Oro Verde (Wreck) - Grand Cayman
Rocky Bay, over on the eastern side of the Great Mercury Islands, is a proper easy-going dive. We love that it just feels… friendly. You drop in and it’s right there: massive kelp forests, swaying gently, with these surprising patches of bright white sand breaking it all up. It’s an excellent spot if you’re keen on seeing crayfish – we’ve usually found a few tucked away. Keep an eye out for southern eagle rays gliding by; they often cruise through the bay. And those New Zealand demoiselles, they’re everywhere, darting between the kelp fronds. The max depth of 16m means you’ve got plenty of bottom time to just explore, poke around the rocky bits, and really soak it in. Visibility averages around 14m, which is decent for New Zealand. It's a low-stress dive, perfect for a relaxed afternoon.
- Location
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.338200, -81.390400
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Victoria House- Treasure Island Resort (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 Oro Verde (Wreck)
- 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 Oro Verde (Wreck)
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