Sign up to get the latest updates, offers and more. Cayman Islands has an average water temperature ranging from 26 29C (78 84F). Located 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Little Cayman is another elongated island that is popular with anglers and scuba divers. The Kittiwake wreck as well as other wrecks in the close vicinity add variety and interesting structure which I really enjoyed. This is really a divers paradise. This gives the unique Caymans dive site a blend of steep vertical walls, sloping reefs, and coral-crusted fingers. The best dive site is either Bloody Bay Wall in Little Cayman or the USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman. Babylon- Grand Cayman Island is surrounded by a wall, but what makes the Babylon site special is the pinnacle with a canyon cutting the north wall. All levels of divers can enjoy the site as there is plenty to see at shallow depths or at deeper parts. 2. I have lived in the corporate world for a few years now with very little excitement in my life. With world class conditions and a robust dive industry, the Cayman Islands is one of the best places to learn how to dive. 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. . Theyre not timid and as they surround you, these rays seem happy to receive a gentle stroke or two. If you want to enjoy these five dive sites . From classic wide-brimmed hats to water-repellent trucker hats, find your ideal style. Aside from being outside the high season which means that Grand Cayman dive resorts all-inclusive hotel prices and Caribbean dive packages are cheaper, this is also the months that the diving parameters are at its best. From Grand Cayman, you can transfer to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac. If you like diving in caves and grottos, Trinity Caves on Grand Caymans west side is the site for you. In the 2019 Scuba Diving Magazine Readers Choice Awards, the Islands were named one of the Best Overall Dive Destination in the Caribbean/Atlantic and scored first place for Best Advanced Diving and Underwater Photography. Moray eels and angelfish move among the coral, and turtles are often seen cruising over the reef. Occasionally, a nurse shark rest on the sand. If you plan to do some land-based explorations on your trip, you'll have to choose between the busier warmer months (like April and November) or the cooler, but generally cheaper, months in between. Jacques Costeau loved diving in the Caymans and its easy to see why. Youtube+ Black coral and colorful sponges decorate the near-vertical face and the shallows are dotted with large coral heads teeming with marine life. Diving is available year-round. Ghost Mountain Grand Cayman is another great spot for wall diving where you can further reach a protruding limestone that silhouettes like a ghost from afar. During this time, you can expect to see a variety of marine life, including turtles, rays, and a wide array of tropical fish. Once you decide which route you want to go, it's time to get in the water! Photographers can make the worst dive buddies. Tourism volume is estimated based on in-market destination search query interest from Google and on travel.usnews.com in 2015-2016. So, either way, the experience is well worth the money. 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. (Closed Circuit Rebreathers/CCR) allows you to massively extend your dive time. Access to tools and resources at your fingertips, curated to enhance your diving experience. It is possible to go scuba diving in Little Cayman all year round and the water temperature only varies from 21-27 degrees. Find the best travel insurance for you with these U.S. News ratings, which factor in expert and consumer recommendations. The amazing strawberry sponges were in abundance there. As a diver, with a PADI account you can access your eLearning along with many more tools to help you on your adventures. Matt Hampton was a guest of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (visitcaymanislands.com), British Airways, which has London returns from 688 (ba.com), and the Westin Seven Mile Beach, which . Divers can observe the bow guns and go along the rails to make some great photos. Cruise lines can reduce the number of ships that visit Grand Cayman in the fall, but hotels and resorts cant reduce the number of rooms. With over 40 operators and 365 sites marked with moorings, thrill-seekers from all over take the plunge here. 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. Bloody Bay Wall is located in Little Cayman. The worst time is September during the hurricane season. Recommended Level: Beginner Intermediate Advanced Dive Type: Boat Reef Wall Macro Wreck Canyon Shore Night Shallow Shark Cave Stingray Swim-Through Drift Liveboard Deep Great Wall East and West Little Cayman Great Wall West - Turtle Watch on Indonesia. Some of those services give me a small percentage of what you pay as commission for my referral. Canyons and drop-offs provide a varied topography making the site a firm favorite with photographers. Originally coined 356, this wreck is now called the M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts after a well-known Cayman Brac politician. [] Not to be confused with the Anchor Point dive sites in Scotlands Loch Fyne, the Solomon Islands, or Sri Lanka, the Cayman dive site is located on Grand Cayman and is characterized by swathes of black coral. The largest among the three islands, Grand Cayman is highly popular among SCUBA divers from all over the world. Despite the name, you arent guaranteed to see tarpon here. Grab your gear and dive into the crystal clear waters of Grand Cayman! Welcome to my scuba diving bucket list. 4 of the Best Places to Go Shore Diving in Grand Cayman. You can hand-feed wild Southern stingrays. Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman house over 300 dive sites, making up the breathtaking Cayman dive map. The dives are shallow and you can closely observe them swimming around or above you. The Cayman Islands are one of the Best Liveaboard Destinations for Beginners. Bert Brothers Boulders is also a great spot to see flying gurnards at around 5.5 meters (18ft). 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. to save My Ideas for later. Photographers will love Greenhouse for its varied macro life. The rainiest months in Grand Cayman are September and October during the height of the annual hurricane season. Hurricane Ivan in 2004 cleaved the 100m/328ft ship in half but divers can still explore both sections of the wreckage. 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. 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. Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews. The 6 Best Dive Sites in the Cayman Islands Cecily Russell 3 April, 2022 The trio of Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory situated in the western Caribbean Sea. 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. The dive boat did make the excursion across to Little Cayman's Bloody Bay wall one day which is very achievable from Cayman Brac. A 2.75 meter (9ft) bronze statue of Amphitrite (the wife of the mythological god Poseidon) rises up from the base of the reef. In effect, there are more registered businesses in Cayman Island as compared to its local population. Everything here is very low key and there is a small local population. I like the idea of being able to dive off both islands while staying on one. In February, the cost is roughly $1,044 round trip . This world-class scuba destination is colorful, bright, and teeming with life. Best Time To Dive The Cayman Island Book your fun dives, snorkelling trips and courses online with thousands of PADI Dive Centers. Beginners can enjoy another smaller chimney instead. From the mooring, divers often descend through a cut in the reef and out onto the wall. Rum Point Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned diver, Grand Cayman has a dive site for you. Despite being small measuring only 16 x 1.6 kilometers (10 x 1 mile), tourism is booming and tourism facilities are sprawling especially in South Town. Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. July has a jump in visits for families in part because school children are out for the summer. Our reviews: We can make the world a little bit better with great in-depth reviews. The Cayman Diving Season The islands are very much a year round diving destination. PADI Dive Resorts for all budgets, in the best dive locations around the world. 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 . December through April are especially popular times to go because of low risk of rainfall and more moderate temperatures. 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. While the upper part of the reef is already teeming with corals, it becomes denser as you traverse the vertical limestone where it is now intermixed with sponges and sea fans. Nature lovers are lured to diverse hiking trails, caves, and a variety of flora and fauna around the island. Of course, the Soviets didnt call her Keith Tibbets, she was renamed for a local dive operator after the Cayman government purchased the wreck for dive tourism. These Florida Keys resorts are ideal for family getaways and romantic retreats. 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 are plenty of great dive resorts available, but liveaboard is the best option if you want to dive around all three islands. That's is how we pay ourselves. 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. They were all guided dives. Their sister company, Tortuga Divers, operates from Morritts Tortuga Club in East End. But the main reason for diving here are the sharks, especially hammerheads. 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. In the shallows, flamingo tongues cling onto sea fans while lobsters, eels, and jewfish can be found hiding in the ridges and gullies. Best Times To Visit Cayman Islands The best time to visit the Cayman Islands is between March and June when the hotel rates drop.
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best time to dive cayman islands