Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Reef · Wall
Kathleen's Reef
Spur and groove ground with a miniwall at 11 m (35 ft)
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A north-side reef lying beyond the barrier reef off Barefoot Beach, built on spur and groove formations with a miniwall at 35 ft (11 m) and sand at 65 ft (20 m). Diverse sponges and feather plumes cover the coral, and predictable outflow from the lagoon inside the barrier affects the visibility.
Where it is and how deep
19.3585° N, 81.1235° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site lies beyond the barrier reef, on classic north-side ground: spurs of coral separated by grooves of sand running seaward. You work along or across them, and the grooves keep the navigation legible even when the visibility drops off. The miniwall at 35 ft (11 m) is the shallow feature and the reference for the top half of the dive.
Seaward of the miniwall the ground runs down to sand at 65 ft (20 m), the deep end of the profile and the natural turnaround. Divers work the site in a square pattern, so the route goes out across the spurs, along the deep edge and back rather than running in one direction. Diverse sponges and feather plumes cover the reef through both zones, and the interest is in what is growing on the spurs rather than in distance covered.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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
- Outflow from the lagoon inside the barrier reef is predictable but does cut the visibility, so ask the crew what it is doing before you get in.
Sources
- Kathleen's Reef - Scubago — Scubago
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