Best Dive Sites in Grand Cayman
- jo44345
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Grand Cayman is known as one of the top scuba destinations in the world, and once you drop beneath the surface, the reason becomes obvious almost immediately. Crystal-clear water. Towering coral walls. Iconic shipwrecks. And shallow, calm reefs where even first-time divers can have a relaxed, confidence-building experience.
At Divetech, we’ve been diving these sites since 1994 - teaching beginners, guiding experienced divers along dramatic wall edges, and supporting advanced technical and rebreather divers in deeper environments. What we love most is showing divers the right site for their comfort level, not just the most famous one.
This guide breaks down our favorite dive sites in Grand Cayman, what makes each unique, and which divers they are best suited for.
1. Lighthouse Point (Divetech’s House Reef)
Location: West Bay
Entry: Easy Shore Entry
Best For: Beginners, photographers, relaxed divers, buoyancy practice, night dives
This is our home - and one of the most diverse and easy-access dive sites on the island. A smooth, calm shore entry leads you into a reef system packed with life:
Resident turtles grazing calmly
Drifting schools of chromis
Sponges and coral heads with macro life tucked between ridges
Juvenile fish nursery areas
Occasional octopus sightings (especially near dusk)
It’s the perfect place to:
Do your first open water dives
Refresh skills after time away
Practice buoyancy without pressure
Extend your diving day with unlimited shore dives
Photography lovers appreciate the slow pace - it’s a site made for “stop, hover, breathe, look closely.”
2. The North Wall
Location: Northern drop-off of Grand Cayman
Best For: Advanced divers, deep divers, wall divers, anyone who loves dramatic topography
The North Wall is legendary - one of the Caribbean’s most spectacular wall systems. The reef plate suddenly drops thousands of feet, creating the sensation of flying over an underwater canyon.
What to expect:
Sponges the size of barrels
Vertical coral gardens glowing in blue water
Eagle rays gliding slowly along the wall edge
Tarpon and jacks cruising in blue water
Possible shark sightings
When conditions are calm (especially in spring), we love taking divers here for:
Deep recreational dives
Technical dives with staged depth profiles
Photo and video-friendly drift dives
This is a site that reminds divers why they fell in love with the ocean.
3. USS Kittiwake Wreck
Location: West Bay
Depth: 40-60 ft
Best For: All certified divers, photographers, wreck lovers
The Kittiwake is one of Grand Cayman’s signature dives - once a U.S. Navy submarine rescue vessel, now an artificial reef teeming with life. The wreck is upright, open, and safe to explore with trained guides.
Highlights include:
Swim-through corridors and structure exploration
A giant propeller and open cargo spaces
Garden eels and southern stingrays in the sand
Bright schools of silversides darting in and out of the hull
Because the wreck sits shallow, bottom time is generous - meaning you can relax and explore without rushing. Great for newer divers, wreck-curious divers, and underwater videographers.
4. Cobalt Coast
Location: North of West Bay
Entry: Shore Dive
Best For: All levels, Beginners, photographers, relaxed divers,
This site in the shallows has colorful Seafans - and at the mini wall common to see hawksbills and greens, sometimes resting, gliding, snacking on sponges like slow-motion grazers.
Other highlights:
A mini wall that begins around ~35 ft
Huge sponges shaped like amphitheatres
Friendly sergeant majors guarding their territory (politely)
It’s calm, consistent, relaxed - a joyful reef dive every time.
5. Big Tunnels
Location: West of island
Depth: ~60–100 ft
Best For: Intermediate & advanced divers comfortable with overhead environments
Big Tunnels features wide volcanic swim-through arches - dramatic, cathedral-like structures that make you feel like you’re diving inside an underwater canyon. Sunbeams shine through openings, illuminating coral growth in long beams of light.
You may see:
Tarpon drifting slowly in the shadows
Black coral trees along tunnel walls
Sponges in radiant reds, purples and golds
This is an adventure dive that rewards calm breathing and slow movement.
6. Babylon (East End)
Location: East End
Depth: ~40–100+ ft
Best For: Confident divers who love dramatic coral scenes
Considered one of the most beautiful coral formations in the Cayman Islands, Babylon features:
Towering coral pinnacles
Purple sea fans swaying in gentle current
Color-saturated sponges stacked like sculpture
Vertical cliff formations that look almost prehistoric
Because East End conditions vary, this site requires local guide timing and experience - something Divetech’s crew assists with when we plan custom dive days or private charters.
7. Ghost Mountain
Location: Northwest
Depth: ~60–90 ft
Best For: Photographers & experienced divers seeking something unique
Ghost Mountain is a coral pinnacle rising from the seafloor, covered in soft corals that move like underwater feathers. The structure is free-standing, so you can swim all the way around it, revealing:
Shadows full of blennies and cleaner shrimp
Soft corals waving in slow-motion currents
Breathtaking silhouette photography opportunities
It does feel a bit like diving around a mountain hidden in the ocean - quiet, majestic, cinematic.
Choosing the Best Sites for You
At Divetech, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all dive schedules. Every diver is different - comfort level, air consumption, experience, interest.
So we use:
✔ Small dive groups
✔ Daily sea-condition checks
✔ Multiple shore & boat options
✔ Flexible schedule planning
To create the right dive plan for your trip, not just the popular one.
Whether you want:
Easy, turtle-filled shore dives
Dramatic deep walls
Wreck exploration
Macro critter hunts
Technical profiles
Or just stress-free, beautiful holiday dives
We build a plan that matches your comfort and excitement - never rushes you.
Ready to Dive These Sites?
Just tell us:
How many days are you in Cayman
Your certification level
What kind of diving makes you happy
And we’ll design a warm, safe, adventurous, memorable dive plan - the Divetech way.