Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Cave & cavern · Reef · Wall
Kelly's Caverns
Canyons and tunnels, a mini wall and a white sand plain
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A Grand Cayman site 20 minutes from the dock, running from 25 to 60 ft (8 to 18 m) and split into three zones: a network of canyons and tunnels stretching eastward, a mini wall with a rubble field at 45 to 50 ft (14 to 15 m), and a wide expanse of white sand. It takes its name from a dive lodge dog.
Where it is and how deep
19.2913° N, 81.1460° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Three zones, and the briefing usually works through them in order. The canyons and tunnels are the feature, a connected network cutting eastward through the reef, and they take up most of the bottom time. They are not deep, since the whole site sits between 25 and 60 ft (8 and 18 m), so the constraint is finning cleanly through them rather than watching a computer.
Beyond the canyon network the mini wall drops to a rubble field at 45 to 50 ft (14 to 15 m), the deeper half of the dive, and past that the ground opens into a wide expanse of white sand. The sand is the easiest place on the site to keep a group together and the natural turnaround before working back shallow. Coming home over the reef leaves the shallowest ground for the end of the dive and the safety stop.
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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Kelly's Caverns?+
The site ranges from 25 to 60 ft (8 to 18 m), with the mini wall and its rubble field at 45 to 50 ft (14 to 15 m) forming the deep half. The canyons and tunnels that give the site its name sit inside that range, so what the dive asks for is buoyancy control rather than depth experience.
Sources
- Kelly's Caverns - Scubago — Scubago
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