Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands is on the must-do list for most divers. I know it was certainly on our list. These islands are world renowned for scuba diving and understandably so.
You'll find steep walls which go down over 6000 feet and visibility which can reach 200 feet. You'll also see lots of marine life to keep you entertained. All this, along with warm water and great beaches for your topside hours, make scuba diving Cayman Islands a pleasure.
The islands themselves are basically the tops of underwater mountains located in the Caribbean. Check out our Cayman Islands maps to see where they are located. There is even an interactive map which is alot of fun to use.
Little Cayman - the smallest island with very little development. Little Cayman also has about 40 divesites including the fabulous Bloody Bay Wall (we dove the Bloody Bay Wall from Cayman Brac; the 2 islands are only 7 miles part).
So where to do your scuba diving in the Cayman Islands? Well, it all depends on what you like. If nightlife, restaurants and a range of luxurious accommodations are important, Grand Cayman would be ideal for you. Little Cayman is just the opposite, with less than 200 residents and a few resorts catering to divers. A true getaway. Cayman Brac is somewhere in between.
We've been to both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. We loved the diving on both islands. Oddly enough, the dive that we rated the best (and made our list of top dives is usually associated with Little Cayman. We haven't stayed on Little Cayman yet but it is on the list of places to go.)
Marine regulations
With the increase in tourism to the Caymans, the government has established laws and regulations to protect the underwater environment that attracted most of the tourists to the islands in the first place. There are permanent moorings at all the popular dive sites to protect the coral. In addition, diving with gloves is prohibited so divers are not tempted to touch anything. The reefs have also been divided into 3 zones:
Marine Park Zones - This encompasses a large area where much of the diving is done. No taking of any marine life, dead or alive, is permitted during diving. Boats must use the fixed moorings and no anchoring is allowed (except boats of less than 60 feet may anchor in sand). Commercial operations must have a license from the Marine Conservation Board to use the Bloody Bay Marine Park.
Replenishment Zone - Covers mostly shallow water lagoons and sounds where the taking of conch and lobster is prohibited. Anchoring is permitted but nothing can touch the coral. Spear guns, pole spears, fish traps and nets are prohibited.
Environmental Zones - These are the most restrictive areas. Taking of any marine life, dead or alive, is prohibited with no exceptions. No anchoring is allowed and no in water activities, including diving, is allowed. This protects the breeding ground for fish and other marine life.
The regulations appear to be working. With so many tourists coming for the sole purpose of doing some scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, the government has a vested interest in keeping the reefs and marine life healthy. As divers, we certainly benefit from this protection.
So, wherever you go to do your scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, you should not be disappointed. From our experience, diving on Grand Cayman with all its' dive sites and Cayman Brac is world class. So go and enjoy and you'll see why these islands are on most divers must-do list.
Have a great trip!
Here are some books you might want to check out to help you plan your trip to the Cayman Islands:
