Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac &

Little Cayman

Dubbed “The Islands that Time Forgot” by the Saturday Evening Post in the early 1950s, the Caymans today have become one of the world’s top dive-travel destinations. Some 480 miles, and an hour’s flying time, south of Miami, this Caribbean trio entertains more than 200,000 visitors each year.

Physically beautiful, each island is blessed with an extraordinary fringing reef, superb marine life and sparkling, palm-lined beaches.

Underwater Cayman is a submerged mountain range complete with cliffs, drop-offs, gullies, caverns, sink holes and forests of coral. The islands are the visible above-the-sea portions of the mountains. At depth, the Cayman Trench drops off to more than 23,000 ft.

Grand Cayman, the largest and the most developed of the three, boasts world-class dive operations, restaurants and scores of luxury hotels and condominiums. The islands’ no-tax status—granted by Britain in the 1700’s because of the heroic action of Caymanians in saving the lives of passengers and crews of 10 sailing ships—has attracted numerous corporations and banks. Its capital, Georgetown, ranks as the fifth largest financial center in the world, with nearly 600 international banks.

Cayman Brac and Little Cayman lie 89 miles northeast of the big island and are separated by a seven-mile-wide channel. Both wildly beautiful, each has its own special personality.

Little Cayman is VERY QUIET—virtually untouched by developers. The smallest of the three islands—only 10 square miles—it has about 35 permanent residents. There are no shops, restaurants, movie theaters or traffic. Phones are few and far between. Small resorts cater almost exclusively to divers and fishermen.

With daily direct flights from North America and easy access from many other parts of the globe, most divers head first for Grand Cayman. Its famed Seven Mile Beach is headquarters for dive activity. More adventurous divers seeking a unique wilderness experience flock to the Brac and Little Cayman for superlative wall dives. Little Cayman is also noted for unsurpassed flats fishing.

When To Go

Late summer and fall bring chance of a hurricane, but diving is possible year-round. Conditions are generally mild, although steady winds can kick up some chop. When this happens dive boats simply move to the leeward side of the island and calmer waters. Air temperature averages 77° F. Water temperature averages 80°.

History

As with many other Caribbean islands, the discovery of the Caymans is attributed to Christopher Columbus, who first saw them on his second voyage while en route from Panama to Cuba in 1503. Amazingly, his primitive ships were able to negotiate the coral reefs with little trouble. He named these islands “Las Tortugas” for the countless marine turtles who came to Cayman beaches to breed. The turtles, which lived in captivity for long periods, became a source of fresh meat for the sailors, and the Cayman Islands became a regular stop for exploring ships.

Marine Regulations

With a dramatic growth in tourism and an increase in cruiseship arrivals, the islands have enacted comprehensive legislation to protect the fragile marine environment. Marine areas are divided into three types: Marine Park Zones, Replenishment Zones and Environmental Zones.

The Marine Park Zones outlaw the taking of any marine life, living or dead, and only line fishing from shore and beyond the dropoff is permitted. Anchoring is allowed only at fixed moorings. (There are more than 200 permanent moorings around the islands.)

It is an offense for any vessel to cause reef damage with anchors or chains anywhere in Cayman waters.

In a Replenishment Zone, the taking of conch or lobster is prohibited, and spear guns, pole spears, fish traps and nets are prohibited. Line fishing and anchoring (at fixed moorings) are permitted. (Spearguns and Hawaiian slings may not be brought into the country.)

Environmental Zones are the most strictly regulated. There is an absolute ban on the taking of any kind of marine life, alive or dead; anchoring is prohibited and no in-water activities of any kind are tolerated. These areas are a breeding ground and nursery for the fish and other creatures which will later populate the reef and other waters.

The Marine Conservation Board employs full-time officers who may search any vessel or vehicle thought to contain marine life taken illegally. Penalties may include a maximum fine of CI $5,000 or imprisonment, or both.

Best Dive and Snorkeling Sites
of Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman, noted for its fabulous wall-diving, has steep drop-offs on all sides. The West Wall, a drop-off that runs parallel to Seven Mile Beach, offers the most convenient diving on the island. Most dive operators are located in this area, and many hotels offer dive and snorkeling trips to the sites—all five- to 10-minute boat rides. Flat-bottom dive boats attest to the calm seas. Several beach dives are possible. More sites along the South Wall have recently opened, particularly for experienced divers and photographers. This area is defined by a barrier reef that breaks the surface and serves as a coral fence. Conditions here are more demanding.

The North Wall also lays claim to some of the most spectacular dive sites because of its unusual coral formations and frequent pelagic sightings.

Least explored is the East End Wall, often referred to as the last frontier.

Water temperature holds steady at 82° F, visibility ranges from 100 to 150 ft. The coral reefs are exceptionally healthy, largely due to the conservancy measures enforced by the dive shops.

PPPPP Stingray City is the most photographed dive site in the Caymans, if not the entire Caribbean. Pictured in all the tourist board ads, the subject of endless travel articles and an Emmy-award film by Stan Waterman, this gathering of Southern stingrays in the shallow area of North Sound is a marine phenomenon which has thrilled scuba divers and snorkelers since their discovery by two dive instructors, Pat Kinney and Jay Ireland, early in 1986.

After observing the normally solitary and shy rays gathering regularly at a shallow site where boats cleaned their conch and fish, Kinney and Ireland began hand taming exercises—carefully avoiding the razor-sharp, venomous spine in their whip-like tails. When safe hand feeding became a predictable event, they invited small groups of divers and snorkelers out to watch.

Today, the 20-member cast of rays are big celebrities, luring curious visitors—as many as 150-200 per day—from across the globe. The location is shallow, 12-20 ft, ideal for snorkelers as well as divers. Feeding time occurs whenever a dive or snorkeling boat shows up.

PPPPP Trinity Caves, off the north end of Seven Mile Beach, winds into a maze of canyon trails between 60 and 100 ft. Reef features consist of gigantic barrel sponges, black coral, towering sea whips, sea fans, and a host of critters. Huge groupers and turtles, lobsters, squirrel fish, and schooling reef fish inhabit three cathedral-like caves for which the site is named. Their walls grasp clusters of pink anemones, vase sponges, and star corals. Sea conditions are generally calm, with an occasional light current. Exceptional visibility. Suggested for experienced divers.

PPPP Orange Canyon, north of Trinity Caves, glows with vibrant orange elephant-ear sponges. The reef starts at 45 ft, the edge of a deep wall adorned with sea plumes, lavender sea fans and bushy corals—cover for shrimp, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, arrow crabs, file fish, turtles and small octopi. Calm seas.

PPPP Big Tunnels, north of the Seven Mile Beach area, feature a 50-ft coral archway linked to several tunnels and ledges bursting with rainbow gorgonians, sea fans, basket sponges, tube sponges, and branching corals. Eagle rays drift by walls of sea urchins, anemones, grunts, puffer fish, bigeyes, and shrimp. Big morays peek from the ledges. An occasional nurse shark appears. Depths average 110 ft with excellent visibility. Experience recommended.

PPPP The Wreck of the Balboa, a 375-ft freighter, rests at 30 ft in George Town Harbor—200 yards off the town pier. A favorite night dive, its twisted wreckage creates interesting video and still opportunities. Seas are calm with good visibility, though several divers visiting the wreck at one time may kick up silt. Schools of sergeant majors, grouper, queen and French angels mingle about the hull.

PPP Aquarium sits close to shore off the center of Seven Mile Beach. As the name implies, this spot serves as a grand meeting center for most every species of fish in the Caribbean. Count-and-name-the-fish is the favorite sport du jour at this 35-ft-deep coral grotto. Be sure to tote a waterproof fish ID card or book.

Spotted trunkfish, parrot fish, snappers, file fish, spotted morays, butterflyfish, queen angels, queen triggerfish, puffers and schooling barracuda inhabit Aquarium. Though hard to see through the crowds of fish, the reef is very pretty with nice stands of staghorn coral, sponges and soft corals. Visibility superb. Calm seas make this a good choice for new divers.

PPP The Wreck of the Oro Verde lies 30 to 50 ft beneath the surface, straight out from the Holiday Inn on Seven Mile Beach. After this 180-ft freighter ran aground in 1976, local dive operators scuttled the wreck to create an artificial reef. The hull, intact, is very photogenic. Divers are warmly greeted by its inhabitants—Spanish hogfish, French angels, snappers, butterflyfish, blue tangs, rock beauties. Seas are calm.

PPP Tarpon Alley, a coral canyon, mirrors schools of giant silvery tarpon, mammoth grouper and sting rays. Large pelagics flash by too. The “alley,” south of Orange Canyon, lies partially in the Seven Mile Beach replenishment zone. Top of the canyon walls are at 60 ft. Outside drop-offs plunge to several thousand ft. Surface conditions are occasionally choppy.

PPPP Grand Canyon, an enormous channel enclosed by jagged, perpendicular mountains off Rum Point, is the favored north shore dive. The walls display a cornucopia of sponges, sea whips, sea fans, hard corals and critters. Depths start at 60 ft and drop off. Experience a must. Excellent visibility.

PPP Japanese Gardens, a series of long coral ridges off the island’s south tip, blossom with elkhorn and antler corals, vase sponges and schooling fish. Depths start at 50 ft.

Snorkeling

Patch reefs and coral heads teeming with reef fish lie just a few yards off several of the island’s swimming beaches. The best shore spots exist off West Bay Cemetery, Seven Mile Beach, the Eden Rock Dive Center in Georgetown, Smith Cove,Treasure Island Resort beach, Rum Point Club, Parrots Landing, Seaview Hotel, Coconut Harbour, Sunset House, Pirates Inn, Frank Sound Half Moon Bay, East End Diving Lodge and Morritt’s Tortuga Club. Depths range from three to 20 ft. Clearer water and more dramatic coral formations are found farther offshore and may be reached by boat. Snorkeling cruises, some with dinner or lunch, are offered by the hotels and dive shops. Snorkelers are urged to inquire about currents and local conditions in unfamiliar areas before attempting to explore on their own.

Swimmers off the Rum Point Club beach should stay clear of the channels, which have rip tides. Grand Cayman’s Southwest Point shows a good variety of juvenile reef fish and invertebrates on a rocky bottom close to shore. Currents beyond 100 yds are dangerous.

A trail marked by a round blue and white sign with a swimmer outline denotes access through private property to the beach. All Cayman beaches are free for public use.

PP Smiths Cove, south of George Town, shelters a shallow reef whiskered with pastel sea fans and plumes. Trumpet fish, squirrel fish, schools of grunts, sergeant majors, butterfly fish, parrot fish and angels offer constant entertainment. The reef sits 150 ft from the beach at Southwest Point. Depths are from 15 to 45 ft.

PP Eden Rocks, favored by cruise ship groups, lies less than 200 yds offshore from the Eden Rock Diving Center. Depths range from five to 40 ft. The reef features beautiful coral grottoes, walls, caves and tunnels and tame fish. If you’ve yet to befriend a fish, this area offers the proper social climate. Good visibility and light currents are the norm here.

PP Sand Bar at Stingray City in North Sound is home to several tame stingrays. Depths are shallow to 12 ft. Boat access. Trips departing from Georgetown or Seven Mile Beach are either a half- or full-day tour.

East End Diving

Grand Cayman’s rural East End, 20 miles across the island from Seven Mile Beach, offers an entirely different dive-vacation setting. Devoid of shopping centers, traffic jams and commercial establishments, this wilderness region lures divers who relish a slower, laid back pace, uncrowded beaches and uncharted dive sites. Underwater terrain is similar to West Wall sites with fabulous walls, overhangs, caves, tunnels, grottos and remnants of ship- wrecks. There are no moorings.

Strong currents sometimes rule out a number of the sites in this area, but they greatly benefit the marine life by carrying nutrients that encourage the growth of gigantic, brilliant colored sponges and soft corals. Fish life is outstanding, with passing palegics, walls of tarpon, gigantic jewfish, eagle rays, green and hawksbill turtles. Whale sharks have been spotted here during winter.

Dive Operators

Costs for a two-tank dive average $60; one-tank dives, $45. Snorkeling trips range from $20 (Scuba Sensations) to $61 (Red Sail Watersports), with the average about $25. All the dive shops that offer boat tours have Stingray City tours. These average $50 from the west coast. Most shops rent photo, video, dive and snorkeling gear. Trips include tanks and weights. Resort and certification courses are offered everywhere. Unless otherwise noted, shops accept American Express, MasterCard or Visa credit cards.

Ambassador Divers, a PADI shop located at Ambassadors Inn in George Town, specializes in computer diving. They offer one- and two-tank dives, certification and resort courses, snorkeling trips, gear rental, video rental, trips to Stingray City. Dive/accommodation packages. % (800) 648-7748 or (345) 949-8839, fax (345) 949-8839. Write to P.O. Box 2396 GT, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Bob Soto’s Diving Ltd. is a PADI five-star facility with Seven Mile Beach locations at the Treasure Island Hotel and the Scuba Centre, near to Soto’s Reef. The operation offers dive and snorkeling trips, underwater photo and video services, camera and gear rentals, open water PADI certifications, completion dives, and comfortable custom dive boats. Complete dive/accommodation packages with Grand Cayman hotels and condo- miniums available. % (800) 262-7686, (345) 949-2022, fax (345) 949-8731. Write to P.O. Box 1801, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Capitol’s Surfside has been serving the Seven Mile Beach area for 28 years. Dive boats carry 20 divers. Courses and trips for scuba and snorkeling. All rentals. % (800) 543-6828 or (345) 949-7330, fax (345) 949-8639.

Capt. Marvin’s Aquatics’ large boats carry 40 divers. Located in West Bay, this experienced dive operation offers scuba and snorkeling trips, Stingray City tours, courses and gear rental. % (345) 945-4590, fax (345) 945-5673. Write to P.O. Box 413, West Bay, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Cayman Dive College specializes in teaching scuba. Courses are offered in English, German, French, Spanish or Japanese. Certification costs $375, resort course $94. % (345) 949-4125, fax (345) 949-4125. Write to P.O. Box 30780, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Cayman Diving School offers courses ranging from Resort to Dive Master. % (345) 949-4729, fax (345) 949-4729. Write to P.O. Box 1308, George Town, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Celebrity Divers in George Town features small, personalized tours with 10 or fewer divers on board. Snorkeling and Stingray City tours. % (345) 949-3410. No credit cards.

Clint Ebanks Scuba Cayman Ltd. on West Bay Road offers certification and resort courses, one- and two-tank dive trips, Stingray City tours, and snorkeling trips. Gear rental. % (345) 949-3873, fax (345) 949-6244.

Crosby Ebanks C & G Watersports at Coconut Place Tropic Center specializes in dive and snorkeling trips to Stingray City. % (345) 945-4049, fax (345) 945-5994.

Dive Inn Ltd. greets divers and snorkelers with friendly, personalized service. Boats carry 12 passengers. Gear, photo and video rental. Certification and resort courses. % (800) 322-0321 or (345) 949-4456, fax (345) 949-7125.

Dive ‘N Stuff ‘s 12-passenger boats tour all the spots off Seven Mile Beach and offer special tours of Stingray City. PADI certification courses, gear rentals. % (345) 949-6033, fax (345) 949-6033.

Divetech Ltd./Turtle Reef Divers features “the best shore dive at Turtle Reef” plus specialty and technical training. No boat trips. PADI and NAUI certification.

Dive Time Ltd. in Georgetown also has PADI and NAUI certification, one- and two-tank six-passenger boat dives, photo, video, snorkel and dive gear rental. % (345) 947-2339, fax (345) 947-3308.

Divers Down, Georgetown, specializes in PADI nitrox certification courses ($250). Their custom, eight-passenger boat takes off for two one- or two-tank dive trips daily. Gear rentals. % (345) 945-1611, fax 945-1611.

Don Foster’s Dive Cayman, a full-service facility based at the Holiday Inn, Radisson Resort and Royal Palms on Seven Mile Beach, offers certification and resort courses, daily dives, rental and a photo center. Plus, snorkeling excursions, waverunners and sailboats. % (800) 83-DIVER, or 972-722-2535, fax 972-722-6511 E-mail: dfdus@airmail.net.

Eden Rock Diving Center touts unlimited shore diving on GeorgeTown’s waterfront, with guided tours of Eden Rocks Reef and Devil’s Grotto. Certification with PADI, NAUI and SSI. Photo, video, dive and snorkel gear rentals. They sell underwater cameras, tropical T-shirts and gifts. % (345) 949-7243, fax (345) 949-0842.  

Fisheye of Cayman offers scuba tours aboard three custom dive boats to the north, west and south sides of the island, including Stingray City. Snorkelers may join dive trips to Stingray City and North Wall based on space availability. Trips include free use of underwater cameras. Accommodation packages. Web site: www.fisheye.com. E-mail: fisheye@candw.ky. % (800) 887-8569, (345) 945-4209, fax (345) 945-4208.

Indies Divers at Indies Suites visits both North and West wall sites. Boats carry 12 divers. PADI certification and resort courses. Snorkelers welcome. Niceties include illustrated briefings, fresh fruit and towels.

Neptune’s Realm Divers caters to small groups and individual divers with personalized tours and instruction. Boats carry a maximum of eight divers. PADI, NAUI, SSI and NASDS certification courses. % (345) 945-2064.

Nitrox Divers, Georgetown, caters solely to Nitrox diving. Offering IANTD Nitrox certification courses ($250). Boat tours and dive gear rental. % (345) 945-2064. Write to P.O. Box 959 GT, Grand Cayman, BWI.

Ocean Frontiers, Cayman’s newest operation, offers East End diving. Snorkelers welcome on the 12-passenger boats. PADI courses. Gear and photo renta