Interior View of Kittiwake Shipwreck & Artificial Reef

Kittiwake Shipwreck & Artificial Reef

Tourist attraction

Diving & snorkeling amid sponges, groupers & squirrelfish at a former US Navy ship sunk in 2011. People often mention ship, dive, side,


Address

1320 W Bay Rd, West Bay, Cayman Islands

Contact

+1 345-949-8522

Rating on Google Maps

4.80
(69643 reviews)


Working Hours

  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours
  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours

Visitor Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: ship (14) dive (7) side (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Marianne S. 5 years ago on Google • 376 reviews
    A fantastic place to snorkel and scuba! Gorgeous clear water, many different beautiful fish, and a very interesting artificial reef made from a sunken ship.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jim C. 3 years ago on Google • 53 reviews
    Great place to snorkel or scuba dive with the family. The boat is visible from the surface and many people dive down briefly to get an even better glimpse. Sea turtles can also be occasionally seen near the boat.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Dr. Joshua Kanies (. 5 years ago on Google
    This Wreck Dive absolutely should be on your diving bucket list. Outside of getting to the Cayman Islands themselves, this site is VERY accessible and is only a 8-10 minute boat ride from shore if you go with a charter. It's shallow enough for novice snorkelers to get to the mast, but scuba is the way to go to get inside. Even with the wreck on it's side, you can still access almost every area within the ship. Go explore! Remember this is a protected site, no touching (which means no gloves) while diving and do not take anything. Also, be sure to get your Kittiwake Dive Token.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Travis B. 2 years ago on Google • 124 reviews
    Great dive! We dove it a few years ago before it was closed because a hurricane. Glad to see it back open!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nathan B. 1 year ago on Google • 133 reviews
    Even if you just want to snorkel and look down on the shipwreck, it's still completely worth it! My family and I went snorkeling from shore out to the wreck (probably not recommended) we stayed in a group and had a colorful flotation device to stay visible. It's quite a swim out, but it was so worth it!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kris M. 1 year ago on Google • 30 reviews
    What an amazing dive site. It was one of the more interesting wrecks that we have dove. It's strange because the ship is resting on its side. As we descend we see blue water and then the ship comes into view and it is sideways, very unusual compared to other shipwrecks we dove before. The shipwreck sits very close to the reef and at one point we swam through a passage where the shipwreck was on one side and the reef was on the other side. The water clarity on the West side of Grand Cayman adds to the experience as you can clearly read the words Kittiwake on the back of the ship once you first arrive. We were able to take great photos and even posed at the wheel, as though we were driving the boat (very cool!). As we swam around, we could reach each of the plaques, seeing all the people and organizations that worked to sink the ship for divers to explore. When we penetrated the ship, with the help of a guide, the clarity was exceptional and some of our photos even looked like the inside of the ship was not underwater. As the ship is laying on its side, the penetration is strange feeling, unlike that of other penetrations we have done before. As a diver inside the slanted ship, you want feel slanted when you are streamlined inside the ship. Instead of going straight through the passageways, you actually have to go up and down. This is a great penetration dive, as the clarity is exceptional and you can see light from the outside while in the ship and can see light penetrating through the chimney. Here are some photos we took inside and outside of the ship. We dove the wreck with Dive Tech.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris M. 5 years ago on Google • 8 reviews
    Beautiful dive but be aware that the ship sits at an approximately 45 degree angle so if you are doing a penetration dive it may be a little disorienting.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Todd L. 2 years ago on Google
    Great place 40 years ago before it became over crowded.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Elaine M. 8 months ago on Google • 243 reviews
    The water is so clear you could see the shipwreck well. Super fun snorkeling site

  • 5/5 Gustavo 8 months ago on Google • 52 reviews
    Passeio fantástico de snorkel!!!!! Água cristalina, passeio agradável até o navio. Levar a gopro para fazer as fotos em baixo da água. Recomendo para quem visita a ilha!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Janet S. 9 months ago on Google • 5 reviews
    I took this adventure thru Carnival Cruise. It was great. I am 75 and my sister is 80. They took us under their wing and made it a great experience. They kept us close to a lifesaving ring. They helped us in the water and with them feeding the fish we got to see more fish than most of the other snorkeling. They provided blow up life preservers for those that were not comfortable with those of us who needed a little security. Thanks to the guys for a great trip
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sarah R. 10 months ago on Google • 140 reviews
    Great diving and snorkeling spot! We were with Cayman Diving and our guides were awesome!!!!

  • 5/5 Jason S. 2 years ago on Google • 20 reviews
    Red Sail sports is wonderful and took care of me and my boys on many spectacular dives in Grand Cayman including a trip through the Kittiwake.

  • 5/5 bmcadventures 1 year ago on Google • 17 reviews
    Nice shallow wreck. Lots of cut outs for easy swim throughs. Awesome reef beside the wreck 🤙 Videos on my YouTube page under “Shorts”

  • 5/5 Aaron D. 5 months ago on Google • 12 reviews
    Extraordinary

  • 4/5 Blake S. 2 years ago on Google
    Water was pretty rough, but still enjoyable. Other snorkelers on our trip had small-ish children, which was not safe.


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