Page 526 - The British Big Four
P. 526
Grand Cayman
22 mi. (35 km.) long x 4-8 mi. (6-12 km.) wide GAIL’S MOUNTAIN 50’-100’+ (15-30m+) Sea mount with a ravine
Area: 122 sq. miles (197 sq. km.) and fissures making a superb coral garden with colourful sponges,
Located 490 miles (800 km.) SW of Miami. blue chromis schools and purple creole wrasse.
Population: 40,000+ and growing fast HAUNTED HOUSE 70’-100’ (21-30m) Boat dive to join white-
Topography is almost flat spotted eagle rays and hawksbill turtles amongst oversized black
George Town is the capital of the Cayman Islands corals.
Cayman Trench - Just to the south the water is a 4 mi. (6km) deep. GRAND CANYON 50’-100’+ (15-30m+) Also known as “B’S
HAMMERHEAD HILL 60’-100’ (18-100m) Boat dive to a rise that WALL”, this is a wide canyon between sheer walls, adorned with
is known for big fish and hammerheads. colourful sponges and soft coral. There are pelagic species plus tiger
B’S WALL 66’-100’ (20-30m) Crystal clear waters belie the fact that and Nassau groupers.
divers get deep quickly here. Fabulous colourful corals and sponges NO NAME WALL 50’-90’ (15-27m) A line of ravines runs seaward
abound here. toward the wall north of Rum Point Channel. The wall there has no
DREAM WEAVER REEF 55’-75’ (17-23m) Boat dive to spur and name.
groove reef with shallow coral pinnacles and buttresses with swim- WHITE STROKE CANYON 60’-100’+ (18-30m+) Huge craggy
throughs everywhere. colourful corals and sponges. canyon covered with corals, sponges and invertebrates. Canyon crags
CHINESE WALL 66’-100’ (20-30m) Mini wall and fissure between are home to green moray eels, lobsters, octopi, and many inverte-
two coral masses, with a wide variety and abundance of reef crea- brates. Graceful French angelfish pairs swim about, and turtles rest.
tures, including a female nurse shark, turtles, sea rods, stony corals, Caution: Choppy and surgy.
colourful sponges and all kinds of Caribbean reef fishes. QUEEN’S THRONE 17’-50’ (5-15m) Boat dive is also good for
ROBERT’S WALL 50’-100’ (15-30m) Spur and groove terrain leads snorkeling at mini wall with coral pinnacles and a large green moray.
to drop-off. Large cuts in this wall have deep swim-throughs with
barrel sponges, giant anemones, black coral, whitespotted eagle rays,
turtles, lobsters and sharks.
