Our first trip to the Cayman Islands aboard the Cayman Aggressor IV was filled with a few special events. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, Brandi’s 46th birthday, and her 200th dive.
The trip was scheduled to include Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac but hurricane Nate had other ideas and we stayed around Grand Cayman for the entire trip. Although this was a disappointment, the trip was still amazing.
Dive sites for the week included the Doc Poulson tug, Devil’s Grotto, Eagle Ray Rock, Governor’s Reef, Neptune’s Drop Off, USS Kittiwake, Oro Verde, Babylon, and Round Rock Trinity Caves.
The reefs were unbelievable despite the hurricane brewing to the west of us and even though we repeated some of the sites more than once there was always something new to see. We found plenty of turtles, even a few sleeping, and a very curious one during a night dive. Eels were plentiful and one tried to have Padi, the Diving Lizard, for a snack. Thankfully, he was still on his leash and was saved from being eaten.
The crew of the Aggressor were wonderful and truly took care of everything we needed. Our tanks were kept filled, they fed us around the clock, wrapped us in hot towels and passed out hot cocoa with Bailey’s following the night dives, and even made us a cake for our anniversary and Brandi’s birthday. They surprised Brandi on the back deck by making a cake for her 200th dive on top of her head with raw ingredients, including flour, an egg, and chocolate syrup.
The dive sites were well explained and the divemasters in the water were always quick to point out small shrimp, crabs, or other interesting things. We even learned how to feed bloodworms to the coral during night dives. Now that was really cool.
Unfortunately we spent two and a half days tied to the dock at the country club during the hurricane but it was a good call by the captain. The day before we went in to dock, we dove the USS Kittiwake, a former submarine rescue vessel which was sitting upright on the bottom in 60 feet of water. The swell created by the storm, passing almost 300 miles to the west of us, pushed and pulled against the beam of the Kittiwake, breaking her anchor chains and pulling the 251-foot ship toward the reef. The wreck now lies on her port side and 20ft deeper than before the storm. Again, good call by Captain Alan.
Kittiwake toppled onto port side after storm.
Our first trip aboard the Cayman Aggressor IV with a wonderful crew (Capt Alan, Helmsman & Instructor Manny, Chef Kingsley, Engineer Rodel, Instructors Aubri and Justin) was wonderful, despite the hurricane, and we will certainly be returning again to dive the rest of the Cayman Islands.
