Cayman Brac Dive Sites

Spectacular Shallow, Wall and Wreck Diving

The 40 different Cayman Island diving sites around the Cayman Brac ensure you will find a variety of experiences. We've listed a few of the sites below.

Russian Frigate 356 - MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts

Sunk in September 1996, this 330 foot vessel is an amazing dive. The bow sits in 85 feet of water, with the stern in 60 feet. The radar tower starts in about 30 feet, so this is an excellent dive for snorkelers as well as divers. Over 100 species of marine life have been documented in the short time she has been down. The wreck has been made diver friendly and portions of it are penetrable.

Bloody Bay Wall - Dive Site

From Brac Reef, you can dive some of the world’s finest Caribbean wall diving at Bloody Bay and Jackson’s Reef Walls. The drop-off begins at only 18 feet then sinks quickly into deep blue along this more than a mile-long stretch of the island’s north shore. Coral and sponges of all types, colors, and sizes cascade downward as you slowly descend along the wall. Small caves and ledges honeycomb these walls providing an interesting visual terrain and hiding places for shy, elusive critters. You can dive at depths from 40-100 feet here depending on your comfort level. Grouper, horse-eye jacks, triggerfish, and many small tropical fish make this area come alive and are ready to pose for that special shot.

Tarpon Reef - Island Diving

This medium depth spur and groove area along the Brac’s south side is home to several dozen Tarpon that spend their days clustered in groups among the tunnels and crevices. These shimmering, silvery fish, some reaching up to five feet in length, will remain fairly calm and still when approached slowly, providing great photographic opportunities. Another inspiring photo subject is a nearby stand of Pillar Coral, rising along a knoll looking somewhat like a tall cactus towering over the seascape. Tarpon Reef features several of these formations as well as Elkhorn Corals, Star Corals and abundant soft corals.

The sand gullies between the large ridges of Tarpon Reef reach a depth of about 50 feet while the crests of the ridges may rise to within 20 feet of the surface. Visibility at this site tends to be quite variable. Nurse Sharks are sometimes seen in the undercuts, and along the tops of the ridges your find the usual assortment of colorful tropical fish, an occasional Barracuda and a variety of Parrotfish.

Diving at Wilderness Wall

One of several pristine wall sites along the Brac’s south side, Wilderness Wall evokes a feeling of the mystical and primordial. This dramatically plunging drop-off is nearly virginal in its presentation, with an abundance of healthy corals, sponges and a wealth of marine life to captivate even the most jaded diver. Canyons and crevices cut through the wall all along the drop-off, some plunging far beyond the reach of earthly visitors. An immense pinnacle rises away from the wall to within 100 feet of the surface (forming a corridor along the reef for pelagics up from the abyss), while the wall itself begins at about 50 feet.

Wilderness Wall attracts a large following of Nassau Groupers, stingrays, turtles, schooling Horse-Eye Jacks, Snappers and Angelfish. Delicate gorgonians hang along the sides of the crevices and promontories, accented by rope sponges, hard corals and large, bulbous tube sponges. The sponges in this area reach enormous proportions and come in brilliant shades of red, yellow, orange, purple and green. 

Bert Brothers Boulders

The Bert Brothers are a family of Brackers long involved in local dive operations. Their namesake is appropriately one of the most beautiful dive spots off the island. A medium depth reef at 40 feet, this north side site is dominated by tightly spaced spur and groove ridges that form mountains of coral heads between the inshore sands and the offshore wall. The tops of the ridges are graced with beautiful Elkhorn Corals, the narrow gullies between feature soft corals, tube sponges and hard corals.

Swim-throughs and large undercuts provide hiding places for a large Green Moray Eel that has been in residence here for some time. The sponge-trimmed openings are also perfect framing for wide-angle photography, with filtering sunlight pouring down through the gaping chasms to the sandy floor.

Greenhouse - Medium Depth Dive Site

Greenhouse, also known as “Screensaver Reef,” is not just an ordinary medium depth dive site. Here, among the spur and groove formations, you're likely to find all sorts of creatures. Marine life at Greenhouse may include Moray Eels winding through crevices in the gullies looking for a meal, friendly Angelfish darting in and out of the soft corals and turtles cruising over the tops of the coral ridges. With its proximity to the Brac's shallow north shoreline, Greenhouse also has frequent visits from schooling Squid, hovering in groups of a dozen or more near the mooring or lining up in formation near the surface.

Macro photographers will sometimes find Flamingo Tongues perched on the large purple seafans at 20 to 30 feet as well as Arrowcrabs, Longspined Sea Urchins and Bristleworms hiding among the cracks. The coral ridges are adorned with abundant hard and soft corals, Tube Sponges and Barrel Sponges.

East Chute / Cayman Mariner

East Chute, one of the Brac’s most popular sites, features not only the exhilarating wall, but also a small wreck along the inshore sand area. East Chute begins at about 45 feet, marked by a large, sand-filled canyon spilling over the ledge into the abyss. The wall is decorated with Red Rope Sponges, Yellow Tube Sponges and large Barrel Sponges.

A short distance inshore, in 55 feet on a sand bottom, the Cayman Mariner rests with a modest growth of soft corals and sponges along her exterior and inside the hull. Sunk in 1986, she now attracts exciting marine life such as turtles, Green Moray Eels and schooling Barracuda.

Cayman Brac Dive Sites by Type

Shallow Dives: Greenhouse Reef Plymouth Rock Radar Reef Duppy's Reef Snappper Reef Grunt Valley Charlie's Reef Patch Reef Buccaneer's Cemetery Reef The Hobbit Lighthouse Reef Sergeant Major Reef Butterfly Reef Elkhorn Forest Pillar Coral Reef Hedy's Reef Public Beach

Wall Dives: Greenhouse Wall School House Wall Garden Eel Wall Middle Chute West Chute Airport Wall End of Island Wall Anchor Wall Tiara Tunnels Angel Reef Sea Feather Wall Inside Out Manta Canyon Bat Cave Rock Monster Chimney Bluff Wall Wreck Dives: Kissimmee MV Keith Tibbetts East Chute Prince Frederick Wreck