Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Pinnacle
Ghost Mountain
A lone pinnacle where eagle rays and reef sharks pass in the gloom
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Ghost Mountain is a deep pinnacle not far from Grand Cayman's north point, rising from far below to a top at 15 m. Divers circle the mushroom-shaped mass of coral looking for eagle rays and reef sharks, with a cavern of gorgonian fans on its flank and banded coral shrimp for macro photographers.
Where it is and how deep
19.4024° N, 81.3855° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The pinnacle top lies at 15 m (50 ft), and the dive circles the mountain from there down to 30 m. Visibility is often a little clouded by the nutrient-rich water that feeds the corals, so the mass appears suddenly out of the blue. Eagle rays and reef sharks often visit the pinnacle.
Macro photographers look for banded coral shrimp on the walls of the pinnacle, while divers trained to 30 m (98 ft) can reach the gorgonian fans in the cavern at that depth.
Marine life and season
- Eagle rays
- Reef sharks
| 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.
Know before you go
- The bottom lies at around 90 m beneath the pinnacle, so divers circling it need to watch their depth gauges closely.
Dive videos
Dive Site of the Week : Ghost Mountain · Compass Media Cayman on YouTube
Sources
- Diving sites Cayman Islands — Dive The World
- Top Dive Sites in Cayman Islands — DIVE IN
- Exploring Grand Cayman's Hidden Dive Sites — Red Sail Sports
- Ghost Mountain, Grand Cayman — Dive Planner Pro
More dive sites in Grand Cayman
Reef
Massive sponges on the drop at 21 m (70 ft)
Wall
A pinnacle rising off the North Wall into the Cayman Trench
Cave & cavern
Two long tunnels that empty out onto the open blue
Wall
A coral arch on the wall, named for a Cayman photographer
Ladder off the dock, then a long critter hunt to a coral-topped mini wall
Cave & cavern
Coral chimneys that fill with silversides in high summer
Sponge-crusted cable winches on a ship named for the island's chamber doctor
Wall
An elephant sculpture on a ledge at 26 m (85 ft)
Similar dives elsewhere
A needle-thin pillar rising to 27 m, dived with Third Encounter
Four sunlit tunnels bored through a coral mountain
Pinnacle
Monolith
Eleuthera · Bahamas
Coral pinnacles on the sand beside a garden eel colony
Caribbean reef sharks around a lone rock breaking the surface far offshore