CAYMAN BRAC, Cayman Islands – There’s not much reason to go to
Cayman Brac. No casinos. Only a few restaurants. Not much shopping.
No golf.
So what do you do with a week to kill on a Caribbean island with
one of the world’s best reef systems? Scuba diving.
And snorkeling. And hiking, climbing and birding. And the
all-important sitting on the beach.
If you want luxury, Grand Cayman is fine, but diving there can get
crowded and expensive. If you prefer the type of place where
Chocolate, the dive shop dog, plays hostess to her friends in late
afternoon romps on the beach, then consider this sister island.
Cayman Brac is much smaller than Grand Cayman. It has a population
of less than 1,300 on an island about 12 miles by 2 miles.
The third sister, Little Cayman, is smaller still, with less than
170 residents on a 10-mile-by-1-mile island. Both islands are
regularly ranked among the best dive locations in the world by
readers of Scuba Diving magazine. Reef Divers runs the dive
operation at Brac Reef Resort on Cayman Brac, and the shop, boats
and staff were all first-rate.
Leila McWhorter, 63, of Perry, Ga., has been diving for 20 years
and has more than 300 dives, mostly in the Caribbean, Bahamas and
Florida. A retired librarian and former teacher, she makes at least
one dive trip out of the country each year. For land-based diving,
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are her favorite spots; she’s been to
each three times.
“Cayman Brac has so much diversity. Every day that you make a
dive, it’s not like the day before. Every day it seemed to me that
the dive was different,” McWhorter said.
The visibility is excellent, and water temperatures are a
comfortable 86 degrees in the summer and fall, a degree or two
cooler in winter.
The coral and sponges are healthy and diverse, so the fish and
other sea life are plentiful. And the diving options are increased
with the walls so close to shore.
The walls amount to an underwater cliff with the edge about 70 to
80 feet down and the bottom thousands of feet below. You descend, keeping a close eye on your depth gauge, and at, say,
110 feet down, you’re looking at a vertical coral formation in
front and a vast expanse of deep, deep blue with darting fish,
turtles and rays behind.
Because nondivers seem to ask about sharks, yes, we encountered
reef sharks and nurse sharks – both harmless to people who don’t
annoy them and inclined to swim away from those who do.
There were plenty of turtles, barracuda and rays – sting, eagle,
spotted eagle and southern. Smaller sightings included sea horses,
jelly fish, flounder, scorpion fish, durgons and lobster.
The wreck M/V Keith Tibbetts, a Russian destroyer sunk for diving
purposes, is a popular site and good for tall tales of naval
battles and pirates.
McWhorter calls it “one of the best wreck dives I’ve ever done.”
For the nondiver, there’s plenty to do. Snorkeling is very popular.
Rock climbing attracts visitors to the limestone cliffs. Much of Cayman Brac is open land. A nature preserve boasts 150
species of birds. There are miles of cycling and hiking trails,
rare animals to see and dramatic caves to explore.
Bonefish, which have a reputation of being hard to catch, are
plentiful.
Tuna, wahoo and marlin are popular game fish. Snapper,
grouper and jacks attract reef anglers. The Caymans are very
conservation-minded, and captains and guides will encourage release
of any fish that is not going to be eaten.
During a recent visit, my wife and I stayed at Brac Reef Beach
Resort.
We found nothing to complain about in the accommodations,
which were comfortable with a helpful staff and good meals, and we
got good reports from guests of the island’s other resort, Divi
Tiara Beach Resort.
You can expect the Cayman Brac experience to be different from what
you might find on other Caribbean islands.
As McWhorter put it, “Because the Brac is not surrounded by
businesses and homes, you get the feeling of being on a remote
island.”
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If you go
Location: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are a few miles apart,
northeast of Grand Cayman and less than 500 miles from Miami. Getting there: You can fly to Cayman Brac on Cayman Airways or
Island Air. Cayman Airways has daily flights from Miami and a less
regular schedule from Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Fla., and Houston,
all with layovers on Grand Cayman. Little Cayman is reachable by
Island Air from Grand Cayman. When flying Cayman Airways, you may
find that the schedule seems more like a suggestion; it’s also a
good idea to keep items you might need during your first 24 hours
in your carry-on in case the rest of your luggage arrives late.
Where to stay: Brac Reef Resort offers seven-day winter diving
packages including breakfast and dinner with pool-view rooms from
$1,654 ($1,114 for non-divers). Call 800-594-0843, or visit
www.islandream.com/lilcaymn.htm. Also on Cayman Brac is Divi Tiara
Beach Resort, at 800-367-3484.
For more information: Visit www.caymanislands.ky or call 877-
4-CAYMAN.
