Diving in the Cayman Islands
Experience the underwater wonders and coral reefs
The Cayman Islands has a rich history in the world of recreational scuba diving. The first dive shop here was opened in 1957 by Bob Soto, only a few years after Jacques Cousteau invented Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA).
A school of fish swimming in the Caribbean Sea.
Cayman’s close proximity to the U.S., combined with the consistently clear and calm waters teeming with marine life, has made the Cayman Islands one of the first, and still one the most desirable, destinations for scuba diving today.
The surrounding water has an abundance of reef fish, invertebrates, and corals just waiting to be experienced. You could see turtles, eagle rays, eels, and occasionally, the elusive shark, which is always a thrill.
Sponges and corals attached to a rock under the Caribbean Sea.
The Cayman Islands offer diving for all levels of divers. From beginners who have never tried diving to the technical deep diver, there are opportunities to explore the waters around Cayman for all. With many dive shops to take care of all your diving needs, from resort hotels that welcome all of the whole family to technical dive shops and liveaboard boats for hard-core diving enthusiasts. While most diving is done from boats, there are dive sites that are accessible from the shore.
The underwater topography in Cayman ranges from shallow dive sites that range between 30-60ft to the stunning and dramatic walls that start at about 50 feet and drop straight down to thousands of feet. A thrill for the more experienced diver.
Angelfish swimming past seagrass in the Caribbean Sea.
Cayman is also home to the famous Stingray City Dive site, made famous in the 1980s, where divers interact with Southern Stingrays.
For the more adventurous, Cayman is also home to several shipwrecks worthy of exploration. The most recent wreck is the Kittiwake; at 251 feet long, she has been made safe for divers, and the opportunity to experience such a wreck in clear and calm water, should not be missed.
So, whether you’ve never tried Scuba diving or are a seasoned diver, diving in the Cayman Islands is truly a world-class experience.
