South End - Southwest Coast
Turtle Alley, on Cayman Brac's northwest end, is one of those places that just makes you smile. It's a gentle drift along a miniwall that starts around 9 meters, then slopes down to a sandy bottom at 16 to 19 meters. The wall itself is painted with dense finger coral and the kind of hefty boulder brain coral we love to poke around in. Look closely, and you’ll spot those brilliant orangespotted filefish flitting about, and we often find quirky little imitator blennies peering out from crevices. The real draw, though, isn't just the turtles-though you will see them, often hawksbills cruising by-it’s the quality of the light here. When the sun hits the sand flats, it creates this ethereal shimmer, especially in the late morning. We’d suggest going then. Visibility averages 23 meters, which is plenty to appreciate the sheer volume of schoolmasters and mutton snapper holding formation. It’s a beautifully relaxing dive, perfect for photographers or anyone who just wants to soak up that classic Caribbean calm.
- Location
- Southwest Coast, Grenada, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 11.976300, -61.752400
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Hog Island
Best Time to Dive in Southwest Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Southwest Coast occur in January, averaging 27.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.4°C (air: 25.9°C)
- February: 27.4°C (air: 26.0°C)
- March: 27.4°C (air: 26.2°C)
- April: 27.4°C (air: 26.9°C)
- May: 27.4°C (air: 27.5°C)
- June: 27.4°C (air: 27.3°C)
- July: 27.4°C (air: 27.2°C)
- August: 27.4°C (air: 27.6°C)
- September: 27.4°C (air: 28.3°C)
- October: 27.4°C (air: 28.0°C)
- November: 27.4°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 27.4°C (air: 26.5°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Southwest Coast
- 1 / 4 Wreck (Stern Courier) (wreck)
- 1 / 4 Wreck (Stern Courier) (reef)
- Anina (Wreck) (drift)
- Anina (Wreck) (wreck)
- BIANCA C - 48m (wreck)
- Bianca C (Wreck) (reef)
- Bianca C (Wreck) (wreck)
- Bianca C Wreck - 30-50m (wreck)
- Black Forest - Grenada (reef)
- Black Forest - Grenada (reef)
- Boss Reef (reef)
- Boss Reef (wreck)
- Boulder City - Grenada (reef)
- Boulder City - Grenada (reef)
- Buccaneer Molinere Bay (Wreck) (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to South End
- Aquanauts Grenada - SSI, Diveheart
- Dive Grenada
- Sandals La Source - ["PADI"]
- Scuba West Indies - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Southwest Coast
Home to 267 recorded species including 231 reef fish, 13 hard corals, 10 whales & dolphins, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 jellyfish, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Blueman (Scarus vetula) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Fire coral (Millepora complanata) - Jellyfish
- Hamlet (Gymnothorax moringa) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Flamefish (Apogon maculatus) - Reef Fish
- Molly Miller (Labrisomus nuchipinnis) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Devilfish (Ophioblennius atlanticus) - Reef Fish
- Lawyer (Halichoeres radiatus) - Reef Fish
- Greenblotch Parrotfish (Sparisoma atomarium) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for South End
Based on average water temperature of 27.4°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°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