Nekton Cayman Trip Report

[Darnold9999]

Just got back form a week on the Nekton Cayman itinerary. Excellent trip, diving was great - 27 dives in 6 days. Upsides lots - only 11 divers on the boat with room for 36 we had more crew than divers! Great juvenile fish populations and lots to see on the macro side. Turtles everywhere.

The Grand Cayman dive sites were a little sparse with life and coral - OK but not special. The Bloody Bay sites on Little Cayman were by far the best. More to see, the walls were wonderful and the coral and fish plentiful. Could not wait to go back in the water at these sites!

Too bad the Cayman Brac trip is a requirement. The wreck we dove was OK but again just an average dive. I would really rather dive than spend Wed afternoon on Cayman Brac. I spend the PM sleeping on a hammock so there might be great sightseeing, but I would rather be diving.

Food was better on this trip than my previous trip on the Pilot. First week for a new chef so who knows if this will last. Not complaining about the previous trip, just that this was better. Morning cookies were different every day and the afternoon snack was excellent as well.

Crew was great, Nelson as Captain was superb - I will go back.

Love the Steel 95 tanks - lots of bottom time and diving with no weight is a dream. (I normally dive with 30# of lead)

I did manage to get close to seasick on the trip from Cayman to Little Cayman - took drugs to sleep for the crossing, but still was pretty rough (for me). Also had one site on Little Cayman that was a disappointment. Surge, not heavy, but there, the top of the reef at 50 feet most at 70 feet and the wall started at 90 +. All divers came up disappointed. Some including myself sat out the next dive (I was again a touch seasick - my own fault for editing pictures in a moving boat).

Pictures - these are my 9 best and then one of a Juvenile Trunk fish the size of a pea that was very cool, but I had the wide angle lens so could not get a good shot.


http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/OrangeBall.jpg

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/TubeWorm.jpg

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/CuttleFish.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/FlatWorm.jpg

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/BlueSky.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/InYourFace.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/TubeWorm2.jpg

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/Anenome.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/PeekaBoo.JPG

http://www.daconsulting.bc.ca/Dive/TrunkFishJuv.JPG

 

[caymaniac]

I took a look at your pics, nice job. I think that there's a problem with your third title though....there are squid in the Caribbean, cuttle fish are found in the Pacific Ocean.

 

[Darnold9999]

Thanks for looking - re cuttle fish - now I know, but can't edit so... Really enjoyed the diving!

 

[lemurs2]

Great photos! and trip report. We are booked onthe Aug 19 trip. How was the night diving? We are getting our advanced ow this weekend and will do our 1st night at home but are planning to try and get night dives in on our trip too

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Also had one site on Little Cayman that was a disappointment. Surge, not heavy, but there, the top of the reef at 50 feet most at 70 feet and the wall started at 90 +. All divers came up disappointed. Some including myself sat out the next dive (I was again a touch seasick - my own fault for editing pictures in a moving boat).

What was disappointing about the dive?
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Darnold9999]

No fish, very little coral a longish swim in surge to the edge of the wall so that when we arrived at 90+ feet at the top of the edge of the wall it was time to turn around. Also when I say the top of the coral was 50' that was the very tip of a single coral head - the vast majority of what little there was, was at 70 feet. So a deepish dive for not much to see. I came back with about 10 shots - normal is 150 or so.

Not just my opinion, out of 10 divers who went in the water 10 came out suggesting that we move the boat. This was just after one of the best sites Magic Roundabout so it suffered in comparison. We were told we went the wrong way, but those who did do the second dive and went the "right" way were still underwelmed by the site.

I think if you dropped right down on the edge of the wall it would be a good site, a bit deep for the 3rd and 4th dive of the day, but there was likely more to see over the edge of the wall - just didn't have air or bottom time to look around much.

The night diving was good. Macro life - the orange ball anemone and leapord flatworm were both night dive shots. You have to be prepared to dive slowly or it looks like there is nothing to see. (my diving rule number 1 - slowest diver wins) The large crabs come out, as do the lobster - easy to find. Lots of people found octopus - I only saw one, but I rarely find octos - seem to be blind to them. I know they are there I can see the shells just can't find the critter.

They do recommend a full suit for night diving at the moment as the sea wasps are out. Saw one hanging about the ladder as I was coming out on one dive so not a serious issue for my trip.

If you are going on this trip and are fairly new at diving the only challenge will be the walls. You can be on a wall with no bottom - you don't have to be, all sites have flat areas where there is lots to see, but some of the walls and black coral is really nice particularly first thing in the morning when the sun backlights the edge of the wall. Just be prepared for diving over nothing at all.

Visability is only so so - 50 feet at worst 80 feet at best. For me up here in the PNW anything over 20 feet is great vis so I was very happy - others were complaining a bit.