Cayman Islands Diving Holidays
The lure of the Cayman Islands lies mainly in its exquisite blue waters, the proximity of the healthy barrier reef and the huge variety of excellent diving on offer. Diving Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall is a journey into one of the healthiest, accessible reef environments in the world, and a Mecca for divers everywhere.
While the diving is incredible, the one thing that Cayman Islands diving generally lacks is boutique and stylish accommodation. However, leave the strip mall style hotels of Grand Cayman behind, and venture to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, the two other islands of the group, and you can find some characterful and comfortable little resorts. They might not make it into the Dive in Style book but with diving this good, we can't help but like them.
The Cayman Islands diving is truly world-class. The world famous Bloody Bay offers some of the best wall dives in the Caribbean. It's a perfect vertical drop-off that plunges from within 20 feet of the surface to depths of more than 3,000 feet. The late Cousteau declared this one of the most dramatic walls he knew. Visibility here is usually excellent, often in excess of 100 feet, thanks to the absence of run-off from the shore. The steep nature of the walls allows for all kinds of diving, from beginner to advanced.
To the right of Bloody Bay Wall is Jackson's Bay, famous for its exciting swim-throughs that lead you from an inner sand belt, through the patch reef and into the Big Blue. This section of the wall isn't as steep as Bloody Bay, but its more rugged bottom creates fantastic landscapes and holds hundreds of crevices and tunnels.
The marine life in the Cayman Islands will surprise you with its friendliness and abundance. Whether it is the occasional appearance of a Gray Reef Shark patrolling the wall, the silent flyby of a Spotted Eagle Ray, gentle encounters with a resting Nurse Shark, the never ending ballet of the many Sting Rays that feed in the sand or surprisingly sociable Hawksbill Turtles: you'll be impressed by the diversity of these waters.
All in all, the Cayman Islands is a great place to visit if you want stunning diving and laid-back, affordable accommodation.
