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Witness some of the world’s best diving in the Cayman Islands

Diving the Cayman Islands offers it all: amazing visibility, colorful coral, and thriving marine life, all set against some of the world’s best walls, wrecks, and reefs. The Cayman Islands consist of three small islands located south of Cuba, in the center of the Caribbean. This British overseas territory is a popular tropical escape for divers, beachgoers, and cruise ships. Although small in size, these breathtaking islands are filled with big adventure and many possibilities. Relax and forget your worries on the quiet island of Little Cayman, explore the limestone cliffs and caves of the remote Cayman Brac, or admire the vibrant coral reefs while diving on the largest and most popular island, Grand Cayman. Click here to find the best dive sites of the Cayman Islands.

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Doc Poulson (Wreck)

Doc Poulson is a purposefully sunk wreck as an artificial reef on the western part of Grand Cayman Island. This is a fun wreck to dive and a great night dive.

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Little Cayman

Diving the island of Little Cayman should be on every serious diver’s bucket list! The reefs are pristine, the walls are breathtaking, and the marine life is abundant.

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USS Kittiwake (Wreck)

The Kittiwake is one of the best-known wrecks in all of the Caribbean, if not the whole world, and sits just offshore from Seven Mile Beach. Due to its shallow depth (no deeper than 65 feet) it’s popular not only among scuba divers but freedivers and snorkelers as well.

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Oro Verde (Wreck)

Originally a U.S. Army transport ship, the Oro Verde spent it’s last 10 years of life transporting bananas between Ecuador and Miami. It eventually ran in 1976 on the reef surrounding Grand Cayman, right off Seven Mile Beach.

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Caribbean Club Sand Chute

A gradually declining sand chute, to the depths. This is a great spot to see eagle rays and stingrays as they love to forage in the sand, with finger coral stretching towards shore!

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Eagles Nest

Colorful sponges intertwined with staghorn corals create a backdrop for spotted eagle rays and lots of turtles. Also look for nurse sharks hiding amongst the reef.

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MV Captain Keith Tibbetts (Wreck)

This spectacular wreck lies on the northwest side of Cayman Brac but is also accessible by boat from Little Cayman. This 330-foot-long Koni II class frigate was built for the Cuban Navy by the Soviet Union in 1984. It was purchased by the Cayman Islands and sunk in 1996 as an artificial reef and dive site.

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Buccaneer Reef

Buccaneers Reef is an easy entry shore dive on the western end of Cayman Brac. A thriving reef great for beginning divers and snorkelers alike. Lots of reef life to see.

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Stingray City

Stingray City is one of the most popular attractions on Grand Cayman. This site is in the North Sound of Grand Cayman and has naturally occurring resident Southern Stingrays. This site has become a beacon for snorkel operators bringing tourist groups here.

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Spanish Bay Reef

Named for the old Spanish Bay Reef Resort, Spanish Bay Reef is a very popular shore dive with locals and visitors alike. Just 200ft from the man-made breakwater lies a mini wall running parallel with the shoreline. Diving here during high tide is best as low tide drops the visibility significantly.

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Discover the world’s most fascinating aquatic life

Aquatic life under our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams is amazing! From microscopic zooplankton to the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, underwater life comes in all possible shapes and sizes. With 71% of the earth being covered with water, it is no wonder we are so fascinated with what lies beneath the surface. In fact, scientists estimate that there are nearly 1 million different species of aquatic animals. Freshwater ecosystems are home mainly to fish, invertebrates, and reptiles, whereas the ocean contains a wide array of marine life including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, sharks, and marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees.

Blacktip Reef Shark

Blacktip reef sharks are one of the most commonly sighted sharks cruising around reefs, as they are extremely abundant in this habitat. They can be found in shallow, inshore waters throughout the tropical regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and are easily identified by the dark black tips of their dorsal and caudal fins. Blacktips are not very migratory and prefer a smaller home range where they prey on crustaceans, smaller bony fish, and even sea snakes.

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Nurse Shark

Leading a humble, sedentary lifestyle, the nurse shark may not be the most thrilling shark to dive with in the sea, but it is by far one of the most common. This dusty brown, robust animal is a very popular sighting amongst the coral reefs of the Caribbean and is mostly distributed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast of the Americas, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the western Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Africa.

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Eagle Ray

Like manta rays, eagle rays are among the largest rays. The best known and most popular species is the spotted eagle ray, one of the most beautiful rays and among the most desired to be seen by divers. These animals have the unique ability to move both forward and backward using their pectoral fins. You will never forget observing these majestic movements while diving with eagle rays.

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Stingrays

With over 500 different species of rays identified, this group of cartilaginous fish are more varied then their cousin the shark. Stingrays derive their name from their long, skinny tails, many of which have poisonous stingers used for self-defense. Due to these predominant stingers, please take caution when diving or walking through waters with stingrays. As long as you keep a safe distance, you can experience beautiful dives with them. They are mostly found on the seabed where they hide under the sand and feed on fish, crabs, worms, snails, and other mollusks.

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Loggerhead Turtle

Loggerhead sea turtles are easily recognizable by their very large heads, giving them their name. Unlike many of the other species, loggerhead’s shells do not have ridges, giving it a smooth appearance, another distinguishing characteristic of these strong jawed hunters. These large, solid bodied swimmers are primarily carnivorous feeding mostly on shellfish like clams, conchs, crabs, and other invertebrates. They have one of the widest distributions of all the sea turtle species and can be found in both temperate and tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. In fact, they have been reported as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile in the eastern Pacific.

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Hawksbill Turtle

Often times considered the most beautiful of all sea turtle species with it’s mottled, colorful shell, the hawksbill sea turtle is one of the smaller species. These graceful creatures are the most tropical of all the turtles and can be found mainly on coral reefs throughout the warmest areas of the world’s oceans. They use their narrow, pointed beak (hence their name) to eat an omnivorous diet, feeding on sponges, sea anemones, and jellyfish.

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Angelfish

Not to be confused with the freshwater angelfish of the Amazon Basin, marine angelfish are brilliantly colored and live on the warm, shallow water reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans. This beautiful family of reef fish consists of about 86 different species, the most well-known being queen, king, french, royal, and grey angelfish. With their large, laterally compressed bodies, small, up-turned mouths, and bright colors, they are hard to miss and a favorite sighting for most divers.

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Wrasse

Most wrasses species have extraordinary, bright coloration. With over 600 different species, wrasses are as varied in size as they are in their brilliant color. They are identifiable by their elongated bodies, protruding canine teeth, and thick lips. It is fantastic to dive with wrasses and watch them swimming around coral reefs firsthand. These lively fish make coral reefs even more colorful.

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