|
|
Turtle Reef
|
|
Submitted By:
Ms. Klod Binette
Submitter Comments:
Along North West Point, all is great for shore diving with a long continuous mini wall just before the famous North Wall.
Directions:
|
Diver
Reviews: (Please share your
own experiences by clicking
here!)
12/24/2009 Francescsa (Avg: 4.85 Review) - This is my favorite dive! It is awesome and I would suggest it to any new divers! The mini wall is great and you can get right up close to a huge school of tarpon! Unfortunately I have yet to see a turtle there but I have seen a variety of other sea life. The reason why I like diving there better than a shore dive somewhere in Georgetown is because there are no boats driving by where you are diving. It's feeling more like you are diving in a natural unexplored place! And when you are done with your dive there is a ton of space to dry your things and don't forget to grab some much at the bar there. They have awesome food and it's a very chill place to hang out! I have never snorkeled there but I'm sure it would be good. Just make sure to have your feet covered because the entrance is covered in sea urchins which is no problemo as along as you have water shoes! BOTTEM LINE DIVE HERE YOU WILL LIVE IT!
08/02/2009 Gary Hall (Avg: 3.46 Review) - Without a doubt one of if not the best shore dives in Grand Cayman. So easy anyone can do this dive. You can dive the mini wall (ask about the current then decide which way to go on the mini wall) or surface swim out to the main wall. Note the swim out to the main wall is a little bit of a swim so I would suggest doing this one of the first dives, too long a swim for a third or forth dive of the day. You can see eels, octopus, rays, tarpon, squid, turtles, giant snapper, all kinds of fish life. A great night dive also.
11/22/2008 Anonymous (Avg: 3.38 Review) - (No comment)
03/16/2007 Mike Johnson (Avg: 3.53 Review) - This is easy to find on good roads; just follow the map and signs. Night diving was fantastic! There is a full-service dive shop at the entrance ladder for the dive. There is a forty yard surface swim, or just start down twenty yards out from the bottom of the ladder. You can do an out and back along the bottom of the wall and at top of wall. Bottom is approximately 60 feet. Night life includes basket stars, two kinds of lobsters, numerous types of shrimp, two kinds of crabs, sleeping bottom-dwelling fish from the scorpion fish family, one squid, three octopus, green and spotted moray eels, tarpon, puffers, sea-cucumbers, squirrel fish, sgt. majors -both phases, hound fish feeding on krill in our lights, anemones, and numerous colors of coral.
07/29/2005 Gary Harmon (Avg: 3.96 Review) - This is a great snorkel when you can find the surf down. This was the 3rd year we tried Turtle Reef, but this time it paid off. Calmer in the morning. We saw a yellow stingray (rare) and a great barracuda. Many other fish also.
03/30/2005 Anonymous (Avg: 4.52 Review) - Saw huge schools of tarpon and several turtles. The reef is incredible, but be sure to watch your depth gauge, easy to go deep without knowing it. Really no reason to go very deep, very nice shallow dive and your tank will last longer. I also suggest snorkeling out and back.
07/11/2004 Keeley Miller (Avg: 4.73 Review) - Turtle reef in my opinion is the best shore dive in Grand Cayman. I've heard everyone talk about the mini wall which I've dove both north and south. They are both great dives. When I was there I asked one of the dive tech employees about the big wall. He told me that only about 5 percent of the people who come to turtle reef go out to the deep wall therefore it had been well preserved. He also told me it was quite a swim, and it was. But, believe me its well worth the swim. What I decided to do was swim out at an angle from my entree point to the northwest till I came to the deep wall which is across a sand bar from the mini wall. I did this snorkeling on the surface. Most of the people will dive the mini wall and decide to go across the sand bar to get a glimpse of the big wall. By the time they get there they are out of air and tired. This is why I recommend snorkeling out the deep wall then dropping down. When I dropped down to about 80 ft, all I could see was massive coral formations in front of me on the edge of this wall. Basically what you had was a mountain of coral and you'd have a sand chute between each coral formation. It looks like a mountain range as far as you could see along the wall. The coral and fish life was excellent , (best I've seen). If I were going to Cayman and I am on July 23-31st by the way, and if I could only do one dive while I were there it would with no doubt be the deep wall at turtle reef. I hope this will be informing and helpful to all. Good diving to all.
02/24/2004 L. Turner (Avg: 4.18 Review) - Best shore dive in Grand Cayman. Dive Tech folks are always super helpful with very accommodating facilities. Easy entry from a latter bolted to their dock. Short swim to the third buoy. Drop and start swimming north. Always see at least one turtle and spotted ray. There has occasionally been a hammerhead spotted. If you have enough air swim south of the buoy and you will run into a large school of tarpons.
01/18/2004 JoAn (Avg: 4.71 Review) - We did our open water certification dives here! What an introduction to diving! Saw huge school of tarpon and tons of reef fish.
10/26/2003 Dan Benson (Avg: 4.23 Review) - West End of Grand Cayman Island is Turtle Reef, right next to turtle farm. Dive operation is DiveTech a very well run complete dive facility. Entry down a ladder into the water of a sheltered cove. Swim or dive straight out to the first buoy. Follow the rope to the second buoy. Straight out is the top of a 40' wall which is excellent. 60' max depth. Turn left about 30 yards to see some tremendous tarpon just hanging out. Also: rays, pike blennies, sea lettuce slugs (right at the second buoy), turtles, etc. OR you can continue QUITE a ways out to the big wall. I just had enough air to get out there (at 30'), descend to 140+ feet, turn around and come back. Not worth the swim!
ShoreDiving Resources:
Additional Resources:
Dive Site Links: (If you have a
relevant link for Turtle Reef, please write us
here.)
No external links have been submitted.
Dive Site Pictures: (If you have pictures
for Turtle Reef, please send them
here.)
We have no diver-submitted pictures at this time.
Diver
Averages for Turtle Reef (1=worst,
5=best) |
Number of reviews for this site: 10
598-7-5-17
|
4.50
3.90
4.60
3.00