The water is about 12-feet deep here. This is a wall that drops 2000 meters to the sea floor. 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. Located near a popular resort is a vertical drop off that is filled with all sorts of marine life the North Wall. Get in touch with our specialists for even more in-depth travel advice. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Use Add to ideas + to collect your trip ideas, share with friends or make Founder of Georges Watersports & Thingstodocayman.net. 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. Address. The best time to visit Grand Cayman is March and April. I have lived in the corporate world for a few years now with very little excitement in my life. The highlight of the dive is the photo opportunity with this Cayman reefs most famous resident. 4. Water temperatures are usually low 80's F. Marine life is plentiful and varied. 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. With a PADI Travel account, you can favourite dive operators to come back to later on any device or computer. 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. Click the link below to read our article where we explain the difference between Deep Stingray City and Stingray City Sandbar: Macabuca is located in West Bay in Grand Cayman. During the day rays, turtles, the occasional barracuda and plenty of reef fish mean theres a lot to keep divers engaged. September and October are clearly the least popular months to go because of a high risk of heavy rains along with hot temperatures. The best time to dive is between December and April when the water is at its warmest and the visibility is at its best. Beginners can enjoy another smaller chimney instead. Devilishly deep drop-offs, wicked wreck dives and some of the coolest coral in the Caribbean have made the Cayman Islands a world-class dive destination. Eels, rays, sharks, and turtles are frequently seen. It was named after the famous free-diver Penny Ventura. DIVEIN.com was founded in 2009 by the two brothers Torben and Nicolai. Unfortunately, the tarpons that gave this site its name have moved on, but you may be lucky and catch a glimpse of these silver kings. There are also lots of tarpon and small silver sprats in this area. Watch your buoyancy and head out into the blue, look back to really appreciate the Great Walls sheer size and impressive drop-off. Over a 30-year history, the islands have averaged less than two inches of rain from January through April and a little more than two inches in December, according to the Cayman Islands National Weather Service. 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. Hotels, resorts and cruise ships dont like unsold rooms and cabins, so they are more likely to offer discounts to attract customers. Divers in the Caymans visit Kittiwake for the wreck itself. 1. The water depth here is around 18-meters. 0 In general, the tourism industry in the Cayman Islands is designed with divers in mind. Located in popular Bloody Bay, Donnas Delight is home to some classic Cayman wall diving: Giant barrel sponges, arching sea fans, and bright corals. Despite being small measuring only 16 x 1.6 kilometers (10 x 1 mile), tourism is booming and tourism facilities are sprawling especially in South Town. My poker stick resembled the dive guides spears, so they followed me closely and would even "show" me where the lion fish were, confused when I didn't feed them. 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. Its also the historical rainfall patterns. 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? Best Times To Visit Cayman Islands The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and June when the hotel rates drop. For beginners or those who get nervous in enclosed spaces, there are plenty of decks around the exterior to check out. The rainiest months in Grand Cayman are September and October during the height of the annual hurricane season. It is rich with tunnels, chutes, cervices, and beautiful reefs. Stingray City has very large, friendly stingrays. Purposely sunk in 2011, she now sits upright in the sand at 18 meters (60ft) and is a teeming artificial reef encrusted with coral. 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. 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. If you like diving in caves and grottos, Trinity Caves on Grand Caymans west side is the site for you. Continue with Recommended Cookies. You can dive along this wall and explore the different entrances. Photographers can make the worst dive buddies. Because the site is prone to strong currents, it isnt frequently dived which makes a trip to this very healthy reef even more special. Courtesy of IreneCorti/Getty Images/iStockphoto. If wall diving is your thing, check out diving in Turks & Caicos. If you are into grottos or swim-throughs, then you must head out to the west side of Grand Cayman and explore the three long tunnel swim-throughs of the Trinity Caves. Our Original Diving experts, made up of marine biologists, The amazing diversity and dive sites for all levels are just one of the reasons why the Cayman Islands is also one of the top dive destinations in the Carribean. I have stayed there several times at a dive resort with on-site dive operation. Stingray City is in only 12ft (4m) of water and is a huge draw for divers and underwater photographers. I am Dan, this site is my blog where I document my research on the best diving spots in the world. Here youll find more than 50 dives sites including the famous Bloody Bay. At night, this popular Caymans dive site is great for spotting octopus, lobster, and shrimp. Usually you will see at least a few tarpon at this spot. Keith Tibbets- This Soviet-built Frigate that was owned by the Cuban navy was given to the Cayman Islands to purposefully sink it. The largest among the three islands, Grand Cayman is highly popular among SCUBA divers from all over the world. They pickup from the Westin, Ritz and Kimpton Seafire beaches for their West Dives, which is one of their standout features. . 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 exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. The Cayman Islands certainly offer diversity without a long trip from the states. There's much to discover beyond theme parks in this Southeastern state. ScubaDiveGeek.com also participates in other affiliate programs and Google Adwords and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these and other companies. Take your camera and get a snap with one of the abandoned bicycles that have also found a home here. Under its 1986 declaration covering an area of hectares (23 acres) are dive sites that are popular to tourists and divers alike. Web Visit website. Find the best and most popular products and review them. There is shopping, bars to hang out in, and live music. It is Batabano, the countrys biggest festival, which is scheduled for early May each year. 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. If you want to escape the crowds of cruise ship passengers, the East End is the place to go. Here are a few of our favourite dive sites in Grand Cayman: 1. Most people see flights, accommodations, and activities far cheaper during this time since fewer tourists are visiting. Little Cayman is a lovely, quiet little island with a population of less than 170. Nature lovers are lured to diverse hiking trails, caves, and a variety of flora and fauna around the island. The amazing strawberry sponges were in abundance there. The islands' location in the western part of the Caribbean shields them from being hit too hard by the annual hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. Megan Johnson|Sharael KolbergMarch 3, 2023, Holly Johnson|Erin EvansFebruary 28, 2023, U.S. News Travel EditorsFebruary 28, 2023, Kyle McCarthy|Catriona KendallFebruary 22, 2023. 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. Welcome to my scuba diving bucket list. Both of these sites are accessible from shore. Look in the blue off the wall for passing sharks, rays, and turtles. Each time has been a wonderful underwater adventure. The Cayman Islands dollar is legal tender in these islands. ASK US HERE! Wreck of the Oro Verde is located in Grand Cayman. I know there are shore dives that can be done, and we plan to do some of those next time. I make money by sharing links to services that I personally use and recommend. Three long, wide tunnels, accessible to the majority of divers, extend from the sand flats to open out onto the reef wall. Seven Mile Beach is considered the most popular tourist area in the Cayman Islands, thanks to its stunning white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. The three islands that make up the nation, Cayman Brac, Grand Cayman, and Little Cayman, are diverse and have distinct diving. Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews. 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. Schools of bright snappers brightened the reefs among colorful sponges. 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. Enquire Around the coral fingers, stingrays, eagle rays and yellowhead jawfish rest on the sandy patches. 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? Having a less touristic crowd, Cayman Brac still has several tourism facilities like Cayman Brac Dive Resorts that are scattered along its narrow coast. Sharp-eyed divers can find leopard flatworms and the tunnels are also popular hangouts for rays and green moray eels. 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. Booming in the sense that Little Cayman has over 15 dive sites that have attracted divers from all parts of the globe, and sprawling since all the dive sites are teeming with marine life. The dives are shallow and you can closely observe them swimming around or above you. 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. Click here to learn more. Clearly Cayman Group Specials - Big savings on 7-night stays! We conduct this course from our shore location where the water is ideal for new divers! This spot is about 20-feet deep, and has a lot of coral. It is an amazing sight, and a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. "High Season" at the hotels is mid-December to mid-April, so rates will be higher then. As for temperature and weather, the Cayman Islands are tropical, meaning it's warm 365 days a year. Thus, you can keep going back and still discover new sites. Grand Cayman has beautiful beaches and probably the most topside activities or restaurants anyone would want. Exploring this site requires you to descend to a depth of 18 meters (60 feet) where the entrance of this elaborate tunnel system starts. You can go hiking in the Mastic Trail where it has really nice views from the harbors and the beaches. 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.. The Kittiwake wreck as well as other wrecks in the close vicinity add variety and interesting structure which I really enjoyed. You may see hammerhead sharks if you are lucky. StingrayCity. marine life, be it the tiny critters or bigger beasts of the ocean. 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. 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. April is an especially good choice because it has the warmest weather of the entire five-month dry season. Princess Pennies Pinnacle is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. Its land area is slightly bigger than Little Cayman with a measurement of 19 x 2 kilometers (12miles x 1.2miles). Little Caymans Bloody Bay is home to some of the most dramatic and spectacular drop-offs and swim-throughs in the Carribean. Discover these empowering women's history destinations selected by the U.S. News travel editors. [What You Need to Know]. 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. The best time to go to the Cayman Islands is in March and April because there is spring break from school and April has a combination of warm temperatures and a low risk of rain. Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center. Situated on a wide beach on the island's West End, the property offers 40 air-conditioned rooms (renovated in late 2015 and featuring soothing Caribbean . The main dive spot of Little Cayman is located on the northwest coast in a marine protected area the Bloody Bay Marine Park. I thought it might be too touristy, but it was a lot of fun. 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! When to go Best time Low season Off season Where to go when Average rainfall jumps to more than five inches in May, June and July. 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. Originally coined 356, this wreck is now called the M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts after a well-known Cayman Brac politician. Before the USS Kittiwake was sunk, the Oro Verde was the wreck dive of choice in the Caymans. Boat rides were no longer than 15 minutes, with most being around 5 minutes. From these locations, I was able to dive the west end and also the North Wall. In February, the cost is roughly $1,044 round trip . If the forecast looks good, they should consider taking a last-minute trip to Grand Cayman if they also spot an attractive discount. Grand Cayman scuba diving is also more popular than on the other islands due to the stingray population there. 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. Babylon is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. However, there are large coral canyons that provide exciting swim-throughs for divers. While at first the Oro Verde was a complete ship, rough seas and tumultuous weather have dispersed the wreckage. The course includes a 2-hour pool and theory session, and an . The resident goliath grouper is a popular dive buddy at this Cayman dive site. The top is at 15m/50ft but the bottom is around 90m/200ft so diver ought to watch their depth gauges carefully as they circle the mountain. GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT DIVING 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. that the underwater world (and overwater, if you plan on surfacing You will find the Cayman Islands to be very diverse, from quiet Little Cayman, to bustling Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. 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. Their sister company, Tortuga Divers, operates from Morritts Tortuga Club in East End. Grandview Condominiums are located on the south end of 7 Mile Beach in George Town on the scuba diving island of Grand Cayman. View Map. Stingrays and turtles are known to swim here. Facebook You can even make a side trip to "Hell", a small area with black volcanic rocks, a few curio shops, and an actual post office you can send mail from with a postmark from Hell. And when it comes to marine life, there is lots to see! 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. Courtesy of Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman. Best Liveaboard Destinations in the World, Vaccines recommended: Hep A; Typhoid if you will travel to rural areas, Visa: None needed for US citizens or European Union, Safety: Generally safe but petty theft can occur. While accessible from shore, it is a long surface swim so diving the Oro Verde by boat is recommended. The wreck was specifically set up for safe penetration, giving divers many interior rooms to explore. It is 330-feet in length, and was sunk in Cayman Brac in 1996. This is currently number 20 on the 100 Best Dives list.. Explore the top-rated styles for every type of trip to the beach. 1. Among the dive sites in Scuba Cayman Brac, the remains of a 100meter (330feet) long Russian Koni class frigate is considered one of the best underwater attraction in the Cayman Islands. 6. While you can get some rain, it's not as common as during the summer. A direct flight from Miami to Grand Cayman takes only 70 minutes. Choose from private or single rates, we will find you the best possible option to help you enjoy the famous Cayman Stingray City. The islands are warm year-round with average highs holding steady in the 80s. For shark diving, we suggest the Maze, Scuba Bowl and the Grouper Grotto which is also filled with lots of good-size groupers. Our travel experts have highlighted our favourite places to visit each month, Terms & Conditions It sounds like the best time overall, based on the posts so far. This is an especiallygreat time to visit clear, calm waters are perfect for snorkeling, diving, sailing and fishing. an enquiry. // ]]>, Call us today at+1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates. As the name suggests, this Cayman dive site is known for eagle rays. 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. at any point on your diving holiday) has to offer. You can enter different swim-through areas where the wall drops to great depths. 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;}. Greenhouse is a nice medium-depth reef dive with plenty of grooves and gullies to explore. The top of the wall is around 9 meters (30ft) so the site can be enjoyed as a shallow or deep dive. 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. It does not make the product pricier for you. No diving trip in Grand Cayman would be complete without a dive at the infamous Stingray City. 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. But which Cayman Island has the best diving? 1. You will also notice that this tunnel system has a healthy population of whip corals and sponges that are all tall in size.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'scubadivegeek_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_0',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Scuba diving in Grand Cayman is not just only about wall diving. They make a difference for anyone visiting the Caymans by cruise who plans to spend more time shopping, dining and visiting attractions than spend time on the beaches. It now rests in an upright position at a depth of 27meters (89feet). Roberts Wall is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. The rainy season spans from May through October though showers usually only last for a few hours at a time. There is a separate fee to dive this wreck that goes towards conservation, and you also get a nice yellow diver medallion to keep. 20 Best Dive Sites In The Cayman Islands (2023) In this article, we review the top 20 scuba dive sites in the Cayman Islands. The ship was originally built for the US Army Transportation Corps over 70-years ago. Other highlights include barracudas, yellowtail snappers, hawksbill turtles, and stingrays that sleep in the sand. The North Wall is one of the most visited diving sites and plunges to a depth of 6000 feet (1800 meters). You can see Spotted Eagle Rays flying passed this area from depths of about 30 to 100 feet. 5. 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. 1 is a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit. Click the link below to read our article about Eden Rock: Deep Stingray City is located in Grand Cayman. DIVEMASTER AND INSTRUCTOR TRAINING SPECIALTY AND TECHNICAL COURSE KIDS DISABLED DIVERS SAFETY The Cayman Islands boasts state-of-the-art medical facilities including a hyperbaric chamber (located on Grand Cayman) and, in the event of an emergency, quality care can be provided in minutes. 310-915-6677 Cayman Brac offered multiple relaxed dive spots on reefs all along the edge of the island. 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.
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