Turtle Reef / Macabuca - Grand Cayman - Grand Cayman
We consider Lighthouse Point a solid choice for a morning or afternoon dive out of Gizo. It’s a wall, dropping to about 22m, and what makes it interesting are the deep cuts and crevices etched into the rock. If the sun’s out, you’ll get those lovely light shafts slicing through the water, which is always a treat. The wall itself is busy with gorgonian fans and sea whips, and we’ve had good luck spotting a few nudibranchs and skeleton shrimp tucked in there. Visibility usually sits around 18m, making it a comfortable dive for most levels, and it’s a nice change of pace from some of the heavier wreck dives in the area.
- Location
- Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 19.382900, -81.416900
- Type
- wall
Marine Protected Area: North West Point - West Bay Cemetery (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 Turtle Reef / Macabuca - Grand Cayman
- 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 Turtle Reef / Macabuca - Grand Cayman
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