Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the larger and most visited of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands. It is a great beach destination and an awesome place to snorkel. You can charter a boat that will take you out to snorkel the beautiful barrier reef or you can try these smaller snorkeling adventures like I did.
Our first adventure in Grand Cayman was a tour to Stingray City and Starfish Point. Though we didn’t have snorkeling gear for this adventure, I did have my GoPro! I would suggest if you plan on taking this tour, bring some snorkeling gear with you because it would have been awesome.
Stingray City & Starfish Point
The short history of Stingray City is this is where fishing boats would come to clean their catch and dump the remnants in the shallow ocean water. Stingray began congregating in this area because they knew the fishermen would be there and they’d get an easy meal. Today, the tours provide passengers with squid to attract the stingray. The tour guides gently lift the stingray out of the water so you can kiss and get photographs with them. It is definitely one of the wildest experiences and I highly suggest doing this one!
Next, our tour took us to Starfish Point. Starfish Point is a secluded beach that you can either take a boat to or you can drive to. The water is shallow near the beach but has a drop off point where the water is much deeper. This deeper area is the best place to see the most starfish but is also not a great area to hang out in as this is where the boats come in and anchor.
You will see a few starfish in the shallower water, and you can pick them up, however you cannot raise them out of the water. The starfish cannot breathe our oxygen and can die within 3-5 minutes if taken out of the water. Luckily the tour guides and the signs on the beach make this very clear.
Seven Mile Beach
If you’ve read The Top 4 Beaches in the Caribbean then you’ll know the story about the Reef Balls ™ that were submerged off of Seven Mile Beach. They help by providing a home for fish and other marine life. This makes it a fun and easy spot for snorkeling. The Reef Balls ™ aren’t far off the beach so if you’re a first-time snorkeler this is a great spot to get used to the gear while still seeing a few fish. It is also still in pretty shallow water and there are some places you can stand to adjust gear as you’re getting used to it.
Wreck of the Gamma
The Wreck of the Gamma is a shipwreck located at the south end of Seven Mile Beach. We were lucky enough to be staying at an Airbnb close by. We walked right into the water from the beach and swam to the shipwreck. Beware though if you enter the water closest to the shipwreck as the rocks here are very sharp. You also run the risk of stepping on a sea urchin in this area.
I should also warn you that the waves coming off the ship can be a little rough, you should be a decent swimmer to try this snorkeling spot. The water is shallow, and the top of the ship is visible above ground, however it is too deep to stand. Getting too close to the ship is probably not a great idea either as the metal is very sharp looking.
The ship sunk in the early eighties, though mother nature has taken her toll, there is still quite a bit to see. The ship is now home to many fish which makes it a great location for snorkeling. Despite all the warnings this is an incredible spot to snorkel and completely free. It does have a bit of an eerie feeling so if you’re into a spooky shipwreck this is for you.
Spotts Public Beach
Spotts Beach is a great place to find sea turtle. Hop on a bus and take the thirty-minute trek to this beach, and don’t forget your snorkel gear! We were able to see a sea turtle with a Remora attached to it. Remora or suckerfish attach themselves to the host and feed off of their external parasites. Sounds pretty gross but turned out to be really pretty in person.
I highly suggest snorkeling in Grand Cayman and exploring more of the beauty the island beholds. There are a few other neat places to snorkel that we didn’t get a chance to explore. Some suggestions that look pretty neat are the Bioluminescent Bay, the USS Kittiwake, the Wreck of the Cali, and Devil’s Grotto.