Marilyn’s Cut - Cayman Brac
Petrie's Pillar on Klein Bonaire is a site we return to again and again. It’s got that classic Bonaire feel, a gentle slope down to around 20 metres, but what we really love here are the smaller details. Keep your eyes peeled for blennies, especially Spinyheads bobbing from their holes in the coral. We've had great luck spotting Orangespotted Filefish flitting amongst the Yellow Pencil Coral. The name comes from a pillar Captain Don named for a friend, and while the pillar itself is just a memory, the reef keeps giving. The coral is healthy, lots of Great Star Coral, and the light penetration on a sunny day is just beautiful, really making the blues and yellows pop. We’d suggest a morning dive, the light is usually best and you often get a bit less boat traffic. It’s a comfortable drift, good for just soaking it all in. We’ve had a few loggerheads cruise past us here too, always a treat. For divers who enjoy a relaxed pace and appreciate seeking out those smaller, more unique species, Petrie's Pillar is a real standout.
- Location
- Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.684700, -80.079100
- 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
- Jackson Wall and Reef - Grand Cayman (reef)
- Kissimmee
- Lighthouse Reef - Cayman Brac (reef)
- LILLY PALMAR (POSSIBLY) - 1m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Marilyn’s Cut
- 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 Marilyn’s Cut
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