Grand Cayman Diving Sites

Cayman Islands Dive Sites Descriptions and Photos

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Grand Cayman Dive Site Information

Grand Cayman diving is spectacular almost 365 days of the year because of the way the Cayman Islands are situated. If the weather is too rough to dive one side of Grand Cayman, it is generally calm on another side. Most Grand Cayman Islands dive sites are only 10 minutes away, with even the furthest sites around 20 minutes away by boat.

» Grand Cayman Wall Diving Sites
» Grand Cayman Reef Diving Sites
» Grand Cayman Wreck Diving Sites
» Grand Cayman Stingray City Dive Sites
» Grand Cayman North Wall Dive Sites
» Grand Cayman West Wall Dive Sites

Grand Cayman Wall Diving Sites

Grand Cayman is surrounded by a wall, which generally starts at about 40-60 feet deep and slopes off to over 2,000 feet in some places. There are hundreds of wall diving sites situated all around the island and each can accommodate any level of certification or skill.

Grand Cayman Reef and Wreck Diving Sites

Our reefs have something to offer for everyone. On our West and North side reefs, formations are in coral fingers that stretch from half a mile out from shore towards the deeper water making navigation easy even for beginners. Tropical fish, turtles and stingrays are found here and are very friendly because of the number of divers they see daily. The dive sites are protected areas where collecting and fishing is not allowed. Gloves are also not permitted by law in the Cayman Islands.

Grand Cayman Stingray City Diving Sites

Grand Cayman's Stingray City is said to be the best and most exciting 12‐foot dive in the world! There are approximately 20 -30 resident Southern Stingrays in this area that are fed and petted by divers daily. The stingrays share this beautiful habitat with an abundance of tropical fish, hawksbill and green sea turtles, a resident green moray eel, spotted eagle rays and barracuda. The best part of this dive is you don’t have to move anywhere to get some amazing photography and videography.

Grand Cayman North Wall Dive Sites

Eagle Ray Pass

...is one of the most popular and most beautiful dives on the North. A deep coral chasm leading out to the wall that leaves you in some of the bluest water you will ever see. It is an awesome formation with giant plate corals, towering coral heads, coral archways and narrow crevices‐filled with magnificent sponges, gorgonian fans and black coral. This magical spot is also a regular gathering place for spotted eagle rays that cruise along the face of the wall. Divers frequently encounter groups of rays whose numbers range from 2-3 to 10 on a single dive!

Tarpon Alley

... is where more than 100 tarpon school together in a narrow coral canyon near the edge of the drop‐ off. Divers can swim through the canyon almost touching the tarpon that are slowly cruising back and forth. Most of these silvery fish measure 3‐4 feet long, but there are some giants that reach five feet in length and must weigh 150 pounds. Other features of this dive include Spotted Eagle Rays, schools of Cubera snapper, lobsters, Hammerhead, Reef and Nurse sharks. Visibility sometimes limits the days we can dive this site and we will make sure the best conditions are available to you.

White Stroke Canyon

...is straight out from Rum Point Channel, at the eastern end of the North Sound. The top of the drop‐off begins in 55 feet of water and the edge is marked by a series of four parallel coral ravines. They slope to 90 feet where they go over the edge of the wall and disappear into the abyss. One of the main attractions of No Name is a large, crimson red sponge growing out from the face of the drop‐off at a depth of 100 feet. This sponge is shaped like a basket, 18 inches in diameter and two feet tall, and grows out from the wall almost horizontally reaching for sunlight.

Gail's Mountain

...is one of the most stunning North Wall sites. An extraordinary coral formation perched on the edge of the drop‐off. In fact, it is the only formation of its kind known to exist off Cayman. It is around 250' across at the base, rises to within 40' of the surface and is flat on the top. Because of the shallow depths huge schools of tropical fish congregate and feed in the morning and afternoon sun.

Grand Cayman West Wall Dive Sites

Many of the best sites are right off Seven Mile Beach ‐ 5 to 15 minutes from shore. It is no accident that Grand Cayman's hotels and condos are concentrated in this area, for Seven Mile Beach offers some of the calmest waters and some of the best visibility. It is not uncommon for the ocean's surface to be as flat as a millpond and for underwater visibility to be 100 feet or better. The north end of Seven Mile Beach is very popular and has some of the most stunning walls, colors and sponge life. With our 6 divers maximum and fast boat, we get there before most other dive operators have their morning coffee.

Caribbean Club Sand Chute

... is a 300 foot wide river of sand that slopes gradually to a depth of 120 feet, where the sand flow narrows. At this point, the slope becomes steeper, slanting on a 45 degree angle and continues to plunge more than 350 feet. The white sand slope looks like a snow ski run with mountains of coral formations boarding the sides.

La Mesa

... is a small, flat topped coral reef loaded with more than a dozen separate schools of reef fish. Here divers can swim with and photograph groups of yellow and blue striped grunts, schoolmasters, horse‐eye jacks, Bermuda chubs, juvenile and adult spotted drums and let’s not forget everybody’s favorite Barracudas. The shallow depths on this dive allow for some serious extended bottom times and colorful photos.

Trinity Caves

... is a system of three coral canyons that converge on the face of a vertical wall. The canyons have formed from coral reef growing up, getting heavy and falling over. The entrance is at approximately 60' and slopes gradually to 100, where they exist together. Just south of here is a slightly shorter and more meandering tunnel. It also leads to the drop‐off but exists into a deep coral crevice directly in front of a towering pinnacle. Just to the right of this is a shorter tunnel that curves around a second pinnacle. I know it sounds like a bunch of swimming but we’ll explore all the swim thrus and still have spare air to visit all the fishes living on the reef.

Aquarium Reef

...is one of the more popular shallow reef sites on the West. A medium depth dive site consisting of coral groove and finger formations. The fish are so tame you almost have to push them away from your mask. Residents of this reef include a big school of Yellowtail snappers, Sergeant majors and an extremely friendly Angelfish. Don’t forget to see what’s made a home in the sand too. Might catch a Stingray feeding, Garden eels hiding, or Yellow Headed Jaw fishes taking care of their babies.

Oro Verde (Wreck Dive)

...is Grand Cayman's most popular wreck dive. Lying on the white sand bottom is 50 feet of water; this 184‐foot steel freighter has become a refuge for all types of marine life. It is a veritable fishbowl with yellowtail snappers, Nassau groupers, sergeant majors and a pair of friendly French angelfish swarming around divers, all hoping for a handout. Don’t expect to see a beautiful ship down there, this freighter has been beaten and busted by several hurricanes throughout the years.

Royal Palm's Ledge

...is moored in the middle of a long coral finger or ridge, undercut at one end. The top has tightly clustered coral heads, providing protection for small fish, while the underside curves sharply back under the coral ridge and drops down to a sandy channel at 55'. This site is known for the abundance of tiny invertebrates, lots of schooling fish and is regarded as one of Cayman's best night dives.

Eagle Ray Rock

...is a beautiful wall dive on the Southwest point of the island. This location was named for the eagle rays frequently seen cruising along this section of the drop‐off and feeding from the sand flats and chutes. The wall begins at 55' and drops vertically. There is an interesting l‐shaped ravine formed by high coral promontory with vertical sides. The walls of this canyon are loaded with all types of colorful sponges, black coral trees and sea fans. Quite often nudibranchs are found here hiding among the rocky coral formations.

Big Tunnel

...is a drop off with a giant coral archway. The top is at 105 feet, the bottom at 120. This is sheer wall approximately 300 feet in length and etched by many winding channels and canyons. While there are many smaller tunnels, crevices and overhangs, the real thrill of this dive is the arch. In addition to the swim through opportunities, this site is frequented by a school of large tarpon that hangs out in the canyons.

Orange Canyon

...is so named because of the brilliant array of orange elephant ear sponges growing on the walls of this canyon. Two beautifully encrusted pinnacles sit on the edge of the wall, one with a great swim thru to practice your buoyancy. two ravines form canyons on either side, trailing all the way back to 60'. Along both of these ravines are many different sized orange sponges, engulfed in gorgonians and sea fans. Also quite often huge schools of silversides fill a dead-end cave where Horse-eyed jacks, grouper, snapper and tarpon corral their lunch just inches away.

Bonnie's Arch

...just off shore from the Bonnie’s Arch Condos at NW point, a beautifully encrusted coral archway with lots of coral ridges and sand canyons. The fish life here is so diverse there is no need to swim anywhere to check each one off your fish-ID card. Also with the shallow depths it’s a photographers dream.

Sentinel Rock

...is a unique coral pinnacle jutting straight up from a steeply sloping drop‐off at a depth of 90 feet. There is a horizontal tunnel piercing the center and filled with a collection of black coral and colorful sponges. The entire pinnacle is covered with a colorful tapestry of deepwater gorgonians, orange elephant ear sponges, red encrusting sponges and a diversity of marine life. We often sneak over to see the tarpon hiding next door on Big Tunnel just a few fin kicks away.