Scuba diving holidays in Little Cayman

The beautiful Cayman Islands are a scuba diving mecca, boasting world-class scuba diving sites and a magnificent biodiversity of sea life. Little Cayman, the smallest and least developed of the three Cayman Islands, is renowned for its pristine beauty, both above and below the water. The island may be small but there are certainly plenty of big diving adventures to be had here.

With over 50 world-class dive sites to explore around one small island, it is no wonder that Little Cayman is one of the world's premier diving destinations. Diving enthusiasts can enjoy some of the finest wall diving in the Caribbean at famous areas such as Bloody Bay and Jackson Bay off the north coast of the island, whilst many breathtaking sites can also be found off the west and south coasts.

Bloody Bay is a National Marine Park and its famous Wall is undoubtedly Little Cayman's top diving attraction. The shallowest point starts at around 20 feet and then plunges to an incredible 6000 feet. The edge of this one-mile-long wall offers over a dozen dive sites parallel to the shoreline, and there is an exciting range for every diving level. Dive centres in Little Cayman will be able to take you to the most suitable sites, or offer further training and certifications to explore more advance sites if required.

A favourite spot for underwater photographers is the Mixing Bowl (also called Three Fathom Wall), where Bloody Bay meets Jackson's Bight. The colours are intense here and the water visibility is excellent. This shallow reef is adorned with beautiful purple, red, yellow and oranges sponges and corals, and a good variety of fish such as blue chromis, snappers and grunts, along with eagle rays and sting rays, reside here.The area has many tunnels systems and crevices so swim-throughs are popular with scuba divers.

Other exciting dive sites along Bloody Bay Wall include Randy's Gazebo, where you will find a chimney and a striking archway through a short pinnacle to swim through; Marilyn's Cut, where two canyons cut into the reef to create excellent swim-throughs, and Coconut Walk which features a mini-wall at a depth of 30 feet and a main wall at 60 feet. Here you will find a dramatic stand of Pillar Coral rising up from the hardpan, which is believed to be several thousand years old.

Diving at Great Wall East, which features sheer, vertical drop-offs, and Great Wall West is also a must during your scuba diving holiday in Little Cayman. These sites offer the best of Bloody Bay Wall diving.

Some of the most popular dive sites in Jackson Bay include Cumber's Caves, where you will find a reef at 50 feet and four different tunnels to explore; Paul's Anchor, which is famous for its many old anchors embedded in the reef; Blacktip Boulevard, named after its famous resident Blacktip sharks, and Jackson Bight, one of the greatest scuba dive sites in the Jackson Bay area.

There are so many other scuba diving sites in Little Cayman to mention, especially around the West Side and South Shore, but many of the best are mentioned above. The rest you will have to discover once you are there!