Cayman Brac, the area around Lighthouse Reef

Cayman Brac · Cayman Islands · Reef · Cave & cavern

Lighthouse Reef

An inner reef cut by multiple swim-throughs

Area photo: EvaZL · CC BY 4.0

Lighthouse Reef is a short run from the West End dock on Cayman Brac. The reef comes in two parts: an outer section, and an inner one cut by multiple swim-throughs. The coral tops out at about 6 m and the sand sits at 14 to 15 m, and lobsters and the occasional nurse shark shelter under the overhangs.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Lighthouse Reef: typical dive 6–15 m (20–50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit6 m15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

19.6821° N, 79.8869° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

The site sits close to the West End dock, so the boat ride is short. There are two reef sections. The outer one is the deeper, running down to sand at 14 to 15 m, and the inner reef is the one people come for: it is cut by multiple swim-throughs, short passages through the coral rather than anything needing overhead technique.

Take the swim-throughs slowly and check the overhangs on the way, because lobsters sit back in them and an occasional nurse shark shelters under the ledges. Out on the reef the fish are the standard cast — parrot fish grazing the coral, wrasse working over the structure, butterfly fish in pairs. The top of the reef is at about 6 m, so the shallow end of the dive is long.

Marine life and season

  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Lighthouse Reef
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFairFairFairGoodPrime

Season follows Cayman Brac: Seas are calmest Nov–May; Aug–Oct is hurricane season, when sites often move to whichever shore is in the lee.

Sources

  1. Lighthouse Reef - Cayman Brac — Scubago

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