Little Cayman is a lovely, quiet little island with a population of less than 170. Before she was decommissioned in 1994, the USS Kittiwake was a Navy Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel. The months of January and February are the coldest, with average lows in the low 60s. Give the perfect gift for your favorite ocean lover and explorer. Lemon Reef is a mini-wall dive site located on the North Wall 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. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. These Florida Keys resorts are ideal for family getaways and romantic retreats. Keith Tibbets- This Soviet-built Frigate that was owned by the Cuban navy was given to the Cayman Islands to purposefully sink it. They can offer up their first-hand This is currently number 20 on the 100 Best Dives list.. Besides the thick black corals, keep an eye out for tarpon, large yellow tube sponges, and ginormous barrel sponges. We'll whisk you through the security queues (where available). They were all guided dives. Phone +1 345-949-7111. The Cayman Islands certainly offer diversity without a long trip from the states. So, what are you waiting for? Scott S. Bateman is a professional journalist who has traveled widely throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. There is also an air pocket in a decompression chamber that you can pop into and chat with your buddy!! Book an introductory scuba diving package to learn the basics of diving from certified PADI instructors. Exploring this site requires you to initially descend to 18 meters (60 feet) deep where the wall starts. Our team will meet you at the airport and fast-track you through. It exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. Answer 1 of 11: Does anyone have firsthand experience with any of the dive operators on Little Cayman that they will share? A 2.75 meter (9ft) bronze statue of Amphitrite (the wife of the mythological god Poseidon) rises up from the base of the reef. Here are a few of our favourite dive sites in Grand Cayman: 1. While the Cayman Islands are famous for its encounters with stingrays in Stingray City where the rays are said to be almost tame, there are many more sites that the islands offer. 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. If you don't feel comfortable using my referral links, you can always go directly to their site and bypass me. But they are sometimes the cheapest months to visit. North Wall 2. stingray city 3. The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and April. Apart from the elephant ear sponges, keep your eyes peeled for blacktip Carribean reef sharks in the blue. Butterflyfish, triggerfish, shrimp, snapper, and more hand out in and around the large coral heads that sit nor far from the waters surface. 4. I like the idea of being able to dive off both islands while staying on one. The USS Kittiwake is an ex-US Navy ship that was purposely sunk in Grand Cayman to create a new dive site. If you are vacationing in Cayman Brac, then you need to visit this spot. If hot temperatures are an issue, it is better to visit the islands from December through April when they average in the upper 80s Fahrenheit. Top dives include the famous 1000 Steps, the Hilmer Hooker wreck, and Bari Reef. The Cayman Islands has also designated four special areas for protection such as marine park zones, replenishment zones, environmental zones, and no diving zones. There is a separate fee to dive this wreck that goes towards conservation, and you also get a nice yellow diver medallion to keep. There is also a restaurant, bar and dive shop at Macabuca. I am a scuba diving newbie, a Project Manager by profession, and an entrepreneur at heart. In the Cayman Islands, spring is in full force. Both of these sites are accessible from shore. Choose from private or single rates, we will find you the best possible option to help you enjoy the famous Cayman Stingray City. 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. We are proud to off-set 100% of the carbon generated by our clients' flights. Nature lovers are lured to diverse hiking trails, caves, and a variety of flora and fauna around the island. Cayman Islands International Film Festival. 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. 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. This British overseas island is home to mystical caves, unscaled escarpments, tropical forests, diverse wildlife and a plethora of other unique experiences. 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. 0 The water drops over a hundred feet. Average rainfall jumps to more than five inches in May, June and July. ScubaDiveGeek.com also participates in other affiliate programs and Google Adwords and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these and other companies. Do you love diving in the Caymans? Read more about diving in Bonaire. You can spot eagle rays, reef sharks, sailfin blennies, tilefish, peacock flounders, garden eels, or yellow-headed jawfish. 7. 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. 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. Still great for diving with great walls for all levels of divers and the walls and the Russian destroyer 356 aka Russian destroyer. 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. that the underwater world (and overwater, if you plan on surfacing Bay Islands, Honduras. Roundabout is located along the North Wall in Grand Cayman. 1. Most dive operators will take you there. Just be prepared for a rain shower or two, as this is the start of the region's wet season. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. On Grand Cayman, I stayed at hotels on the west end along Seven Mile beach. Founder of Georges Watersports & Thingstodocayman.net. If you want to go a little more remote, try Little Cayman. 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. The Cayman Islands hosts one of the best dives in the World: Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman. Usually you will see at least a few tarpon at this spot. You can dive along this wall and explore the different entrances. It is easily possible to visit all 3 of the Cayman Islands in a single dive trip and be able to enjoy the diversity they provide. 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. Moray eels and angelfish move among the coral, and turtles are often seen cruising over the reef. Although this is a wall dive, the cut in the sites name comes from the swim-through many divers use upon descent. Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews. You may see hammerhead sharks if you are lucky. From full scuba certification courses to one-day experiences for those who've never breathed off a regulator, the Cayman Islands qualify as an scuba diving shrine. Live a life others only dream about. Click the link below to read our article about Eden Rock: Deep Stingray City is located in Grand Cayman. While Grand Cayman, the most popular island, has a mix of accessible shore and boat diving. Hotels, resorts and cruise ships dont like unsold rooms and cabins, so they are more likely to offer discounts to attract customers. And when it comes to marine life, there is lots to see! Sea temperature varies little, from a high of 86F/30C in August/September to a low of 80F/26.5C in February. December through April are especially popular times to go because of low risk of rainfall and more moderate temperatures. to save My Ideas for later. Get certified to scuba dive. "High Season" at the hotels is mid-December to mid-April, so rates will be higher then. Red Sail Sports have been Scuba Diving in Cayman for 40 years. Best Time To Dive The Cayman Island Babylon is located on the North Wall in Grand Cayman. Eagle Ray Pass is located along the North Wall in Grand Cayman. Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. If the forecast looks good, they should consider taking a last-minute trip to Grand Cayman if they also spot an attractive discount. You will see a lot of tarpon at this spot, as well as coral and other fish. 2. Sharks and turtles are frequent visitors as are snappers, groupers, and grunts. This is really a divers paradise. You can hand-feed wild Southern stingrays. A highlight dive is the Tibbets wreck with great structure and lots of life. But which Cayman Island has the best diving? The worst time is September during the hurricane season. This island is very small and there is little to do, other than dive. The water clarity is typically amazingly clear. The Cayman Islands hosts one of the best dives in the World: Bloody Bay Wall on Little Cayman. Cayman Brac is the last of the islands and also much less traveld than Grand Caymen. A 2018 poll listed Bonaire as the best dive spot for beginners, conservation, freediving, macro diving, shore diving, and snorkeling. 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. Black groupers, sergeant majors, yellowtail snapper, and moray eels are just a few of the species you can expect to see. Now it has become a beautiful artificial reef and home for colorful sponges, groupers, barracudas and other marine life. When diving through the cut itself, look under and in crevices, plenty of little critters make homes for themselves here. There are lots of other fish and coral. 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. The course includes a 2-hour pool and theory session, and an . It should not be a surprise that January through April also happen to be popular months to visit the islands via western Caribbean cruises because of their ideal combination of cooler temperatures and low rainfall. It seems the dive guides hunt the lionfish and then feed the groupers, so they joined us right away each dive. For scuba diving, the best time to dive the Cayman Islands is pretty much any time except peak hurricane season. Cayman Brac Beach Resort. Out in the open, expect schools of Nassau groupers, turtles, and snappers. Located in popular Bloody Bay, Donnas Delight is home to some classic Cayman wall diving: Giant barrel sponges, arching sea fans, and bright corals. There is also a small restaurant and dive resort. From our 24hr helpline to our expert local guides and selection of handpicked reading lists. Both are wonderful underwater. Book your next cruise vacation on one of these floating megaresorts. Hop to the other islands by hiring a private boat operator, or better yet, arrange for a liveaboard tour and explore as many Cayman Islands diving sites as you can. 5. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman house over 300 dive sites, making up the breathtaking Cayman dive map. 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. No worries, the diving is world class on Bloody Bay Wall. The units are privately owned and furnished, but they have 21 accommodations available for rental use. Bloody Bay Wall- Most scuba divers will say this is their favorite dive site in the Cayman Islands. Exploring its underwater habitats allows you to see an incredible reef that starts at 6 meters (20 feet) deep and slowly slopes down towards a vertical limestone wall that drops down up to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) deep. Perhaps because of this, the coral isnt looking a healthy as it could. 6. Find & Book Liveaboards Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. This is a wall that drops 2000 meters to the sea floor. A shallow dive site, the colors here really pop making it a good choice for photographers. Pelagics are attracted to the wall while schools of reef fish populate the shallows, swimming around the many purple, red, and yellow sponges. Visibility in the Cayman Islands is wonderful, averaging between 60 and 100 feet (18-30 meters). We dived 3 days in February 2014, and they were all excellent and memorable dives. We did see some nurse sharks, sea turtles and a few rays. 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. The Cayman Islands dollar is legal tender in these islands. She met her end on the reef in the late 70s, allegedly due to mutiny aboard. It is Batabano, the countrys biggest festival, which is scheduled for early May each year. Macro photographers should seek the banded coral shrimp and divers licensed to 30m/98ft will enjoy the gorgonian fans in the cavern at this depth. Best time to dive When to dive in the Cayman Islands entirely depends on your own personal preferences. A direct flight from Miami to Grand Cayman takes only 70 minutes. 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. The sea is always warm in the Cayman Islands, with surface temperatures never dropping below around 25 o C (78 o F). Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Around the coral fingers, stingrays, eagle rays and yellowhead jawfish rest on the sandy patches. Look along the ledge by the mooring for crabs and check out the four massive barrel sponges. Plus, along the wall, you can meet triggerfish, eagle rays, turtles, lobsters and many more!

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