The island of Grand Cayman is one of the most famous for divers and vacationers in the entire Caribbean. Just an hour's flight from the USA, it is a world away in terms of pace and natural island beauty. Wing your way over the sea to this small but bountiful island and you will see emerald waters, a vast bay and reefs plunging into the deep, blue abyss.
Grand Cayman is famous for its natural attraction called Stingray City where dozen of southern stingrays gather to mooch food from divemasters. Done in anywhere from one to twelve feet of water, most everyone can enjoy watching these rays in the clear waters of the North Sound.
Most every shoreline on the island has numerous dive sites and people use both boats and shore diving techniques to plunge into the bathtub warm Caribbean. The terrain varies from rolling reefs loaded with corals and sponges to broad, sandy plains and then deeper to sheer walls and dropoffs.
The island's interior holds rare creatures like the Cayman blue iguana (a highly endangered species), doves, curly-tailed lizards and even water fowl. Grand Cayman is somewhat flat but pocked with wetlands that attract a host of life. The mangroves in the vast North Sound are a major breeding ground for fish and marine creatures that populate islands all over the Caribbean.
And its city and night life is great fun. Many cruise ships visit by day and many hotels entertain guests by night. There's always something happening. And at sunset, 7 Mile Beach is the place to hang out and watch the sun go down.
We'll follow model Olga Spoelstra around as she explores GC for a look at one of the most famous isles in diving.
Enjoy, - Tim Rock
