Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Wall
Tarpon Alley
Reef sharks patrolling a sandy stretch of the North Wall
Photo: Andy Blackledge · CC BY 2.0
Tarpon Alley is a section of Grand Cayman's North Wall near Stingray City, a stretch of wall between 15 and 24 m with a sandy bottom and scattered coral heads. Reef sharks are the main draw, with nurse sharks, garden eels and southern stingrays on the sand and gentle conditions most days.
Where it is and how deep
19.3854° N, 81.3366° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wall runs between 15 and 24 m (49-79 ft). Reef sharks live along it, and the sandy bottom and scattered coral heads give a home to nurse sharks, garden eels and southern stingrays. The depth is relatively shallow and conditions are usually gentle.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Stingrays
| 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
Blue Fin Adventures - Tarpon Alley · Giles Shaxted on YouTube
Sources
- The Best Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands — Frommer's
- Exploring Grand Cayman's Hidden Dive Sites — Red Sail Sports
- Top Dive Sites in Cayman Islands — DIVE IN
- Tarpon Alley, Grand Cayman — Dive Planner Pro
- Shore Diving — Divetech
Photo credits
- A dark blue triggerfish with pale blue lines along its fins swims past brain coral on a sandy reef. by Andy Blackledge, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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 sand channel drift past caverns between wall and slope
Stingrays and eagle rays cruising a multi-level reef wall
Caribbean reef sharks and bull sharks patrolling a vertical wall
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Garden eels on the sand, then a wall that falls past 914 m (3,000 ft)