Lighthouse Wall - Grand Cayman
Octopus Island. Not really an island, more a rock outcrop that pops up from the sand, but it's a great spot for an easy dive. We love that it’s usually sheltered, so when other sites are too choppy, this often delivers. You're looking at depths around 13-16 metres, making it a perfect second dive or a long, slow exploration. The reef here is classic Mauritian coral, some nice plate corals and branching stuff, but what really gets us are the smaller critters. Keep your eyes peeled for those blennies; the Reef Margin Blenny is a common sight, twitching on the coral heads. We’ve also had some fantastic encounters with juvenile angelfish and boxfish tucked into crevices. The sandy patches surrounding the rock are prime territory for stingrays, often partially buried, so approach slowly. Visibility averages a solid 20-25 metres most days, meaning you get a great view of everything. And yes, octopuses are definitely here, but you'll need patience and a keen eye to spot one tucked into a rocky crevice. It’s our favourite site for practicing macro photography, especially in the late morning sun when the light really shows off the colours.
- Location
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.293600, -81.093900
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Cayman Dive Lodge (Grand Cayman)
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 Lighthouse Wall
- 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 Lighthouse Wall
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