You need to take a boat to reach this area. 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. We'll whisk you through the security queues (where available). Grab your gear and dive into the crystal clear waters of Grand Cayman! This is a must-do dive for people vacationing in Grand Cayman. You may see hammerhead sharks if you are lucky. Stingrays and turtles are known to swim here. Grand Cayman has beautiful beaches and probably the most topside activities or restaurants anyone would want. For big animals - you can find a good number of turtles and groupers, tarpon, nurse sharks, great barracuda, and stingrays. December to April is also the busiest time of year for tourism, so it's important to book your dive trips in advance. Moray eels and angelfish move among the coral, and turtles are often seen cruising over the reef. If wall diving is your thing, check out diving in Turks & Caicos. 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. I have stayed there several times at a dive resort with on-site dive operation. It is rich with tunnels, chutes, cervices, and beautiful reefs. Best Time to Visit The Cayman Islands are mostly sunny and warm year-round, but it may be best to visit between March and June when the hotel rates drop. It is only a 10-minute walk from the cruise ship port in George Town to Eden Rock. The Cayman Islands hosts one of the best dives in the World: Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman. Average rainfall jumps to more than five inches in May, June and July. In general, the tourism industry in the Cayman Islands is designed with divers in mind. The 20 Best Dive sites in Caymans? Cayman Islands has an average water temperature ranging from 26 29C (78 84F). Everything most divers want. The Cayman Islands hosts one of the best dives in the World: Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman. Before the USS Kittiwake was sunk, the Oro Verde was the wreck dive of choice in the Caymans. It is worth noting however that from June until October is the hurricane season in the Caribbean. Photographers will love Greenhouse for its varied macro life. For scuba diving, the best time to dive the Cayman Islands is pretty much any time except peak hurricane season. The dives are shallow and you can closely observe them swimming around or above you. It exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. Dive vacations in the Cayman Islands are a good choice for underwater photographers with their many opportunities to capture the beauty of the place and wonderful visibility, and also for travellers looking for deep dives - you can find many along the Cayman walls. A 2.75 meter (9ft) bronze statue of Amphitrite (the wife of the mythological god Poseidon) rises up from the base of the reef. Plenty of schooling reef fish call Ghost Mountain home and the pinnacle is also carpeted in deep, bloody-red finger sponges. This gives the unique Caymans dive site a blend of steep vertical walls, sloping reefs, and coral-crusted fingers. Stingrays, stingrays, and more stingrays is what draws divers to this Cayman site. 1. After being intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef, this former 76 meter (251 feet) long naval vessel now rests at 18 meters (60 feet) deep near the world-renowned Seven Mile Beach. PADI Dive Resorts for all budgets, in the best dive locations around the world. You can hand-feed wild Southern stingrays. Overall it is a place worth seeing. Here are a few of our favourite dive sites in Grand Cayman: 1. Take your camera and get a snap with one of the abandoned bicycles that have also found a home here. Intermediate divers can begin their dive at the chimney, a narrow tunnel starting at 12m/40ft and ending at 24m/80ft. For macro subjects, you can see angelfish, morays, lettuce slug nudibranchs and many more. Lionfish have become an invasive species and some of the dive operators offer culling excursions. With a PADI Travel account, you can favourite dive operators to come back to later on any device or computer. 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. Get forecasts each morning for every major island. Best Time To Dive The Cayman Island And when you have the right product, youre a little bit happier which affects the people around you! The people of the island are friendly and culturally diverse. If you have time, you should also take a flight to Little Cayman from Grand Cayman, and dive at Bloody Bay Wall. Book an introductory scuba diving package to learn the basics of diving from certified PADI instructors. Also, check out our article where we review the top 25 things to do in Grand Cayman. Indonesia. From 5 star restaurants to fish frys at the local gas station. Just be prepared for a rain shower or two, as this is the start of the region's wet season. Just south of Seven Mile Beach and approximately 46 feet below the surface are Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto, two of the most popular diving spots on Grand Cayman. With virtually no currents and outstanding underwater visibility, Cayman has amazing wall dives, coral reefs and wrecks for you to explore and discover. Bay Islands, Honduras. They were all guided dives. Of the three main islands, Grand Cayman is where most divers go where you can explore over 50 dive sites allowing you to do virtually all types of diving and is suited for all levels of certification.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-box-4','ezslot_16',103,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-box-4','ezslot_17',103,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-box-4-0_1'); .box-4-multi-103{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:600px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. This is a must do dive. The Cayman Islands are widely regarded as the birthplace of recreational scuba diving, thanks to some pioneering efforts by local operators in the 1980s. A direct flight from Miami to Grand Cayman takes only 70 minutes. Only ten miles long and one mile wide, this is a place where you can truly focus on your opportunity to relax. 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. But which Cayman Island has the best diving? While you can get some rain, it's not as common as during the summer. "High Season" at the hotels is mid-December to mid-April, so rates will be higher then. There is a reason you won't find under a 5-star review for Silver Thatch, they are the best. This is currently number 20 on the 100 Best Dives list. The wreck was specifically set up for safe penetration, giving divers many interior rooms to explore. Frugal travel planners can look for good deals during these months while keeping an eye on the 10-day weather forecast. Twitter Exploring this site requires you to descend to a depth of 18 meters (60 feet) where the entrance of this elaborate tunnel system starts. While Grand Cayman, the most popular island, has a mix of accessible shore and boat diving. 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. If you want to go a little more remote, try Little Cayman. Head to the turret guns for a superb photo opportunity and keep your eyes peeled for barracuda, bright sponges, and schooling reef fish. 20 Best Dive Sites In The Cayman Islands (2023) In this article, we review the top 20 scuba dive sites in the Cayman Islands. Click the link below to read our article about Eden Rock: Deep Stingray City is located in Grand Cayman. It was then sunk in Grand Cayman in 1980 to make a new dive site. I have lived in the corporate world for a few years now with very little excitement in my life. The flight and hotel fares are discounted up to 50 percent this time of year. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates. The Cayman Islands dollar is legal tender in these islands. Get certified to scuba dive. 4. In addition, you're more likely to snag a hotel deal during these months. 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. 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. In February, the cost is roughly $1,044 round trip . Some of those services give me a small percentage of what you pay as commission for my referral. In 2017, Tropical Storm Nate shifted the Kittiwake from her original position. 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. As a photographer, I never lacked for subjects both wide angle and macro and anything in between. Their sister company, Tortuga Divers, operates from Morritts Tortuga Club in East End. Rum Point Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned diver, Grand Cayman has a dive site for you. 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. 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. Located in popular Bloody Bay, Donnas Delight is home to some classic Cayman wall diving: Giant barrel sponges, arching sea fans, and bright corals. This spot is about 20-feet deep, and has a lot of coral. During the day rays, turtles, the occasional barracuda and plenty of reef fish mean theres a lot to keep divers engaged. The non-divers with us were content to lounge by the pool, visit the spa, ride bikes, and go for walks. From the mooring, divers often descend through a cut in the reef and out onto the wall. There is also a restaurant, bar and dive shop at Macabuca. Marine Life & Environment - Top Dive Spots - Diving Conditions, How to Get There-How to Dive Cayman Islands-Best Time to Dive, NEW! June to October brings . While the tropical vacation destination does see fewer crowds, this is the rainiest season in the Cayman Islands so you may have to contend with some showers. 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. ScubaDiveGeek.com also participates in other affiliate programs and Google Adwords and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these and other companies. Generally, even with up to four dives per day on offer Cayman Islands scuba diving . 4 of the Best Places to Go Shore Diving in Grand Cayman. Do you love diving in the Caymans? This is a fun dive spot that you can access from shore. Grand Cayman is a sophisticated Caribbean island with great nightlife, great resort options, and the wonderful attraction of stingray city, and very good wall diving. 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. Because the site is prone to strong currents, it isnt frequently dived which makes a trip to this very healthy reef even more special. We dived 3 days in February 2014, and they were all excellent and memorable dives. On top of being generally warm, the waters are clear with underwater visibility running from 18 30 meters (60 100 feet). for even more in-depth travel advice. [What You Need to Know]. 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 . Having a less touristic crowd, Cayman Brac still has several tourism facilities like Cayman Brac Dive Resorts that are scattered along its narrow coast. Best time to dive in Cayman Islands The diving is great year round in the Caribbean, something that is promoted with the dive 365 program. Often you can see massive tarpons, barracudas, and schools of silversides. Sharks and turtles are frequent visitors as are snappers, groupers, and grunts. For water sports lovers, there are great spots for snorkeling including night snorkeling with bioluminescence, options to go sailing or on a catamaran cruise. Each time has been a wonderful underwater adventure. Cheeseburger Reef is located in George Town, 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. Would also recommend spending an afternoon at Rum Point, where you can relax and also do some snorkeling if you like. Exploring this site requires you to initially descend to 18 meters (60 feet) deep where the wall starts. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Little Cayman GoPro Video Workshop: April 2023, Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners, shifted the Kittiwake from her original position. The water is about 10 to 20 feet deep. Roberts Wall is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. It is possible to go scuba diving in Little Cayman all year round and the water temperature only varies from 21-27 degrees. Flamingo tongues can be found on the sea fans, while arrow crabs, bristle worms, and long-spined sea urchins hide in the cracks and grooves. Schools of bright snappers brightened the reefs among colorful sponges. Closely packed ridges form huge coral heads between the shore and the reef wall. 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. 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. an enquiry. No diving trip in Grand Cayman would be complete without a dive at the infamous Stingray City. As said earlier, Grand Cayman has over 50 dive sites and we will not leave this section without mentioning other noted dive spots. Youtube+ The Cayman Islands is a world-class diving destination famous for its reefs, wrecks and rum. Read more about diving in Bonaire. These Florida Keys resorts are ideal for family getaways and romantic retreats. The rainy season spans from May through October though showers usually only last for a few hours at a time. Best Time to Dive in Little Cayman. You will need little more (and some prefer less) than a 3 mm full length wetsuit. Please Sign-in or Register to save My Ideas for later, Our social channels Cathy Church has a shop at Sunset House where you can often meet her and see her beautiful underwater photos from the area. Choose from private or single rates, we will find you the best possible option to help you enjoy the famous Cayman Stingray City. StingrayCity. From classic wide-brimmed hats to water-repellent trucker hats, find your ideal style. Look along the ledge by the mooring for crabs and check out the four massive barrel sponges. [CDATA[ [] 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. 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;}. You will see a lot of tarpon at this spot, as well as coral and other fish. "High Season" at the hotels is mid-December to mid-April, so rates will be higher then. 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. This is a wall that drops 2000 meters to the sea floor. This is a shore dive, meaning that you enter the water from the shore, and then swim to Cheeseburger Reef. 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. When to go Best time Low season Off season Where to go when I guess thats one drawback of guided dives, everyone is constantly on the move, not ideal for photography, especially macro photography. Closer to the reef, turtles, groupers, horse-eyed jacks, and an over-abundance of lionfish make this colorful site even more interesting. Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. December rainfall drops back down to about three inches. 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. Our team will meet you at the airport and fast-track you through. If you don't feel comfortable using my referral links, you can always go directly to their site and bypass me. Our Original Diving experts, made up of marine biologists, Courtesy of Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman. Sunset Reef is a popular shore dive just 60 meters (200ft) off the Sunset House Resorts pier. It does not make the product pricier for you. 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. 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. You need to take a boat to reach this wreck. Some resorts offer "Hurricane protection". With 365 named dive sites, the enchanting Cayman Islands is a year-round underwater paradise. 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. January and February are the coolest months with average lows in the high 60s. Best Times To Visit Cayman Islands The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and June when the hotel rates drop. Pinterest Seven Mile Beach 4. June to October brings higher topside temperatures (up to 33C, 91F). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Grand Cayman is the most commercial island, with a lot of resorts, great nightlife, and more tourist attractions. Grand Cayman, the main island, is often one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, especially with western Caribbean cruises. April is an especially good choice because it has the warmest weather of the entire five-month dry season. Get in touch with our specialists for even more in-depth travel advice. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Tieneke, Joe, and Kevin went out of their way to accommodate our dive group and show us a really great time. The Cayman Islands-- Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac--have been attracting scuba divers for decades, including beginners! The majority of travel agents will advise you that the best time to visit Grand Cayman in order to get the most bang for your buck on a vacation to the Cayman Islands is between the months of March and June. Stingray City has very large, friendly stingrays. 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 is a separate fee to dive this wreck that goes towards conservation, and you also get a nice yellow diver medallion to keep. If you enjoy snorkeling, then check out our article where we discuss the top 25 snorkel spots in Grand Cayman. 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. 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. Head to around 30m/98ft for some of the best wall views. After exploring the area, here are some of the best dive sites in the Cayman Islands: 1. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. Named for a historical anchorage, Anchor Point features a tight chimney-like descent at the beginning of the dive. Sea temperature varies little, from a high of 86F/30C in August/September to a low of 80F/26.5C in February. Now large groups of southern stingrays are lurking around daily. that the underwater world (and overwater, if you plan on surfacing The top of the wall is around 9 meters (30ft) so the site can be enjoyed as a shallow or deep dive. 4. Tarpon Alley is part of the North Wall with depths between 15 to 25 meters (50-80ft). Instagram, My Ideas Apart from the elephant ear sponges, keep your eyes peeled for blacktip Carribean reef sharks in the blue. If you want to escape the crowds of cruise ship passengers, the East End is the place to go. Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. A few great choices are the Sunset House Hotel in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac Beach Resort and the Little Cayman Beach Resort. Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center. Macro photographers should keep an eye out for the neck and decorator crabs who make their homes here. Although this is a wall dive, the cut in the sites name comes from the swim-through many divers use upon descent. Use Add to ideas + to collect your trip ideas, share with friends or make 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. Aside from the coral laden walls of Babylon, your divemaster will usually lead you to a pinnacle where its towering structures are dominated by whip corals. Despite the name, there arent actually caves here. The prices of hotels and short excursions that would normally be prohibitively expensive fall to more reasonable levels during this 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. Kittiwake Shipwreck and diver in Grand Cayman - photo from Canva. 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. The wall dive also has several other topographical features including swim-throughs and tunnels. Generally, the off-season is the cheapest time to visit Grand Cayman, from May through November. September and October are clearly the least popular months to go because of a high risk of heavy rains along with hot temperatures. This is how we pay ourselves. Best Time to Dive in Little Cayman. But they are sometimes the cheapest months to visit. The best time to dive is between December and April when the water is at its warmest and the visibility is at its best. While many visitors come here to scuba dive, snorkel, or relax and soak up the sun on the beach, those looking for something more adventurous can try . Great Wall is the kind of dive that makes you feel like a tiny speck in the ocean as you hang near a wall that drops dramatically to more than 1,800 meters (6,000ft). Theres good diving, with great Walls and of course stingray city, where you can see and feed stingrays. Northerners also want to get away from the cold and snow of winter. As of 2023, you can renew your passport online. Phone +1 345-949-7111. The best part about the dive is the . I stayed at an all inclusive where the food was exceptional, prepared by a world class chef. Eden Rock & Devils Grotto are two dive sites that are next to each other. The waters here are 15 to 25 meters deep. The main dive spot of Little Cayman is located on the northwest coast in a marine protected area the Bloody Bay Marine Park. In a nutshell, its an island full of land and water adventures. Our Original Diving experts, made up of marine biologists, divemasters and lovers of all things underwater, know the best time to dive in Little Cayman. There are actually around two dozen dive sites within the bay, with Bloody Bay Wall top of the list. 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. Cruise ships visit here, so expect everything you would find in most international cruise ship ports. The sea is always warm in the Cayman Islands, with surface temperatures never dropping below around 25 o C (78 o F). at any point on your diving holiday) has to offer. Erwin Poliakoff, Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA Nikon D7000, Tokina 10-17 zoom, Nikkor 60mm, 85mm, and 105mm macros, Nauticam housing 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. dive in each month of the year. Grand Cayman Monthly Weather: Rain, Temperatures, Grand Cayman Vacation Tips: Hotels, Attractions, Weather, Cayman Islands overnight visitor statistics; Caribeez.com. All levels of divers can enjoy the site as there is plenty to see at shallow depths or at deeper parts. Lemon Reef is a mini-wall dive site located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. 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. 6. Once you decide which route you want to go, it's time to get in the water! I would appreciate if you don't as these referral links are what keep me posting and sharing on this blog.
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