January 5th marked six years since the ex-USS Kittiwake was sunk off the west coast of Grand Cayman. The shipwreck and artificial reef still remains as the number one thing to do in West Bay on TripAdvisor!

The USS Kittiwake wreck is the only dive site in the Cayman Islands that is regularly maintained. Routine checks ensure the ship remains well preserved and the wildlife is thriving. The greatest thing about the Kittiwake is it will only get better with time as the coral begins to develop.

CITA is proud to have recently partnered with the Department of Environment (DOE) on their new Marine App contains information on visiting the Kittiwake and a couple of rules and regulations. The app also includes an incident reporting feature so members of the public can report any occurrences they observe. All commercial boats must be licensed from the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) in order to visit the site. The licensing fees go toward the maintenance of the Kittiwake. Snorkelers and divers are also required to wear wristbands and have dive tokens respectively. If anyone witnesses these regulations not being followed, they are encouraged to use the app to report the incident.

The Kittiwake helps boost the overall tourism industry in the Cayman Islands as still a fairly new attraction. Rod McDowall on behalf of Red Sail Sports Ltd. tells us “The sinking of the Kittiwake has been a major success. It is popular with our local and visiting divers, as well as with snorkelers visiting the Cayman Islands on the cruises in addition to stay-over tourists.”

Anyone interested in visiting this amazing dive site may contact any of the licensed operators as listed on www.kittiwakecayman.com.