Explore the West Wall

West Wall diving, stretching from the South West corner to the North West corner, is Grand Cayman’s most popular dive location. Situated at the leeward side of the island, the seas are almost always calm making it the ideal choice for novice divers or those who prefer more relaxed sites. Discover scuba diving for the first time in shallow pristine reefs or venture deeper to explore wrecks, swim-throughs, and caverns.

Scuba diving the West Wall is possible from dive resorts and dive centres based on Seven Mile Beach or by visiting liveaboards. If you wish to dive all three Cayman Islands, it is best to do it via liveaboard.

Dive Activity

Diving in West Wall

The variety of swim-throughs, caverns and shipwreck dives make the West Wall a dive area that can not be missed! More sloping than the North Wall, there’s a labyrinth of canyons to make your way through at Big Tunnels while further out into the sea, there are two wrecks - the Doc Poulson Wreck and the Ex USS Kittiwake - both abundant with marine life.

Aside from deep sites, there is also a huge number of beautiful, shallow reef sites such as Peppermint Reef and Memorial Reef, where divers can search for macro critters, and Lost Treasure Reef which is great for novice divers.

Top Wildlife Sightings at the West Wall

Dive Caymans West Wall to witness green turtles, loggerhead turtles, moray eel and silvery tarpon against an impressive coral reef backdrop. Whale sharks have been seen patrolling the West Wall - although very occasionally - and marlin, black-tip reef sharks and nurse sharks are all commonly seen in the area. Eagle rays swoop down to feed on crustaceans from the seafloor while there is also incredible macro life in shallow sites, like diamond blenny, leopard flatworm, and the very rare flying gurnard. Whether you are diving deep or staying shallow there’s always plenty to see while scuba diving at the West Wall.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 27

Barracuda

122 Sightings
J
4
F
6
M
16
A
5
M
15
J
13
J
22
A
10
S
8
O
6
N
1
D
16

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 200

Moray Eel

94 Sightings
J
8
F
12
M
6
A
3
M
6
J
9
J
10
A
11
S
5
O
5
N
5
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 300

Octopus

64 Sightings
J
1
F
2
M
6
A
2
M
7
J
10
J
8
A
8
S
7
O
5
N
5
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

Eagle Ray

55 Sightings
J
13
F
5
M
8
A
4
M
0
J
4
J
0
A
7
S
1
O
0
N
2
D
11

Green Turtle

50 Sightings
J
4
F
4
M
11
A
4
M
0
J
8
J
4
A
9
S
0
O
2
N
0
D
4

Hawksbill Turtle

26 Sightings
J
0
F
2
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
8
J
6
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
4
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

Wrasse

18 Sightings
J
0
F
3
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
2
J
7
A
0
S
1
O
1
N
4
D
0

Loggerhead Turtle

8 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
0
J
6
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

Stingrays

156 Sightings
J
10
F
8
M
9
A
3
M
17
J
18
J
38
A
11
S
12
O
6
N
11
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

Parrotfish

147 Sightings
J
11
F
9
M
11
A
4
M
8
J
13
J
31
A
14
S
13
O
5
N
11
D
17

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Angelfish

123 Sightings
J
9
F
6
M
12
A
7
M
8
J
14
J
28
A
7
S
5
O
3
N
14
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

Lionfish

85 Sightings
J
3
F
5
M
8
A
4
M
5
J
10
J
16
A
7
S
5
O
3
N
6
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Grouper/Basslets

71 Sightings
J
5
F
4
M
3
A
4
M
9
J
7
J
16
A
5
S
4
O
3
N
1
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Spiny Lobster

71 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
7
A
2
M
5
J
10
J
9
A
6
S
3
O
7
N
7
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Butterfly Fish

66 Sightings
J
5
F
0
M
6
A
0
M
4
J
12
J
23
A
0
S
3
O
0
N
10
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Pufferfish

63 Sightings
J
4
F
0
M
12
A
4
M
5
J
4
J
9
A
3
S
3
O
0
N
4
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 2

Tarpon

58 Sightings
J
0
F
3
M
4
A
5
M
11
J
10
J
8
A
0
S
5
O
0
N
4
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 110

Snapper

55 Sightings
J
5
F
5
M
5
A
2
M
5
J
5
J
17
A
0
S
1
O
0
N
1
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 7000

Crab

55 Sightings
J
2
F
2
M
7
A
0
M
9
J
8
J
5
A
0
S
3
O
7
N
2
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 120

Flounder

53 Sightings
J
3
F
2
M
7
A
5
M
4
J
5
J
14
A
3
S
4
O
0
N
2
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Damselfish

51 Sightings
J
2
F
5
M
6
A
0
M
0
J
6
J
10
A
5
S
4
O
0
N
7
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

Surgeonfish

48 Sightings
J
2
F
4
M
0
A
0
M
4
J
6
J
10
A
4
S
3
O
0
N
9
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Goatfish

43 Sightings
J
2
F
5
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
3
J
14
A
0
S
2
O
0
N
6
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

Boxfish

42 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
6
J
10
A
0
S
5
O
1
N
5
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Jackfish

40 Sightings
J
1
F
6
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
9
A
4
S
3
O
3
N
7
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

39 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
3
J
11
A
5
S
1
O
0
N
9
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Squirrelfish

38 Sightings
J
8
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
0
J
3
J
13
A
0
S
5
O
0
N
0
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 55

Lobster

37 Sightings
J
1
F
2
M
3
A
3
M
2
J
5
J
14
A
0
S
1
O
1
N
2
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

Triggerfish

32 Sightings
J
3
F
0
M
6
A
0
M
0
J
3
J
6
A
0
S
1
O
0
N
6
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 300

Squid

32 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
5
J
10
J
8
A
4
S
1
O
0
N
0
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Trumpetfish

30 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
13
A
3
S
0
O
0
N
4
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 30

Sand Eel

29 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
3
J
11
A
3
S
4
O
0
N
0
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 2

Nurse Shark

29 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
4
A
0
M
5
J
5
J
0
A
4
S
1
O
5
N
3
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 20

Porcupinefish

24 Sightings
J
5
F
4
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
2
J
3
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
0
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

Soldierfish

22 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
8
A
0
S
1
O
0
N
5
D
8

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 8

Bannerfish

22 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
5
J
4
A
0
S
2
O
0
N
6
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 28

Clownfish

18 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
3
A
0
M
0
J
4
J
3
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
6
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3400

Shrimp

15 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
3
J
0
A
0
S
2
O
1
N
0
D
7

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Scorpionfish

12 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
0
J
3
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
1
N
0
D
5

Moon Jellyfish

10 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
6
O
0
N
0
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 15

Garfish

8 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
8

The best Months to dive at the West Wall

The seas surrounding the West Wall are usually calm, as they are protected from winds, therefore diving can be done all-year-round. However, the Cayman Islands can be impacted by hurricanes, primarily between June and November, so visitors should be aware there can be sudden changes in the weather conditions.

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