lil' cayman : how good is it?

[SueMermaid]

When I was there two years ago, he had just stopped hanging around about 6 months prior. Liz the DM from Divi Tiara was on the cover of Rodale's with him a few years ago.
They tell me hung out mostly at the Russian Destroyer. Sorry I missed him, that would have been great.

 

[caymaniac]

Tim Ingersoll once bubbled...
Little Cayman has everything except the big stuff. If you could import some sharks, whales, dolphins and eagle rays it would be perfect. We stayed at Conch Club Condominiums and dove with Reef Divers. Highly recommend them both. I would put the diving slightly above Cozumel and Turks & Caicos and in another class from most anything else.

Tim, I've seen every theing but whales on LC. Dove with Reef Divers, seen plenty of Eagle Rays. I've never had a trip where we didn't see sharks, and I don't mean Nurse Sharks (which we see plenty of). Off LC we've seen a Hammerhead several times, Black tips, Bull sharks and Lemon.
When the Dolphin was at the wreck on the Brac we were there and have film footage that is awesome. Also we've seen Manta at LC. I guess I've left out whales, but have also had dolphins in our bow wake several times.
Diving is fun,
Caymaniac

 

[scubajoe]

I have never touched the land at Little Cayman but the diving is spectacular. I spent 30 minutes with an Eagle ray feeding on one dive. I'd have stayed longer had my air not been so low. It was way cool. We had reef sharks on about half of the dives. Huge turtles on a night dive. A beaded sea cucumber on the same dive. I would go back in a second! Hard to beat Bloody Bay!
Joe

 

[JRRKAR]

Like all dives in the ocean, you are never guaranteed anything. You may see a lot, you may see nothing. We spent a week at Brac/LC in the spring and never saw one shark, dolphin or manta ray. We saw a couple of small turtles plus the normal fish life (which is all very good). But we didn't see anything big. It's all a chance. If you know accept this going in, then your not disappointed. If you do get a chance encounter, all the better.

Jeff

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

Although a lot of diving is chance I would say that there are places in the Caribbean where your chances of seeing big stuff are relatively low. Little Cayman is one of those IMHO. No offense, I just don't think its fair to send someone off with the impression that they will see big pelagics off LC. It happens but not too often.

 

[-hh]

Tim Ingersoll once bubbled...
Little Cayman has everything except the big stuff. If you could import some sharks, whales, dolphins and eagle rays it would be perfect...

The Sister islands do have had their occasional pelagic visitors. They're just not omnipresent, like in the Galapagos.


On sharks, they're around...just not too frequently sighted. Best bet is to do a late afternoon dive on LC when the Agressor is "accidentally chumming" as they prepare dinner. Aunt Shaw's on the Brac also do an incidental feeding (guests watch from the balcony). Supposedly, Point of Sand on Little Cayman at night is another hot spot. Reef sharks are the most common, but there's the occasional hammerhead... http://tinyurl.com/njde

Sightings of other shark types (Lemon, Whale) do exist, but are very rare.


On whales and dolphin, they're a rarity. The dolphin which had been hanging around the Brac is long gone. He got bored of the 356 and started hanging out further up at Stake & Spot bay, and reportedly started to accompany the Brac fishermen on their runs out to the south (towards Honduras); he apparently left that way. The islands are apparently on a migration route of a family pod of killer whales that come through seasonally, but since its a 1-2 hour event, they're not seen every year.

Around a decade ago, there were one or more Manta's. Stories differ as to what happened, but there was a fisherman who hooked one off the drop-off about the time that Molly disappeared. Here's a photo of Molly from around 1991: http://tinyurl.com/njcv


What are common sightings are groupers, hogfish, various Angels and southern stingrays. Slightly less common are turtles, tarpon, eels, eagle rays. As a rule of thumb, I always see all of these on a trip, plus lots and lots of "normal" stuff (including Sea Cucumbers). Some stuff is seasonal too, so it can also depend on the time of year that you're visiting. For example, if you want caves full of silversides, go in the summer.

BTW, on Turtles, check out this webpage:

http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/index.shtml?project_id=3


IMO, there's more "bigger" stuff on LC and the Brac than on some other destinations, for example, Bonaire.


-hh

 

[bandit_TX]

Having done both, another must do spot in the Caribbean is Tobago, specifically Speyside and Charlottesville area. It's drift diving as opposed to walls, but the coral is pristine and spectacular, the animals are exceptional, and just about anything can wander by. The island is English speaking, under developed, but with enough to provide comfort without the 'Miami' effect. It is a rain forest island. The central ridge has been under continuous protection since the 1700's. It's worth skipping an afternoon dive to do a rain forest tour or climb a waterfall. The diving is not easy, but well worth it for the experienced diver.

 

[sdwho]

JRRKAR once bubbled...
Like all dives in the ocean, you are never guaranteed anything. (snip). It's all a chance. If you know accept this going in, then your not disappointed. If you do get a chance encounter, all the better.

Jeff

A really good point that can't be made too often. Its too bad when divers get in the water with specific "expectations" and then are disappointed. Frankly, while I love finding the "big" stuff, I enjoy it a lot more when its unexpected than when its "guaranteed" -- in the latter case its often because the marine environment has been altered by man (see, e.g., sting ray city).

My sig, which comes from a wise (but crazy) captain I dove with once upon a time: Ze Ocean is Not Ze Zoo!!

Seth

 

[JRRKAR]

I can't agree more. There is a lot to see and find if only some people would open their eyes. While I love to see the big stuff, I can make an entire dive just finding the little things (i.e. flamingo tongues, scorpionfish, arrow crabs etc.). So many times you hear divers on the boat saying...I just want to find a flamingo tongue. Then you see them underwater doing 12 knots. The current draw from them almost pulls you along in their backdraft. This happened on our last trip, and we found a flamingo tongue right under the boat, in addition to scorpion fish, peacock flounder, eels etc.). Then back on the boat they say ....well we didn't see anything like that. No s__t! I had even tried to get some of these peoples attention underwater to show them, and they look at me like I'm crazy.

So no matter what the conditions, there is always something to see. Just don't set expectations and expect the open ocean to cooperate. If you want the guarantee, go to Ze Zoo.

Jeff