Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Wall · Pinnacle
Babylon
A pinnacle rising off the North Wall into the Cayman Trench
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A North Wall site halfway between Rum Point and East End, built around a pinnacle that rises from over 30 m (100 ft) to within 14 m (45 ft) of the surface. The top of the wall starts between 35 and 45 feet (up to 14 m), so the dive can be worked shallow over sand and reef or taken over the edge for a vertical drop into the Cayman Trench.
Also known as Babylon Wall, Babylon Reef.
Where it is and how deep
19.3533° N, 81.1643° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The top of the wall starts between 35 and 45 feet (up to 14 m) and there is a lot of usable ground on it: large sand patches and excellent shallow reef for divers who would rather not venture too deep. The site's centrepiece is the pinnacle, which rises from over 30 m (100 ft) up to just 14 m (45 ft), and most dives here are planned around it one way or another.
Over the edge, Babylon gives a genuinely vertical dive. The topography changes as you move along it, from a sheer plunging wall face to cascading sheets of plate coral and out to large pinnacles jutting into the clear water above the Cayman Trench. The site's maximum is around 30 m (100 ft), so the deep portion is short and the run back along the top is long.
The fish life is wall fish life. Schools of chromis hang over the drop and get broken up by barracuda coming through, stoplight parrotfish and queen angelfish work the coral, and turtles and rays pass along the face regularly enough to be worth watching the blue for. Large pelagic fish turn up on the same edge.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Grand Cayman: December to April is drier and calm enough for the exposed south side; August to October is hurricane season, and the rain peaks in October.
Dive videos
Episode 27: Babylon, Grand Cayman · Don Stark on YouTube
Babylon Dive Site in Grand Cayman · Jim Verlinden on YouTube
Babylon wall · airinhere1 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Babylon in Grand Cayman?+
The top of the wall starts between 35 and 45 feet (up to 14 m) and the site's maximum is around 30 m (100 ft). The pinnacle that gives the site its shape rises from over 30 m (100 ft) to just 14 m (45 ft), so the dive can be run shallow or taken over the edge.
Is Babylon a difficult dive?+
No. Its reputation and remote location make it sound harder than it is, but the top of the wall starts between 35 and 45 feet (up to 14 m) and there is shallow reef and sand to work. Getting there is the real effort, about an hour from the west-side hotels.
Sources
- Scuba Diving Grand Cayman - Babylon — Steven W Smeltzer Blog
- Babylon Dive Site - Scuba Diving Grand Cayman — The Scuba Directory
- Babylon Wall - Dive Spot Details & Conditions — DiveJourney
In The Logbook
- Where to dive in DecemberTrip planning · 10 min read
- The best wall dives in the worldWalls & drop-offs · 11 min read
More dive sites in Grand Cayman
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Cave & cavern
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