Peter McDougall - Reef Smart Guides Grand Cayman

Copyright 2020 Reef Smart Inc. www.reefsmartguides.com

Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

Series concept and development: Ian Popple, Otto Wagner, Peter McDougall

Reef Smart team contributors: Emil Stezar, Andreea Campeanu, Holly Trew, Camille Segonne

Front cover photo Alex Mustard

Back cover photo Jo Ann Snover/Shutterstock

Mango is an active supporter of authors rights to free speech and artistic expression in their books. The purpose of copyright is to encourage authors to produce exceptional works that enrich our culture and our open society.

Uploading or distributing photos, scans or any content from this book without prior permission is theft of the authors intellectual property. Please honor the authors work as you would your own. Thank you in advance for respecting our authors rights.

For permission requests, please contact the publisher at:

Mango Publishing Group

2850 Douglas Road, 3rd Floor

Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA

For special orders, quantity sales, course adoptions and corporate sales, please email the publisher at or +1.800.509.4887.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands: Scuba Dive. Snorkel. Surf.

ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-584-9, (ebook) 978-1-64250-585-6

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgments

Reef Smart is indebted to numerous individuals and organizations who contributed their advice, knowledge and support in the production of this guidebook. We would particularly like to thank the following people who assisted in many ways, including through the provision of diving support and accommodations during our fieldwork in Grand Cayman. Stephen Broadbelt and the dedicated staff at Ocean Frontiers were instrumental in ensuring that the East End was suitably represented in this guidebook. Jason Belport and the team at Cobalt Coast Resort, a property of Clearly Cayman, and Reef Divers helped us map some of the northern sites, as well as providing extensive support for mapping work in the Sister Islands, which will form a guidebook in its own right. Wayne Brown at Aggressor Adventures and the crew of the Cayman Aggressor V also supported our mapping work in Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. Mike Pinnington and the staff at Sunset House Resort and Sunset Divers provided valuable advice and feedback on numerous sites and assisted us with the mapping of Sunset House. Jason Washington at Ambassador Divers provided advice and feedback on a number of dive sites. Mike Painting at Lobster Pot Dive Center provided valuable assistance with the modeling of Bob Sotos Reef. Kerry Arnold frequently went out of her way to fact-check various details related to the sites included in this guidebook, and helped collect data for Eden Rock along with James Walker. Chris Zinsli reviewed information associated with some west coast sites, as did Ollen Miller and Jo Mikutowicz. We are also grateful to numerous other recreational divers and dive pros, too many to name, who happened to be visiting Grand Cayman during our fieldwork there, or interacted with us on various social media platforms, to provide their perspective and experience on all aspects of the island. A special thanks, also, to the talented Alex Mustard who provided so many of the outstanding images in this book, not to mention the cover shot, for which we are very grateful.

About Reef Smart:

Reef Smart creates detailed guides of the marine environment, particularly coral reefs and shipwrecks, for recreational divers, snorkelers and surfers. Our products are available as printed guidebooks, waterproof cards, wall posters, dive briefing charts, beach signage and 3D interactive maps, which can be used on websites and as apps. Reef Smart also provides additional services to resorts that are dedicated to offering an environmentally aware experience for their guests; these include marine biology training for dive professionals and resort staff, implementation of coral reef monitoring and restoration programs, and the development of sustainable use practices that reduce the impact of operations on the natural environment.

www.reefsmartguides.com

Objective

The main objective of this guidebook is to provide a resource for people, particularly divers and snorkelers, who are interested in exploring the marine environment of Grand Cayman. This guidebook is designed to be used alongside Reef Smart waterproof cards, which can be taken into the water. It will be most useful for watersports enthusiasts but it also includes information that any visitor to the island will find useful.

Mapping

We have attempted to catalog all the islands dive and snorkel sites, which are listed in a counterclockwise order starting with Conch Point in the islands northwest. We have also featured 56 of the islands dive and snorkel sites in greater detail, with 49 sites presented using Reef Smarts unique 3D-mapping technology. These maps provide useful information such as depths, currents, waves, suggested routes, potential hazards, unique structures and species information that cannot be found in other guides.

Disclaimer

Reef Smart guides are for recreational use only they are not navigational charts and should not be used as such. We have attempted to provide accurate and up-to-date information for each site, as well as activities to enjoy in the surrounding areas. However, businesses close and new ones open, prices are adjusted and change is inevitable in the marine environment. The information contained in this guide is accurate only at the time of publication. The size and location of structures may vary. Depths and distances are approximated in both metric and imperial units, and the suggested route is optional. Reef Smart assumes no responsibility for inaccuracies and omissions, and assumes no liability for the use of these maps. If you do see information that should be updated, please let us know at .

Information boxes

Additional information for the featured sites is provided in the form of special information boxes, which appear throughout the book:

DID YOU KNOW?

Interesting facts about the site or the surrounding area.

SAFETY TIP

Advice that aims to improve safety.

ECO TIP

Information that will help limit damage to the ecosystem or improve environmental awareness.

RELAX & RECHARGE

Information on where refreshments can be purchased, or where to unwind on land. No compensation was received in exchange for featuring these establishments.

SCIENTIFIC INSIGHT

Information of a scientific nature that can help you understand what you see and experience.

Map icons

Species identification

The species listed for each location were chosen to represent the most unique or common organisms found at each site, as determined from personal observations, discussions with divers and snorkelers who have experienced these sites, and from scientific studies conducted in these areas. Many of the species described in this publication are mobile or cryptic (or both), and so may not always be found where indicated. However, we have attempted to place key species on each map in the locations where they are most commonly found.