Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Reef · Lagoon
Sunset Reef
An old Spanish anchor in the sand between coral heads
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
A shallow reef system inside the natural lagoon, with the barrier reef outside it taking the prevalent swell. The coral heads run from 22 ft (7 m) up to 6 ft (2 m), an old Spanish anchor rests in a sand patch among them, and the site is a five-minute run from the Compass Point dock.
Where it is and how deep
19.3066° N, 81.0825° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is protected water. The reef sits inside the natural lagoon with the barrier reef taking the prevalent swell outside it, so the site stays workable when the open coast is not. The reef itself starts at 22 ft (7 m) and comes up to 6 ft (2 m), a set of coral heads standing off the bottom rather than one continuous structure, which leaves plenty of sand to move through between them.
The anchor is the thing to find. An old Spanish anchor rests in a sand patch among the coral heads, and working from head to head across the sand is how most of the dive goes. At depths this shallow the dive ends on gas rather than on no-stop time, so there is no rush and no deep section to get out of the way first.
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.
Sources
- Sunset Reef - Scubago — Scubago
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