Jackson Wall and Reef - Grand Cayman - Cayman Brac
Manto de Ela is one of those sites we always recommend for a relaxed, visually striking dive when you’re in Santa Marta. It’s not about huge pelagics here, so manage your expectations – you won’t see whale sharks. Instead, the beauty lies in the formations themselves. We love the contrast as the reef rises from a sandy bottom, peaking at around 18 metres. You’ll find walls dropping deeper, though we tend to stick to the shallower parts where the light plays best. The real show is the coral landscape. We’ve spent whole dives just drifting along, admiring the brain corals and delicate finger corals, like sculptures. Look closely in the crevices and sandy patches for gobies and blennies. You’ll spot the usual suspects, like parrotfish grazing and damselfish darting amongst the coral, and we often see slipperies and painted wrasse cruising by. Visibility averages a comfortable 15 metres, often better, making it easy to appreciate the scenery. It’s a perfect spot for photographers or anyone who prefers a calmer dive focused on the reef’s intricate beauty.
- Location
- Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.690700, -80.069400
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Bloody Bay - Jackson Point (Little Cayman)
Best Time to Dive in Cayman Brac
The warmest water temperatures in Cayman Brac occur in September, averaging 30.5°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.4°C
- February: 27.1°C
- March: 27.2°C
- April: 27.9°C
- May: 28.8°C
- June: 29.3°C
- July: 30.0°C
- August: 30.4°C
- September: 30.5°C
- October: 30.1°C
- November: 29.0°C
- December: 28.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Cayman Brac
- Bloody Bay Wall (reef)
- Bloody Bay Wall (wall)
- Buccaneer Reef (reef)
- Buccaneer Reef (reef)
- Capt. K. Tibbets
- Cayman Brac (reef)
- Cemetery Reef (reef)
- Coral Anchors (reef)
- Double Wall (cave)
- East Chute (drift)
- Fisheries
- Kissimmee
- Lighthouse Reef - Cayman Brac (reef)
- LILLY PALMAR (POSSIBLY) - 1m (wreck)
- Little Cayman (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Jackson Wall and Reef - Grand Cayman
- Little Cayman Divers - PADI, NAUI, SSI, SDI, IDEA
- Reef Divers - PADI
- Reef Divers II - Cayman Brac
- Scuba Shack
Marine Life in Cayman Brac
Home to 141 recorded species including 111 reef fish, 23 hard corals, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 other, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
- Blackfish (Melichthys niger) - Reef Fish
- Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) - Hard Corals
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Parrotfish (Sparisoma chrysopterum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Jackson Wall and Reef - Grand Cayman
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 6 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories