Social and beautiful stingrays on my first dive in Grand Cayman.

Photos by: Christopher Mazingo

I love the water, always have, always will. Growing up in Southern California, I come from a long line of beach bums. As a toe-headed toddler, I channelled the Coppertone baby in a hot pink bikini in Malibu, San Diego and Mexico. At just three years old, I clung to the neck of a family friend body boarding in the Pacific. And in high school, I lettered in varsity swim.

However as much as I’ve always loved being in the water, I always had a fear of what lingered underneath the water. The thought and occasional reality of a creature swimming past and touching my leg terrified me. Even as I began snorkeling in the crystal clear waters of Maui and the Caribbean – I love looking at those gorgeous tropical fish – I always wondered what might be waiting to scare the bejeezus out of me. An eel? A stingray? A shark?!

Aerial view of Stingray City from the plane. The water is so clear, you can see the reef!

Then, earlier this year, I dove head first (pun intended) in love with a man whose deepest passions include the ocean, scuba and underwater photography.  His love of all things sea life inspired me and in July, we headed to Grand Cayman Island so he could teach and certify me to dive (he is a certified PADI instructor).  I read the first three chapters of the PADI open water diver certification course on the plane. When we landed, we skipped hotel check in and headed directly to Sunset House, a diver’s resort with a salt water pool and an inlet that leads directly to the crystal clear Caribbean. We went through skills practice, mask clearing, learning to breathe on the regulator, how to giant stride in and worked on establishing buoyancy– it was time for my first open water dive. I was slightly nervous, but Chris’ enthusiasm got the best of me. As we snorkeled out and descended and I began to breathe underwater and swim over a coral reef for the first time in my life, I was awe-struck, absolutely blown away.

After hearing so much about it from Chris, I knew I was going to like scuba, but this, this, was beyond my wildest dreams in its wow factor. I had to remember the manual and follow the first rule of diving, “never stop breathing normally,” because it was so mesmerizing and, well, breathtaking! I was in a completely different world and felt privileged to get to be a part of it. These spectacularly beautiful, and sometimes weird & creepy-looking, things were welcoming me into their home and allowing me a peek into an alien landscape unlike anything on land. I was hooked.

We spent four days enjoying Grand Cayman, both above and below water. After my first dive, my trip included four more dives; two more off the house reef at Sunset House, one boat dive at Stingray City and one shore dive off of Light House Point, northwest of Seven Mile Beach and Georgetown. Grand Cayman is among the top diving in the Caribbean and the world due to its clear water and visibility and abundance of beautiful tropical sea life. Just a sampling of what I encountered: parrotfish, angel fish, trunk fish, trumpet fish, barracuda, and eels, along with a gorgeous array of corals and sponges. I learned from these early dives that one of the beauties of diving is the constant element of surprise. It’s unique and exciting every time, making scuba quite addictive.

Covered in stingrays and loving every minute of it.

I also learned that what I thought would have me shaking in my fins, such as stingrays, eels, and barracuda, are beautiful, docile creatures who typically will not bother you if you don’t give them reason to be defensive. My experience diving at Stingray City was unbelievable: one point I had several stingrays literally hugging me, and I absolutely loved it.  Note: this is not the norm. These stingrays are used to people and know they will be fed, but my next experiences outside Stingray City proved that, while stunning, they tend to keep their distance.

Some highlights of Grand Cayman Island, for both divers and non-divers alike:

PLAY HERE

Seven Mile Beach: A gorgeous stretch of white sand beach, on crystal teal water. You can easily snorkel off the beach as the reef drops off pretty shallowly, and you’ll often see tropical fish swimming right at the shore. We stayed at the Comfort Suites Seven Mile Beach. The rooms are clean, large and all include a kitchenette, dining table and living area, at a budget-friendly price. The staff is hospitable and the beautiful beach is steps away, chairs and umbrellas included! If you want to skip the kitchenette, daily breakfast is included in the rate of your room.

The Cayman Turtle Farm: The Turtle Farm is a must-see. For a $18 USD fee you can visit the animal section, which includes huge sea turtles, a Cayman crocodile and even hold baby sea turtles (one of the highlights of my trip!).  For a larger fee of $45 USD, you can explore the park’s pools, water slides and lagoons stocked with local sea life for your snorkeling pleasure.

Bonding with a baby turtle at the Cayman Turtle Farm.

Hell:  Hell is an area of short, black limestone  formations. Located in West Bay, it is about the size of half a soccer field.  Walking on the formations is prohibited, but there are viewing platforms. A fun perk?  Send friends & family a postcard postmarked from Hell from the red, hell-themed post office.

Stingray City:  This is a must-see on your visit!  If you aren’t a certified diver, there are both boat snorkel trips available and trips to the sand bar where you can stand in waist deep water and the rays will come right to you.  Experiencing these beautiful animals first-hand was life changing and something I’ll never forget and I’d go back in a heartbeat.  We used Divers Down dive shop for our boat diving needs, they have a wonderfully attentive, friendly and informative staff for all your diving needs, whether it’s full equipment rentals or just tanks & weights.  They also have rinse tanks available for your equipment post-dive.

Meeting a friendly stingray at Sting Ray City.

EAT HERE

I’ve had mixed dining experiences in the islands and find that at times, dining can be quite mediocre and overpriced, but I was happy to find loads of great dining, both high end and local, less pricey cuisine. A few of our favorites:

• The Wharf, which is right on the water, has delicious food, and has a tarpon feeding at 9 p.m. nightly.
• The Barefoot Man performs hilarious island-inspired satirical music throughout the year.
• Da Fish Shack, an awesome sunset spot sitting right on the water and offering views of the Grand Cayman iron shore, which takes up much of the shore on the island.
• The Lobster Pot, another upscale waterfront restaurant. Try the marinated queen conch, a local staple.
• Greenhouse Cafe at Lighthouse Point, a great post-dive lunch spot with lovely views and fantastic food.
• The Wharf, which is right on the water, has delicious food, and has a tarpon feeding at 9 p.m. nightly.

Sunset view from Da Fish Shack.

I recommend Grand Cayman to anyone looking for a fantastic island getaway, especially those who are traveling from the east coast of the United States as it’s a reasonably short flight. Not only can you find some of the world’s best diving and snorkeling there, but you can explore all the island has to offer, relax at a spa at one of the luxury resorts or simply catch some rays on the spectacular white beaches. And don’t forget to sip a tropical cocktail or two! 

Ending a day full of diving with sunset cocktails at Da Fish Shack.