USS Kittiwake
Stingray City · Cayman Islands
The ex-USS Kittiwake, a 76 m Chanticleer-class submarine rescue ship commissioned in 1946, was scuttled off the northern end of Seven Mile Beach in January 2011 as an artificial reef. Inside a dedicated marine park it offers five decks of penetration — recompression chambers, the mess hall, galley and wheelhouse — laced with large swim throughs. Since Tropical Storm Nate in 2017 the hull has listed to port, its shallowest deck now around 10 m and the sand set keel near 20 m. Great barracuda, green morays, Nassau grouper, spotted eagle rays and green turtles work the coral- and sponge encrusted superstructure. Clear, near currentless water keeps it among the Caribbean's most dived wrecks.
Conditions
Depth
10 to 20 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
Tropical wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 25 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Great barracuda
Last confirmed Apr 15, 2026 · 65 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Spotted eagle ray
Last confirmed May 12, 2026 · 57 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Green moray eel
Last confirmed Jun 10, 2026 · 35 records
Very likely
Most dives
Nassau grouper
Last confirmed Jun 2, 2026 · 27 records
Very likely
Most dives
Green sea turtle
Last confirmed Jun 3, 2026 · 36 records
Very likely
Most dives
Atlantic tarpon
Last confirmed Jun 26, 2026 · 66 records
Very likely
Most dives
Goliath grouper
Last confirmed May 2, 2025 · 3 records
Rare
Now and then
Gear
Basic kit
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