Big animals in the Caymans?

[ChaosReid]

My dive buddy constantly remarks on the lack of sharks or other large predators in the Caribbean - he has been diving mainly in the Pacific. The concern is that this is a bad ecological trend, rather than simply the locations we've been to (i.e. a healthy ecology needs representation from the entire food chain). Anyone have thoughts on this? Can anyone comment on what/likelihood of such at Grand Cayman?

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Cayman is not particularly known for sharks or other top predators in the near shore waters.

Stingrays, tarpon, and turtles are the most common larger animals on our reefs.

 

[scubadada]

I've never seen a shark off Grand Cayman in 8 trips/142 dives since 1997 other than Nurse Sharks. My son, daughter, and wife all swear they have seen at least one Reef Shark. On the other hand, my son and I saw quite a few (maybe 15) Reef Sharks off Littlle Cayman this July including a group of 3 that stayed with us quite a while at Nancy's Cup of Tea and one we saw repetitively on a night dive at Lea Lea's Lookout.

We saw Reef Sharks nearly every dive off Providenciales, Turks & Caicos in the summer of 2009. Many times they would hang around for quite a while. YouTube - Old Shark and Big Shark

Good diving, Craig

 

[PatW]

I was at Little Cayman just a couple of weeks ago. There were a fair number of nurse sharks and reef sharks. I saw a spotted eagle ray and a fair number of southern sting rays.

 

[carriemak]

I usually see reef sharks, nurse sharks, eagle rays and turtles when diving in Little Cayman.

 

[Alex777]

I have seen Hammerheads on Grand Cayman's North Wall at least 10 times, and Reef Sharks at East End on numerous dives. I have also seen Manta Rays twice. I agree, though, that on MOST dives the largest thing you will see is a Turtle or an Eagle Ray.

 

[ianr33]

I guess I've done 50 or 60 dives in Cayman. Seen a few Nurse Sharks,the Reef Sharks on the East End and an unidentified tail in the distance at Babylon!

Came across this interesting article which suggests that sharks were much more common way back when.
NATIONAL TRUST for the Cayman Islands

 

[Thalassamania]

No sharks but a while back there were big morays and big grouper in Cayman.

 

[scubadada]

I have seen Hammerheads on Grand Cayman's North Wall at least 10 times, and Reef Sharks at East End on numerous dives. I have also seen Manta Rays twice. I agree, though, that on MOST dives the largest thing you will see is a Turtle or an Eagle Ray.

In my previous post regarding dearth of sharks, I should have stated that I have not dived East End.

Good diving, Craig

 

[berk]

I dove there from 1983 to 1994. There were not many sharks or large pelagics back then either.