the link below to read our article about Cheeseburger Reef: Sunset House is located on the south-side of Grand Cayman, near George Town. At night, this popular Caymans dive site is great for spotting octopus, lobster, and shrimp. Why? With world class conditions and a robust dive industry, the Cayman Islands is one of the best places to learn how to dive. The best time to dive is between December and April when the water is at its warmest and the visibility is at its best. 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. We rarely boast about our service but we believe it's what sets us apart and makes us truly original, so please forgive this moment of unabashed self-promotion. Theres also Little Cayman thats the least developed of the 3 islands. If youre thinking Cheeseburger is an odd name for a dive site, you probably wont be surprised that this shore dive probably took its name after the Burger King that was located across the road! It now rests in an upright position at a depth of 27meters (89feet). Here are a few of our favourite dive sites in Grand Cayman: 1. If you are vacationing in Cayman Brac, then you need to visit this spot. Erwin Poliakoff, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17 zoom, Nikkor 60mm, 85mm, and 105mm macros, Nauticam housing Topside, the community is expanding with ongoing construction. Devil's Grotto- Suitable for both beginners and advanced, it's a great shallow shore dive that features massive swim-throughs, chimneys and coral formations. at any point on your diving holiday) has to offer. It is because of the sometimes extreme temperatures and rainfall that the Caymans have distinct spikes and dips in the number of tourists who visit each month. For beginners or those who get nervous in enclosed spaces, there are plenty of decks around the exterior to check out. ASK US HERE! The rainiest months in Grand Cayman are September and October during the height of the annual hurricane season. December rainfall drops back down to about three inches. 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. They were all guided dives. There are lots of other fish and coral. Divers in the Caymans visit Kittiwake for the wreck itself. For scuba diving, the best time to dive the Cayman Islands is pretty much any time except peak hurricane season. We understand that annual leave is precious so we can ensure that There is a reason you won't find under a 5-star review for Silver Thatch, they are the best. Bay Islands, Honduras. The water clarity is typically amazingly clear. If you want to enjoy these five dive sites . There is a lot of marine life among the coral and resident angelfish and groupers are found at the stern of the ship. For shark diving, we suggest the Maze, Scuba Bowl and the Grouper Grotto which is also filled with lots of good-size groupers. If you want to go a little more remote, try Little Cayman. ScubaDiveGeek.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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. No crowds. The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and April. 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. Water Temperatures: Ranges from around 22C (72F) in December to 29C (84F) in July. For this reason, wreck junkies and aficionados often have the Keith on their to-dive lists. Out in the open, expect schools of Nassau groupers, turtles, and snappers. The top of the wall is around 9 meters (30ft) so the site can be enjoyed as a shallow or deep dive. That's is how we pay ourselves. The Cayman Diving Season The islands are very much a year round diving destination. You need to protect your fingers from the eager snappers though. Intermediate divers can begin their dive at the chimney, a narrow tunnel starting at 12m/40ft and ending at 24m/80ft. 1-800-652-1972. Located south-east of the Gulf of Mexico and close to Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti, diving in the Caymans offers classic Carribean underwater scenes and the chance to spot both large and small marine life. . Trinity Caves is a popular dive site that is located off the coast of West Bay in Grand Cayman. Bloody Bay Wall Bloody Bay Wall is located in Little Cayman. Address. 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. Bert Brothers Boulders is also a great spot to see flying gurnards at around 5.5 meters (18ft). A few great choices are the Sunset House Hotel in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac Beach Resort and the Little Cayman Beach Resort. The rainy season spans from May through October though showers usually only last for a few hours at a time. Grand Caymans North Wall plunges deeper than 1800 metres/6000 feet and offers beautiful wall diving with opportunities to see spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. 5. Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center. 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. Often you can see massive tarpons, barracudas, and schools of silversides. Eden Rock & Devils Grotto are two dive sites that are next to each other. With 365 named dive sites, the enchanting Cayman Islands is a year-round underwater paradise. Naturally, this is also the most expensive season, and reservations must be made at least three months in advance. Tarpon Alley is part of the North Wall with depths between 15 to 25 meters (50-80ft). 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 Settle on the sand at just 3.7 meters (12ft) and have hordes of southern stingrays glide gracefully around you. It exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. December to April is also the busiest time of year for tourism, so it's important to book your dive trips in advance. You can go hiking in the Mastic Trail where it has really nice views from the harbors and the beaches. Bloody Bay Coral Reef Wall - one of the most beautiful dive sites in the Cayman Islands It's time to head back underwater for another jaw-dropping location: the Bloody Bay Wall. We conduct this course from our shore location where the water is ideal for new divers! Dining can be pricey but the meals I have had have been wonderful. 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. The chart to the right using data from the Caribbean Tourism Organization shows that March is the most popular month of the year to visit followed by December and July. Babylon is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. Keith Tibbets- This Soviet-built Frigate that was owned by the Cuban navy was given to the Cayman Islands to purposefully sink it. 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. 390 S Church St, George Town KY1-1106, Cayman Islands. Both of these sites are accessible from shore. 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. This is brought to you by the paradise-features of diving Cayman Islands: three islands where the bounty of nature is amplified as you go underwater.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'scubadivegeek_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_3',115,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Who would ever think that at the peak of an undersea mountain range lies a country that has one of the Worlds largest financial centers? Click the link below to read our article about Macabuca: Tarpon Alley is located at the North Wall in Grand Cayman. If you don't feel comfortable using my referral links, you can always go directly to their site and bypass me. Purposely sunk in 2011, she now sits upright in the sand at 18 meters (60ft) and is a teeming artificial reef encrusted with coral. No worries, the diving is world class on Bloody Bay Wall. Each time has been a wonderful underwater adventure. Roundabout is located along the North Wall in Grand Cayman. If you like diving in caves and grottos, Trinity Caves on Grand Caymans west side is the site for you. 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 . Cayman Islands International Film Festival. The Cayman Turtle Farm is one of the most visited land attractions on the island.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'scubadivegeek_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_1',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'scubadivegeek_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_2',121,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1'); .large-mobile-banner-1-multi-121{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. While accessible from shore, it is a long surface swim so diving the Oro Verde by boat is recommended. Most people see flights, accommodations, and activities far cheaper during this time since fewer tourists are visiting. Hotels, resorts and cruise ships dont like unsold rooms and cabins, so they are more likely to offer discounts to attract customers. Away from the stingray action, there are a number of coral heads with a variety of life to check out. There is slightly more rain during the summer months. We gave our Gear Lovers one job: When diving the Cayman Islands you can see a lot of large sponges, some good macro, and some tiny fish. Sharks and turtles are frequent visitors as are snappers, groupers, and grunts. The wall dive also has several other topographical features including swim-throughs and tunnels. Under its 1986 declaration covering an area of hectares (23 acres) are dive sites that are popular to tourists and divers alike. But these aren't the only good and bad times. This site is a firm favorite among local dive masters, most likely because of the intriguing geological features but there is plenty of marine life here too.