Greenhouse is a nice medium-depth reef dive with plenty of grooves and gullies to explore. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. From classic wide-brimmed hats to water-repellent trucker hats, find your ideal style. 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. 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. The North Wall is one of the most visited diving sites and plunges to a depth of 6000 feet (1800 meters). Tarpon Alley is part of the North Wall with depths between 15 to 25 meters (50-80ft). Scuba diving in Little Cayman and Cayman Brac | ZuBlu 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. 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. Overall it is a place worth seeing. Live like a local and get under the skin of a destination with our in-country concierges. It was named Orange Canyon because of the large orange Elephant Ear Sponges that can be found here. 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. Sunset Reef is a popular shore dive just 60 meters (200ft) off the Sunset House Resorts pier. 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! Hotel prices are sourced from a sample of U.S. News Best Hotels rates through 2015-2016. . Honduras coast hosts the Bay Islands which is a compilation of eight islands and 53 small cays and these islands are one of the best scuba diving places in the world. The water depth here is around 18-meters. Best Diving Destination in the Carribean: The Cayman Islands It exceeds six inches in August and jumps again to more than eight inches in September and October. Manage Settings If youre thinking Cheeseburger is an odd name for a dive site, you probably wont be surprised that this shore dive probably took its name after the Burger King that was located across the road! These Florida Keys resorts are ideal for family getaways and romantic retreats. Because great in-depth gear reviews will help you select the right products for your specific needs, budget, and interests. In a nutshell, its an island full of land and water adventures. Its a very easy and fun dive, we saw some angelfish and eagle rays. While the gazebo itself is actually an arch, this small dive site never fails to please. I am Dan, this site is my blog where I document my research on the best diving spots in the world. Click the link below to read our article about the USS Kittiwake: Wilderness Wall is located on the south-side of Cayman Brac. 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. Resident Nassau groupers often keep divers company and if you look closely, you may be rewarded with seahorses and lettuce-leaf slugs. Courtesy of Sunset House Resort, Grand Cayman. Top dives include the famous 1000 Steps, the Hilmer Hooker wreck, and Bari Reef. Grand Cayman is a beautiful dive destination with many options for accommodations and for diving. On top of being generally warm, the waters are clear with underwater visibility running from 18 30 meters (60 100 feet). 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. If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. Aside from corals, barrel sponges are sprawling in this vibrant reef that is also filled with tropical reef fish like groupers, butterflyfish, angelfish, moray eels and lionfish which is believed to be an invasive species. Some resorts offer "Hurricane protection". Closely packed ridges form huge coral heads between the shore and the reef wall. Cayman Brac offers a good mix of wall, wreck and reef diving for all experience levels. Yes, that is the Cayman Islands and this is due in part of the tax holiday being implemented that has attracted businesses worldwide. No crowds. June to October brings . Theres plenty to do if you are not diving. Best Cayman Islands Dive Centers and Resorts - TripSavvy Grand Cayman is somewhat unique among major Caribbean destinations because it is one of the few islands that has average daytime temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer and fall. Diving the Cayman Islands - SCUBA Travel Theres also Little Cayman thats the least developed of the 3 islands. Pinterest Grand Cayman is the most commercial island, with cruise ships visiting, but it has some wrecks and the wall dives are close boat rides. There is a separate fee to dive this wreck that goes towards conservation, and you also get a nice yellow diver medallion to keep. for even more in-depth travel advice. The boat dives were offered mostly in the mornings, and we were on our own in the afternoons. Grand Cayman is the most visited island in the Cayman Islands by Scuba Divers. 390 S Church St, George Town KY1-1106, Cayman Islands. As a diver, with a PADI account you can access your eLearning along with many more tools to help you on your adventures. Once you decide which route you want to go, it's time to get in the water! Photographers can make the worst dive buddies. You need to take a boat to reach this area. Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. The 20 Best Scuba Dive Sites In The Cayman Islands (2023) The Cayman Islands is a world-class diving destination famous for its reefs, wrecks and rum. Frugal travel planners can look for good deals during these months while keeping an eye on the 10-day weather forecast. I hope my research also helps you make a decision on your next scuba diving vacation.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_9',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-large-billboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'scubadivegeek_com-large-billboard-2','ezslot_10',102,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-scubadivegeek_com-large-billboard-2-0_1'); .large-billboard-2-multi-102{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;}. to dive in Cayman Islands. She met her end on the reef in the late 70s, allegedly due to mutiny aboard. Thus, you can keep going back and still discover new sites. 5. 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. For this reason, wreck junkies and aficionados often have the Keith on their to-dive lists. Best Times to Visit Cayman Islands | U.S. News Travel 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. But the main reason for diving here are the sharks, especially hammerheads. For big animals - you can find a good number of turtles and groupers, tarpon, nurse sharks, great barracuda, and stingrays. Having a less touristic crowd, Cayman Brac still has several tourism facilities like Cayman Brac Dive Resorts that are scattered along its narrow coast. marine life, be it the tiny critters or bigger beasts of the ocean. Out in the open, expect schools of Nassau groupers, turtles, and snappers. Answer 1 of 11: Does anyone have firsthand experience with any of the dive operators on Little Cayman that they will share? This gives the unique Caymans dive site a blend of steep vertical walls, sloping reefs, and coral-crusted fingers. Which Cayman Island Is The Best? - Fly & Sea Dive Adventures The Cayman dollar is exchanged at a rate fixed to the US dollar (CI $1 equals US $1.25). The dive boat did make the excursion across to Little Cayman's Bloody Bay wall one day which is very achievable from Cayman Brac. If you enjoy diving, then you need to visit the USS Kittiwake during your vacation to Grand Cayman. Here, you can take diving lessons, go on a guided dive, or rent tanks and gear. This is the most famous dive site in the Cayman Islands - and with good reason. Cayman Islands Diving | Silver Thatch Water Sports | Breakers // ]]>, Call us today at+1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com. Cayman Islands Diving | Scubago This is a must do dive. Topside, the community is expanding with ongoing construction. 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. The rainiest months in Grand Cayman are September and October during the height of the annual hurricane season. Find & Book Liveaboards Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. Marine Life & Environment - Top Dive Spots - Diving Conditions, How to Get There-How to Dive Cayman Islands-Best Time to Dive, NEW! Hurricane Ivan in 2004 cleaved the 100m/328ft ship in half but divers can still explore both sections of the wreckage. In general, the best time to dive in the Cayman Islands is between January and April, when the water temperature is warm and visibility is excellent. The most striking and common marine life for me were the brightly yellow colored tube sponges. Choose your design and prove your PADI certified diver status across the world with a recycled plastic card, eCard or both. The Cayman Islands is a land of breath-taking experiences. Eden Rock Dive Center. Located just a short walk from George Town, the Sunset House Hotel is home to Sunset Divers, and both resort and dive center are favorites of divers. Scuba Diving the Cayman Islands | Scuba Adventures in Plano The Best Time to Visit Grand Cayman in 2023 | Travellers but the best time to visit is between May and October. Some of those services give me a small percentage of what you pay as commission for my referral. 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. The best dive site is either Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman or the USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman. 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. Best Diving in the Caribbean - Top 12 - Bluewater Dive Travel 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. 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. We could easily get to reefs and wrecks by ourselves from shore and take as much time as our tanks allowed. Cracks in the ceilings let in plenty of natural light making it easy to search the nooks and crannies for the many crustaceans and other marine creatures that occupy the tunnels. . . Most dive operators will take you there. 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. 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. Choose from a selection of more than 250 vessels and 18,000 trips worldwide. The Cayman Islands continues to receive global recognition and top the charts for diving. Cruise ships visit here, so expect everything you would find in most international cruise ship ports. Diving in the Cayman Islands | PADI 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. 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. Cayman Islands Liveaboard Diving | Scuba Diving Earth There is decent shore diving from their dock. I have traveled to the Cayman islands many times. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The dives are shallow and you can closely observe them swimming around or above you. Three long, wide tunnels, accessible to the majority of divers, extend from the sand flats to open out onto the reef wall. There are lots of beautiful beaches to visit and to relax. September can bring rougher waters if there is a tropical storm, and that is also the month with a higher chance of a hurricane, although hurricanes are not common. Look in the blue off the wall for passing sharks, rays, and turtles. Pelagics are attracted to the wall while schools of reef fish populate the shallows, swimming around the many purple, red, and yellow sponges. 3. You can see Spotted Eagle Rays flying passed this area from depths of about 30 to 100 feet. Sharp-eyed divers can find leopard flatworms and the tunnels are also popular hangouts for rays and green moray eels. 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. Today, Cayman is one of the top dive destinations anywhere. 0 This is currently number 20 on the 100 Best Dives list.. From April to October water temperature are at least 27 o C (81 o F) and can . 6. Only ten miles long and one mile wide, this is a place where you can truly focus on your opportunity to relax. The Best Time to Visit the Cayman Islands in 2023 | Travellers Find the best and most popular products and review them. Live a life others only dream about. Get in touch with our specialists Find & Book Adventures Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. Plus, along the wall, you can meet triggerfish, eagle rays, turtles, lobsters and many more!