Eagle Ray Rock - Grand Cayman
Jardin d'Alcyon, sitting right in the heart of Ant Pass, is our pick for a leisurely macro hunt. We're talking serious eye-spy territory here, so bring your patience and maybe some good light for peeking into crevices. Descending onto the pinnacle, you'll immediately notice the sheer density of the coral cover. It’s a riot of shapes and colours, and that’s just the backdrop for the real stars. Look closely, and you’ll find porcelain crabs waving from anemones, gorgonian spiders clinging to their delicate homes, and more nudibranchs than you can shake a stick at – the Prickly Spotted Drupe is a common, colourful find. Our favourite discovery here has to be the Electric Flame Scallop, tucked into a shady spot, flashing its neon rim. We often find a welcoming committee of batfish circling when we drop in. Maximum depth hits 17 metres, making it a relaxed dive, even for newer divers who want to take their time and really explore the intricate details of a coral ecosystem. Visibility averages a solid 30 metres, so you’ve got plenty of light to spot those tiny treasures.
- Location
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.274100, -81.395200
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Grand Cayman West
Best Time to Dive in Grand Cayman
The warmest water temperatures in Grand Cayman occur in September, averaging 30.4°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 26.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.3°C
- February: 26.9°C
- March: 27.0°C
- April: 27.7°C
- May: 28.7°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.8°C
- August: 30.3°C
- September: 30.4°C
- October: 30.0°C
- November: 29.0°C
- December: 28.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Grand Cayman
- Anchor Point (cenote)
- Anchor Point (wall)
- Angelfish Reef - Grand Cayman (reef)
- Angelfish Reef - Grand Cayman (reef)
- Aquarium - Grand Cayman (reef)
- Aquarium - Grand Cayman (wall)
- Armchair Reef (reef)
- Armchair Reef (reef)
- Babylon, Cayman (reef)
- Babylon, Cayman (reef)
- Balboa (Wreck) (wreck)
- Balboa (Wreck) (reef)
- Bear’s Paw (reef)
- Bear’s Paw (wall)
- Big Dipper (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Eagle Ray Rock
- Atlantis Dive Center
- Divers Down - PADI
- Divers Supply
- Divetech - PADI
- Diving Center - SSI, PADI, CMAS, NAUI, FEDAS, ACUC
- Don Foster's Dive Cayman, Ltd. - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Grand Cayman
Home to 332 recorded species including 276 reef fish, 30 hard corals, 5 other, 5 seagrass & algae, 4 whales & dolphins, 4 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Eagle Ray Rock
Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 9 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