Falling for the Cayman Islands

Jean Pierce

Grand Cayman's West End
Of the three islands, Grand Cayman provides the greatest certainty for good dive conditions. Its shape practically guarantees sheltered water, so barring hurricane conditions, a no-diving day is practically unheard of.

Most divers will cut their teeth, so to speak, on the West End. This is where conditions are most stable and also where the resorts are conveniently located off Seven Mile Beach and the George Town area. Coral mounds are shallow, typically in about 35 feet of water, and the wall crests are at about 50 feet, descending in a gradual slope. This profile means nice, long bottom times, easy off-gassing and great photo conditions.

Bob Soto's took us up to Big Tunnel and Little Tunnels on the northwest wall, which is exciting canyon-like territory riddled with swim-throughs. At the rim (about 55 feet), we saw a stingray searching the sand for crustaceans, with a bar jack hunting right along with it. Dropping down alongside the wall were canopies of plate coral along with yellow-and-purple-tipped anemones, sea fans and massive elephant ear and barrel sponges. Bushes of black coral billowed at 90 feet. Out in blue water, we spotted the vague outlines of a shark and a couple of eagle rays.

They also took us to West Bay, where Round Rock and Trinity Caves provided more wall excitement: deep canyons, formations of overlapping plate coral and narrow passageways leading down the wall. Schools of blue chromis soared over and around the pinnacles. Elephant ear sponges jutted from the wall. And on top, swaying gorgonians harbored nicely camouflaged trumpetfish.

Farther south at Eagle Ray Rock, we negotiated our way through a canyon with soaring walls of coral. In the distance, we spotted an eagle ray and saw wide-eyed balloonfish. The sponge life was prolific and enormous.

Shallow sites, or "second dives," on the West End are terrific for photographers. At Aquarium, Governor's Reef, Rhapsody and Royal Palms Ledge, angelfish are literally in your face, groupers line up at cleaning stations, and the grunts, snappers, jacks and Bermuda chub school among the coral heads. Eels, lobster and spotted drum hunker under coral overhangs, along with the occasional slumbering nurse shark.

For excellent shore diving, head over to the Eden Rock Diving Center, Parrots Landing Watersports Park or Sunset House, where you can pick up a tank, then drop down and begin to explore -- day or night. Eden Rock and Devil's Grotto are virtual playgrounds of mazes and grottoes. Schools of silversides attract their larger predators -- tarpon.

Don't leave Grand Cayman without taking an excursion to the enormous shallow lagoon called the North Sound. This is where you'll find one of the world's most popular dive and snorkel sites: Stingray City. Hold your little package of squid close to your body and rays will literally suck up to you. They don't have teeth, but a powerful suction makes up for it. Stroke their soft bellies and rub the area between their eyes and they'll be your best friends.

Outside the lagoon, the seas get churned up, but diving the North Wall is highly recommended for divers comfortable with such conditions. We went to White Stroke Canyon, Robert's Wall, Leslie's Curl, Eagle Ray Pass and Princess Penny's Pinnacle with never more than eight divers on Soto's boats. The wall starts at about 60 feet, so these dives are deep, but there's also more pelagic life coming in from the deep ocean. Hammerheads and blacktips, spotted eagle rays and hawksbill turtles all cruise by. Huge barrel sponges and bushes of black coral protrude from the wall.

The southwest is where dive boats point their bows when winter storms blow. The South Wall, like the West, has a gradual slope, but it starts much deeper -- about 70 to 80 feet -- and plunges to 6,000 feet. A nice, shallow dive here is Japanese Gardens. In this labyrinthine structure, you can have a lot of fun venturing down sand chutes, through cuts and into caverns.

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