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Scuba diving the reefs and wrecks can be as easy as an introduction into the sport which is called "Discover Scuba Diving".
This requires some instruction on using the equipment and techquies used for safety. Your first dive will be not more than 20 feet.
Or if one wants to go deeper, there is a longer version which has confined water skill development and a maxium depth of 40 feet.
These dives can be used toward future certification which involves watching a DVD, and answering some knowledge review questions, and then taking
a 50 questions, multiple choice answer, quiz. Also, you'll have sessions in confined water, like a pool, for skill development, and then four dives
over two days which demonstrates the skills you have learned in an openwater environment.
Certifed divers then can dive on the coral reef up to a depth of 100 feet to see the wall with all its sponges and larger coral formation, and to any shallower
depth they choose. Even the mid reef at around 40 - 60 feet is teaming with reef fish.
As you develop your skills in diving, you will notice that there is a great diversity of the marine life as one dives the different depths of the coral reef system. Eash time you go diving your level of skill and confort develop
to the point you will see more on each dive and recognise new creatures on every dive. Even after thirty years of diving I still find new subjuect matters to
photograph.
If you would like a guided tour, learn to dive, or have your photograph taken on a dive, or learn underwater photography, send us an email to arrange your
excursion to explore underwater.
Cayman Islands - Cayman Brac
Diving the Cayman Islands is the easiest diving in the world. Short boat trips or shore diving provides
dives with only very mild currents if any, protected reefs where marine life and coral grows in an almost
pristine condition that can only be seen in very remote virgin coral reef islands. Every day you can dive the same
reef and see marine life change or dive at different times during a day and see the daily changes of an
ever changing marine life.
The island of Grand Cayman is divided into five different regions of ecosystems around the island.
The most popular areas are off Seven Mile Beach which offers wall dives at 70 feet to 100 feet with Brain
coral, deep sea fans, and large sponges. This is usually your first dive of the day.
The Second dive of the
day is a 50 foot dive on the mid reef which offers abundant variety of Angle fish, Trigerfish, Tangs, of 8 to 14 inches in length
to the smaller reef fish which are cleaner type fish of 2 to 3 inches which will tranquilize your eyes at the
activity and overwhelming numbers with colors of the rainbow dancing in an endless movement of feeding.
This area is usually a glass calm and dive operators mostly use pontoon boats off the beach to transport
divers to dive sites within 3 to 10 minutes along the beach. Mooring buoys are used at all dive sites which allows
easy descents and ascents with views of marine life during safety stops with 150 to 200 foot visibility.
When north wind in the fall and winter occur, dive operations move to around to South harbor which then offers the calm
seas.
The Next most popular area is the North Wall which includes the famous Tarpon Alley, Eagle Ray Pass and is where
Sting Ray City is located just inside the reef. The deep reef starts in 60 to 70 feet with canyons and valleys
which offer 4 to 5 foot tube sponges leaping from the walls, plate coral forming half cones growing along
the walls sheltering cleaner fish of all shapes and colors.
The points of each ridge offers gleam's of Eagle Rays,
Hog nose Rays, Manta rays and other schools of Jack fish. The best time to see sharks along this wall is in
April though June of each year.
Tarpon Alley usually is home to 100 to 500 3 to 4 foot long Tarpon. Best time to
dive this area is June through August. The deep reef also offers the most spectacular reef on top with Stag horn
coral growing to 5 to 6 feet of hiding places for reef fish like the rare Blue Indigo Damsel fish. The mid reef
offers a large population of Lobsters of two main varieties. The Spotted Lobster and the colorful Spiny Lobsters.
There are nooks and cracks where they hid and also will offer up nurse sharks resting in slumber around most corners.
Eden's Rock and Devil's Grotto is the most photographed reef around the world. Either from a boat or from shore
the diving of the reef starts in 5 ft of water and plummets to 50 feet with awesome caves and tunnels covered
with silver sides in schools of 1000 (note these are a 2 to 3 inch minnow like fish.) to the massive 5 and 6 foot
long graceful Tarpon gliding over the reef. Sea Anemone's abound at about 35 to 40 feet with parrot fish
gouge the algae to make room for new coral growth. Usually I dive this site twice a day on my trips and get at
least three night dives from shore which results in every dive different and spectacular than any other dive.
South Sound Best dove when north winds flow to the island resulting in flat seas. This area offers fields of 5 foot
tall gorgians swaying with the gentle role of the sea. Large Barrel sponges of heights of 5 to 6 feet are numerous
around the deep reefs of 70 to 100 feet close to the light house. Nurse sharks lurk in the 30 to 50 foot reefs
by the edge of the sand where slight groves indent the bottom of coral mounds of 20 to 40 foot tall. French Angelfish and
Queen Angle fish are numerous around every edge of the reef. Schoolmaster Snapper congregate at the leading edge of the reefs or
on the up current side watching for easy meals a drift in the current.
East End offers the best diving when calm seas abound. The Elk horn coral forms the barrier reef just off shore
making home to numerous marine fish of all colors and sizes.
Email us and let us know where and when you are looking for trips.
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Web site first created 14 March, 1996
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