Grand Cayman · Cayman Islands · Wall · Cave & cavern
Trinity Caves
Three linked coral caves that all open onto the wall
Area photo: c&rdunn · CC BY-SA 2.0
Three coral caves set at different depths in a chain, cut into the drop-off, and all three open out onto the wall. You can start shallow or start deep, thread the swim-throughs in whichever order the plan calls for, and come out on the vertical face at around 30 m before working slowly back up to the reef top.
Where it is and how deep
19.3648° N, 81.4072° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef top sits at about 15 m and the three caves run below it in a chain, each at a different depth, which is why the briefing matters more here than at most Cayman sites: the caves can be linked to one another, so every diver needs to know the route before splashing. You can take them from the shallow end down, or drop straight to the deepest and work your way up.
All three finish out on the wall. A typical run exits at around 30 m on the vertical face and then follows it back up in stages, with the average depth over the dive landing nearer 15 m. Divers have taken the chain as deep as 35.7 m, so this stays a dive to plan rather than one to follow by eye.
The reef top makes the safety stop worth staying for rather than something to endure. Turtles graze the coral there, with big French angelfish hanging around for whatever gets knocked loose. After the low light of the caves, the shallows are where most of the photography happens, with time and gas to spare.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| 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
- Fin carefully inside the caves. It is easy to stir sand up off the floor and leave the divers behind you with no visibility at all.
- The three caves interconnect at different depths, so agree the route and the order before you get in the water rather than working it out at 30 m.
Dive videos
Trinity Caves Grand Cayman · Adam Morin on YouTube
Grand Cayman SCUBA, Trinity Caves and Chain Reef with Divetech. We saw a Hammerhead Shark! · Matt Drones On on YouTube
Grand Cayman Diving - Trinity Caves · NIN on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Trinity Caves?+
The reef top is around 15 m and the caves run deeper in a chain, with a typical exit onto the wall at about 30 m. Divers have taken the chain as deep as 35.7 m, so the profile depends on which caves you take and in what order.
Do you need a cave certification for Trinity Caves?+
No. These are large swim-throughs and cavern-like passages that open onto the wall rather than true cave diving. What they do need is depth experience, good buoyancy and a route agreed with your buddy before the dive.
Sources
- Trinity Caves Dive Site - Scuba Diving Grand Cayman — The Scuba Directory
- Best Dive Sites Grand Cayman — Ambassador Divers
- Cayman Diving | North Wall Dives in Grand Cayman — Ambassador Divers
In The Logbook
- Do you need a safety stop? What it buys youBody & health · 11 min read
- Cavern and cenote diving without cave trainingCaves & caverns · 8 min read
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