Dive Sites off Grand Cayman’s West Coast
Surrounded by deep plunging walls and protective shallow reefs, the Cayman Islands are home to some of the best (Top 3) Scuba Diving in the Caribbean Diving! The islands’ relative seclusion in the Caribbean Sea results in some of the cleanest ocean waters with healthy coral reefs. Scuba dive in the Cayman Islands and experience an amazing underwater landscape, where vibrantly coloured marine life can be enjoyed in fairly calm and amazingly clear warm waters. The Cayman Islands are truly a Diver’s Paradise!
Some of the best Grand Cayman diving can be found along the west coast of the island – Home to over 50 official dive sites! Check out some of the details below (listed from north to south):
- Chain Reef
- A relatively shallow site starting at 35 feet (11m) deep, where you can find coral and other marine life
- In Between
- A wall with coral fingers will be found around 65 feet (20m) deep
- Funky Sponge
- Hepp’s Pipeline
- A shallow site 25 feet (8m) deep with a colourful mini-wall
- Hepp’s Wall
- This site is shore accessible – Large coral mounds at 60 feet (18m) featuring colourful sponges along with a fairly strong current
- Portobello
- Guardian of the Reef
- Lighthouse Point / Wall / Ledge / Reef
- Home to the 17 foot ‘Guardian of the Reef’ bronze statue, this site is ideal for shore diving where you may also encounter turtles, rays and perhaps a reef shark
- Bonnie’s Arch
- There’s plenty to see at this site between 40 and 70 feet (12-21m) deep, including sponges, angelfish, tarpon, horse-eye jacks, as well as seahorses and crabs. Of course there’s coral ridges and valleys with a large (50 foot / 15m) coral bridge / archway. Great for underwater photography!
- Northwest Point / Drop-off
- A 60+ feet (18m) deep site with a fairly strong current, this site has colourful sponges and corals. Ideal for drift diving and underwater photography!
- Dolphin Drop-off
- For advanced divers, this deep (70 feet / 21m) site is home to a wall with large sponges along with gorgonians and sea whips
- Orange Canyon
- At 60 feet (18m) deep, a large coral head on the wall roughly marks a split of two canyons filled with orange elephant ear sponges as well as gorgonians and sea fans
- Sentinel Rock
- For advanced divers, this site plunges close to 90 feet (27m) deep and features a unique coral point coming off the wall. There’s also colourful sponges and fans along with black coral and the occasional moray eel to see.
- Big Tunnel(s)
- A popular site for advanced divers, has a steep wall ranging in depth from 40 to 130 feet (12-40m) deep, this site has multiple channels, canyons, tunnels and overhangs. There’s plenty of swim-throughs, highlighted by a large coral archway over 100 feet (30m) deep. You’ll be accompanied by large tarpon on this dive.
- Easy Street
- Ranging in depth from 65 to 100 feet (20-30m) deep, this site features a swim-through as well as turtles and schools of fish
- Dragon’s Hole
- For advanced divers, this 70 feet (21m) deep site has another great swim-through along with sponges and corals to see
- Rainbow Reef West
- Big Dipper
- For advanced divers, this wall plunges more than 70 feet (21m) deep
- Texas Hole
- Little Tunnels
- A 60 feet (18m) deep tunnel takes you to a wall that is home to turtles and eels
- Round Rock East
- Round Rock West
- This site ranges in depth from 50 to over a 100 feet (15-30m) deep and features a horizontal rock with a circular swim-through passage, a large basket coral along with gorgonians and schools of jacks
- Trinity Caves
- This popular dive site, ranging in depth from 50 to 70 feet ( 15-21m) deep, has made the pages of dive magazines due to it’s trinity (three) of grottoes with long swim-throughs through the reef wall that are home to many crustaceans. There’s also a colourful coral spike covered in sponges and gorgonians as well as schools of fish.
- Peppermint Reef
- This relatively shallow site bottoms out around 40 feet (12m) deep and is home to several colorful macro creatures and the occasional juvenile ray. Great for underwater photography.
- Neptune’s Wall
- This site is around 60 feet (18m) deep with a sandy bottom and features turtles, tropical fish and rays, along with lobster.
- Wall Street
- Starting around 50 feet (15m) deep this deep wall has plenty of sponges and coral life along with other marine life.
- Turtle (Schooner) Reef
- With it’s long mini-wall starting around 30 feet (9m) deep, this site is shore accessible and is home to colourful sponges and corals as well as schools of tarpon and plenty of other fish and marine life.
- Slaughterhouse Wall
- Sand Chute
- This site is essentially a large coral and sand valley ranging in depth from 50 to to over 100 feet (15-30m) deep where you can see plenty of rays
- Kittiwake Wreck
- Ranging in depth from 15 to 65 feet (5-20m) deep, this former US Navy submarine rescue vessel was cleared of all hazardous materials, had holes cut from the hull and all the doors removed before being sunk as an artificial reef in 2011. The ship is 251 feet (76m) long and has 5 decks to explore, with a number of the ship’s instrument panels left on board.
- Mitch Miller reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep with unique reef undercuts home to crustaceans and nurse sharks. A great spot for beginners and underwater photography.
- Memorial Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep with tons of cracks and crevices for macro creatures to live
- Marty’s Wall
- At 50 feet (15m) deep this wall site offers sponges as well as turtles and rays
- Doc Poulson Wreck
- This former cable laying ship sits in 50 feet (15m) of water and is home to plenty of coral growth as well as young fish
- 13 Trees
- Knife
- For advanced divers, this quiet site is 75 feet (23m) deep and features healthy coral, tropical fish moray eels
- Victoria’s Secret
- Lost Treasure Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep. Legend has it that the occasional Spanish galleon would wreck near this location spilling coins onto the ocean floor. There’s plenty of fish to see. Great for beginners.
- Darvin’s Theory
- Spanish Anchor
- This relatively shallow site is about 40 feet (12m) deep and features, yes, an anchor from a Spanish galleon
- Chelonia Wall
- Bolero
- Three Trees
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and is home to colourful coral fingers, plenty of fish as well as rays
- Angelfish Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and features, you guessed it, a variety of angelfish! Nice coral will be seen here as well. A good spot for night diving.
- Killer Puffer
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and features a reef full of sea life. A good spot for beginners.
- Governor’s Reef
- Meridian Drop-Off
- Jax Dax
- This relatively shallow site is about 40 feet (12m) deep and is home to a variety of corals and tropical fish. A great spot for beginners and underwater photography
- Great Wall
- Paradise Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and features a spur and groove coral reef covered in sponges and with plenty of fish
- Wild Hammer
- Eagle’s Nest
- This site is 60 feet (18m) deep with plenty of colourful sponges and coral. Turtles and rays also frequent the area.
- Holiday Inn Drop-off
- This deep wall starts at 65 feet (20m) deep and has plenty of anglefish and grouper to see
- Aquarium (Reef)
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and is home to lots of coral and tons of fish including sergeant majors, angelfish and snappers. A great spot for beginners.
- Peter’s Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 35 feet (11m) deep and has plenty of large fish to see
- Oro Verde Wreck
- About 50 feet (15m) deep, this 184 foot (56m) long steel cargo vessel was sunk in 1980 and has since broken up and moved against a coral reef. Home to many fish, including jacks, chubs, parrotfish and snappers as well as eels.
- Hammerhead Hole
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep and although few sharks are spotted here now, it has plenty of other sea-life to see
- Caribbean Club Sand Chute
- Wildlife Reef
- This relatively shallow site is about 40 feet (12m) deep and features plenty of colourful coral and fish alike. A good spot for underwater photography.
- Giant Slide
- Spongebob
- Lone Star Reef / Ledge
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep and is home to a colourful reef with plenty of tropical fish
- Killer Pillar
- Barracuda Wall
- La Mesa
- Royal Palms Ledge
- This site ranges from 40 to 65 feet (12-20m) deep and features a colourful ledge alive with sea creatures like squid, lobster and shrimp.A great spot for beginners, underwater photography as well as night dives.
- Cable Wall
- Pageant Beach Reef
- Bob Soto’s Reef
- This site is shore accessible
- Fish Pot Reef
- Balboa Wreck
- The remains of a 375 foot (114m) steel hulled freighter that sunk in 1932 is scattered across acres of ocean floor – most of which sits in about 40 feet (12m) of water. The ship parts are now home to fish, squid, octopus, eels, lobster, shrimp and crab. Makes for a great night dive.
- Cali Wreck
- This wreck is shore accessible and lies in just 20 feet (6m) of water
- Eden Rock / Devil’s Grotto
- Close to George Town and with a maximum depth of 45 feet (14m), these sites are very popular and are ideal for shore dives. You’ll encounter large coral reefs filled with caves and tunnels, as well as sponges, soft corals and plenty of tropical fish including blue tang, sargent majors, silversides, jack fish and tarpon.
- Seaview Reef
- This site is shore accessible
- LCM David Nicholson Wreck
- The remains of a WWII steel hulled landing craft can be accessed from shore
- Sunset (House) Reef / Siren of Amphitrite
- A popular shore dive, the reef has plenty of coral, sponges and sea whips to see while the 9 foot tall bronze mermaid statue is a new attraction to the site.
- Armchair Reef
- This relatively shallow and quiet site is about 35 feet (10m) deep and features a U-shaped mini-wall with plenty of coral, turtles as well as a large moray eel.
- Frank’s Reef
- Eagle Ray Rock
- Starting around 50 feet (15m) deep, this steep vertical wall has a cut and ravine feature along with colorful sponges, large coral pillars and plenty of rays
- Blackie’s Hole
- A quiet site around 50 feet (15m) deep featuring a sloping wall, gullies, a swim-through as well as an abundance of coral and fish
- Stuey’s Crevasse
- Disneyworld
- Smith Cove
- This relatively shallow site is about 30 feet (9m) deep and has both coral and sand patches along with marine life including turtles and eels. A good shore dive location.
- Black Forest
Also check out Scuba Diving at Grand Cayman’s: North Wall & North Sound; East End and South Side as well as Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Take a look at Grand Cayman Snorkeling too…
Planning a Cayman Islands Scuba Diving vacation? Go back to Cayman Islands Diving for a list of local Dive Centres / Boat Operators who’ll take good care of you
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