The Wreck of the ex-USS Kittiwake became Cayman’s newest dive site when she was scuttled on January 5, 2011. The project to create this new wreck dive and artificial reef began eight years earlier and was a collaboration between public and private sectors including the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, the Cayman Islands Government and key individuals such as Nancy Easterbrook, who was a driving force behind the initiative.

The ship was sunk at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach, some 250 yards offshore. She now rests upright on a sandy bottom, close to the Sand Chute dive site. Resting in just over 75 feet of water, the upper parts of the wreck lie in around 20 feet, making it accessible to both divers and snorkelers.

Before she was decommissioned, the Kittiwake’s main function was to rescue sailors from downed submarines. In the ship’s second incarnation she is fast becoming one of the most popular dive sites in the Cayman Islands. In the first seven weeks after this new dive site was created, 1250 divers and 1050 snorkellers had already visited the wreck. By mid-September the numbers had reached 6227 divers and 4840 snorkellers.

The sinking of the 251ft submarine rescue vessel attracted the attention of the international media and she has appeared in numerous dive magazines and on several TV shows.

In time, it is hoped that an artificial reef will grow on and around the 251 foot long steel hull, creating a significant addition to Cayman’s tourism industry.

 The day after she was sunk a school of curious horse eyed jacks were already reported to be taking a close look. Within a few months a thick covering of algae lay over the decks and small arrow crabs and banded coral shrimp were hiding out in the darker recesses.

Almost a year on, the horse eyed jacks have taken up permanent residence, as have a number of large barracuda who seem to patrol the stern area. Squirrelfish, blue tangs, chromis, blennies, sergeant majors and variety of juvenile fish are all regularly seen around the wreck and on occasion a Goliath grouper and schools of squid have been spotted.  The sand around the wreck is also home to garden eels and southern stingrays and spotted eagle rays regularly cruise past.

It is hoped that following the annual spawning in late summer, some corals and sponges will have succeeded in establishing colonies which will eventually grow into larger coral heads. By all accounts, the Kittiwake has certainly made a successful transition thus far from a clean, shiny wreck to the beginnings of an artificial reef.