Cayman Trip Report
Our trip this year consisted of two trips in one - 5 nights on Little Cayman and 5 nights on Grand Cayman.
JetBlue nonstop from JFK arrived on a Wed morning. GC airport quiet and empty at 10:30 AM. Took the Georgetown Yacht Club shuttle over for lunch. Thanks to all on SB for this great tip. Greeter at the airport called the shuttle, we were picked up around 11:15 AM, had a nice lunch and we were back at the airport in plenty of time for our 2:30 PM flight to LC
On LC, we were met at the small airport by staff from the Southern Cross Club. First time staying at the SCC and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, the diving, the meals and the serenity. Staff amazing all around. Food was excellent. Loved our unit with an outdoor private shower – never used the one inside. Beautiful full moon and saw the southern cross and milky way.
4 days of two tank am boat diving. The diving was very good, weather was great and seas calm. Vis was good out on the walls at depth, maybe 80’ to 100’ but less and varied in the shallows, maybe 60’-80’. Water temp consistently 86 except on the deepest part of our deep dives. Boat never crowded with 8 on our boat the first two days, 6 on our third, 12 on our 4th. I enjoyed our deep dives on the walls and swim throughs the most. Highlight dive was on the site Eagle Ray Round up where we saw turtles, a seahorse, eagle rays and a hammerhead. The eagle rays put on a ballet and the hammerhead made two passes while we were in the sand finishing our viewing of the eagle rays. An abundance of grouper and some of the biggest lobster I have ever seen. Saw a bridled burrfish (one on GC too).
I did not notice what others have said about the lack of fish, bleaching and disease. I did notice storm damage and it was pointed out that in some places and sites, the storms provided some benefit – some swim throughs that were just about closed in due to the tightness of space were cleaned out by the winter storms. In at least one, a swim through that they could barely squeeze through before the storm- had a 10’ opening in the shallows expanding to about 17’ on the wall at depth. You could see along the reef in some places where the sand was washed away exposing coral reef that had been covered up with sand.
Monday AM flight to GC and again the airport was empty and a breeze to get through. Quick car pickup at Avis and off to West Bay and Coconut Bay Condos. Dove Hepps Pipeline from CBCs and Turtle Reef for 5 days. Weather was fine, diving was good but vis was also down and varied. Saw the usual suspects and observed storm damage in the shallows and on the tops of the mini walls. Silversides in the ladder area at Turtle Reef were nice to see. Nat and crew were working on their shop and dive set up area at TR. Everything looked good but I did not see the gear drying racks I remember using but maybe they were on the list. Macabucu was great as usual.
Enjoyed being back in GC but lots of development since our last trip in 2018. We stayed up in West Bay the entire time. Heard a number of folks complaining about the development and the unusually hot May. The number of new large buildings going up everywhere including West Bay was disconcerting and disappointing. One large building up under construction right next to Turtle Reef and CBC. I didn’t even recognize Lighthouse point with the new buildings nearby.
Overall we had a great dive trip.
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