Cayman Islands Five Ways – Guerrilla Diver
The Kittiwake
The Kittiwake: A 251-foot vessel off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach.
Jennifer Penner
If you’re a diver who cares far more about diving than about glorious beaches or family-friendly turtle farms, someone who just wants to dive-dive-dive, then the liveaboard approach to the Cayman Islands is for you.
There’s only one, but it’s one of the best: Cayman Aggressor IV. You’ll get a fantastic taste of what Grand Cayman and its sisters have to offer — three islands, 16 sites and 25 dives sound good? — including quality time on some of the most famous sites in the region.
Take Kittiwake. You’d be hard-pressed to find a new artificial reef with better reviews than this 251-foot vessel off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. It’s been an instant hit with divers, but because you’re on a liveaboard, you’ll have the luxury of multiple, relatively private dives here, plus the chance to explore the gorgeous nearby reef. Cayman Aggressor’s Capt. Lauren Hill confesses that she actually likes the reef even more than the wreck — it’s that good. I soon see why when I dive there: Fantastic formations rise 40 to 50 feet from the sand, draped with sponges and whip -corals, and pocked with openings onto long, lovely vistas.
Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall
Bloody Bay Wall is regarded as the most breathtaking drop-off in the Caribbean.
Alex Mustard
Serious metal heads will also relish the only divable Russian destroyer in the Western world, off Cayman Brac. The Capt. Keith Tibbetts isn’t for the faint of heart, but penetrating both halves of this 330-foot frigate is well worth it for the adrenaline rush.
Prefer natural attractions? Little Cayman is an unspoiled underwater paradise that offers something for all levels of divers, often within a single dive. A good example is the Meadows, along Bloody Bay Wall, a favorite of Aggressor Fleet CEO Wayne B. Brown. “It’s like three different dive sites in one,” he says, from the famous wall to a broad sandy plain on top to a shallow coral maze under the yacht, where you’ll find delicate nudis, curious reef sharks and turtles galore, all seemingly with no fear of divers in this protected slice of underwater heaven.
For more information on scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, visit caymanislands.ky/activities/diving
Jennifer PennerThe Kittiwake: A 251-foot vessel off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach.
If you’re a diver who cares far more about diving than about glorious beaches or family-friendly turtle farms, someone who just wants to dive-dive-dive, then the liveaboard approach to the Cayman Islands is for you.
There’s only one, but it’s one of the best: Cayman Aggressor IV. You’ll get a fantastic taste of what Grand Cayman and its sisters have to offer — three islands, 16 sites and 25 dives sound good? — including quality time on some of the most famous sites in the region.
Take Kittiwake. You’d be hard-pressed to find a new artificial reef with better reviews than this 251-foot vessel off Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. It’s been an instant hit with divers, but because you’re on a liveaboard, you’ll have the luxury of multiple, relatively private dives here, plus the chance to explore the gorgeous nearby reef. Cayman Aggressor’s Capt. Lauren Hill confesses that she actually likes the reef even more than the wreck — it’s that good. I soon see why when I dive there: Fantastic formations rise 40 to 50 feet from the sand, draped with sponges and whip -corals, and pocked with openings onto long, lovely vistas.
Alex MustardBloody Bay Wall is regarded as the most breathtaking drop-off in the Caribbean.
Serious metal heads will also relish the only divable Russian destroyer in the Western world, off Cayman Brac. The Capt. Keith Tibbetts isn’t for the faint of heart, but penetrating both halves of this 330-foot frigate is well worth it for the adrenaline rush.
Prefer natural attractions? Little Cayman is an unspoiled underwater paradise that offers something for all levels of divers, often within a single dive. A good example is the Meadows, along Bloody Bay Wall, a favorite of Aggressor Fleet CEO Wayne B. Brown. “It’s like three different dive sites in one,” he says, from the famous wall to a broad sandy plain on top to a shallow coral maze under the yacht, where you’ll find delicate nudis, curious reef sharks and turtles galore, all seemingly with no fear of divers in this protected slice of underwater heaven.
For more information on scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, visit caymanislands.ky/activities/diving
