George Town diving
George Town is the capital city of the Cayman Islands. It’s a popular place for tourists and offers a lot of opportunities in and out of the water. Both divers of all levels and snorkelers will enjoy the variety of diving Georgetown has to offer. There is shore and boat diving, as well as wall, reef and wreck dives.
Always dive according to your level of training. Never enter the water without checking with the local dive center for safety, additional information, level required for each dive site and without being accompanied by a professional.
All the information provided is purely informative for our readers and shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion.
The Stingray City is one of the major attractions in the Caymans. It’s a very popular stop for both snorkelers and divers. You will be amazed by the number of southern atlantic stingrays here. This site is shallow, appriximately 12 feet (3.5 metres). This is a must when visiting Grand Cayman. Stingray City is unique because this is the only dive in the world that will allow you to swim or dive with the southern sting ray.
The shore diving around George Town is great. Two popular shallow dive sites are the Devils Grotto and Eden Rock. These coral reefs are vertical and rise to within a few metres of the surface. They are very close to the shore and easily reached by swimming or snorkeling. On this dive you will see plenty of coral heads and a breathtaking labyrinth of tunnels. Look out for the marine life around here that will include lots of tropical fish, sponges and coral. You will also encounter tarpon and silversides. These two dives Grotto and Eden Rock are only separated by a sand gully so you may choose to dive them both the same day or separately. There are several other shore dive locations, just ask your dive center for advise.
Boat dives are also organised to reach far away locations along the island’s reef system which has colourful corals and plenty of marine life. Popular dive sites are located on 7 Mile Beach and West Bay. These dives are mostly 2 tank day outings. The newly sunk wreck Kittiwake can be accessed by boat. The Kittiwake is a former military vessel and is a private park and attraction managed by the Cayman Islands Tourism Board.
Another interesting place to visit is the Cayman Turtle Farm. This was first established in 1968 as a facility to raise green turtles by investors from the United States and Britain. It was intended to conserve the turtle population so that the population existing in the wild would not be compromised. The population of the turtles is always changing and there is always something new to see. This is a great place for children and families.
For those who are interested in wreck diving there's the Balboa wreck outside Gerorge Town Harbour. It’s a shallow depth between 15-35 feet (4.5-10.5 metres). The Balboa went down after it hit a wall during a hurricane in 1932. It was blown to smaller pieces but you can still see some parts like the propellers and a part of the boiler room. There’s a lot of marine life here and is a great site for underwater photography.
The diving schools offer a variety of courses at various levels. Beginners can make their first training here and the conditions are ideal as there are shallow dive sites for the first Open Water dives. Courses to dive master and above can also be done.
