Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands
Leslie’s Curl, Grand Cayman
From swsmeltzer
Overall Rating = 3.75 out of 5
Access – Moderate; boat only and 35 to 45 minutes from Safe Haven harbor via the North Sound. The water can be rough outside of the sound so if you tend to get seasick take something like Bonine or ginger before this trip Depth to 100+ ft
Visibility – moderate to very good (not good typically after a rainstorm)
Current – variable, minimal to strong
Marine Species variety – Good
Reef health – Good to very good
Leslie’s Curl is another good dive site on the north wall just outside the north sound. This dive site is in the same vicinity as Chinese Wall, No Name Wall and Hammerhead Hill. This North Wall dive site generally is very good unless there has been a substantial amount of rain. The site can get a lot of silt in the water cutting visibility substantially due to rain. So if it has been raining a good bit or if the sound is a very green color as you head out you may want to suggest a different site to the captain. However, even on a day when visibility is not “good” by Grand Cayman standards, you still get 50+ feet of visibility.
As with most sites on Grand Cayman’s North Wall you will descend to about 50 feet and then begin to make your way out to the wall. Being on the “Wall” is always one of my favorite activities. When it is extremely clear you can see 200+feet down until everything fades into a deep blue. If you turn away from the wall and look out into the ocean it is as close to a feeling of being in
space that most of us will ever encounter. Also keep your eyes looking about as you may see Spotted Eagle Rays or even sharks on this site.
The top of the wall has a variety of soft and hard corals where you will be able to find Moray Eels, Spiny Lobsters, as well as other crustaceans. You will also find a wide variety of fishes such as Nassau Grouper, French and Grey Angelfishes, Black Durgons, Blue Tangs, Cocoa Damselfish and many more. There are also sand chutes on the site leading down to the wall where you may find Southern Stingrays.
The site has a lot to offer and should make a great dive. Visit my website and/or visit my blog for more underwater photographs of marine life and shipwrecks at http://blog.stevenwsmeltzer.com
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