There's plenty of world-class diving within walking distance of Camana Bay. But if you're looking for an adventure that's a bit off the beaten path, try heading east.
Three dive operators service the roughly 50 dive sites in East End. It's remote with spectacular walls and beautiful reefs to visit as either a snorkeller or diver. Tortuga Divers, by Red Sail Sports, Ocean Frontiers and Silver Thatch Watersports all welcome residents to come and enjoy the wonderful diving out east, which seemingly is often forgotten!
Post COVID-19, the walls and reefs of East End are illustrating vibrant flora and fauna and greater opportunities of seeing oceanic pelagic fish. With several turtle nesting sites along the shore, it is common to spot sea turtles whilst diving these reefs.
As well as the more requested dive sites — like Jack McKenney’s Canyons, which offers canyons and chutes that lead out to the drop-off or Snapper Hole, which offers shallow reef cavern structures resembling Swiss cheese — ask about some of the less visited eastern dive sites.
Three Sisters features pinnacles where majestic coral towers defy gravity and spire upwards from the depths of the Cayman Trench at the very edge of the drop-off. Or try Breakers Cutback and Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, which only opened to dive boats in 2010. Frank Sound Gardens and the shallow dive sites in Half Moon Bay include many of Cayman's signature dives appearing in dive magazines and are always sought by visiting journalists and photographers.
Looking to get out east? Contact the staff at Red's Emporium to book excursions or check the folks at Cayman Ferries, which runs water taxis between Camana Bay and Kaibo.
James Dudley is a manager at Tortuga Divers, by Red Sail Sports.
This article was originally published in the September/October 2022 print edition of Camana Bay Times.