Snorkeling many of areas of Grand Cayman is a vastly different experience than St. John.  While St. John tends to be a very intimate encounter with the marine life, I liken snorkeling on Grand Cayman to be more Shock and Awe inducing due to the scale of both corals and size of marine life.  

If I were on a diver visting on a cruise I think Eden Rock/Devil’s Grotto would be a good bet, even with some fellow cruises in the water.  It is a really big coral mass, I mean really big.  If you head over towards Devil’s Grotto (ask at the Eden Rock Dive shop for a map or see a recent post here): 

Eden Rock Dive Map

Devil’s Grotto Dive Map

The snorkel/diving area is large enough that unless there are 6 or 8 ships in port you should be able to leave the crowds behind.  The water is usually very calm, so while the good stuff is a little far from shore for beginners, with proper supervision they should be alright.  Plus, it is completely walkable from the tender area, so no need for a cab or public mini-bus.  Cheeseburger reef is a moderate walk from the tender area, heading towards Seven Mile Beach.  You can hit both Eden Rock/Devil’s Grotto and Cheeseburger Reef with time to spare for some light shopping.  Here is a link to the popular, easy to reach site around George Town: http://www.grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/grandcaymansnorkeling.htm

Another poster requested a guide for Eden Rock, so I did get there this trip.  Visibility was really poor due to recent rains, but here are some images to give you an idea of what to expect.  I will be publishing a mini-guide for the area shortly.

Cemetery Beach is a short cab or bus ride up Seven Mile Beach.  It is a very beautiful spot with no nearby amenities.  While many rave about the snorkeling here, other than the food trained Sergeant Majors and Chubs, I have found the area rather lacking much else interesting.  But if you want to snorkel from the beach it is about as good as it gets on Seven Mile Beach.  May even be a better bet for the younger snorkel crowd.  If you pay attention to the time and factor in a 20 minute wait period for a bus or pre-arranged taxi you should have no issues getting back to the tender area on time.

yowzers73,

Thrilled you enjoyed one of my favorite spots! While I do most of my snorkeling at Barefoot on the inside of the reef, there is a wall drop off not too far past the reef. Snorkeling the wall is a bit better just just up from Barefoot at Anchor Point. 

However, there is a wreck that I understand to be located somewhere between Barefoot and Anchor Point, the Gevena Kathleen, that is supposedly strewn throughout the barrier reef. I went hunting for it last month but had no luck finding it. I went towards Anchor Point, next time I’ll head to the right of the Staircase. Maybe someone else will have better luck or can point out where it is if they’ve seen it.

EDIT: Found the wreck remnants.  It was too easy…will publish a guide shortly.  Here are some teaser pix.

“Wreck of the Geneva - Kathleen
The Geneva Kathleen - a two-masted, wooden-hulled, 200-foot plus schooner - met her demise on Grand Cayman’s east end during a raging hurricane in 1929. It pushed her hard onto and then over the shallow barrier reef protecting the Cayman shore. Her remains sit there now in just seven feet of water, her iron winches and bollards encrusted by soft and hard corals. Enter via a protected beach (ask local dive shops for directions to the beach and the wreck) and snorkel right along the shoreline. A trail of artifacts will gradually lead to her grave just inside the reef. (Remember, artifacts are protected; please do not remove any items.) Currents here can sometimes be quite strong, but more often than not, it is as flat as a swimming pool. Check before you head out. It’s a great snorkel site, but not for the beginner.”

My ultimate goal is to have guides for all the snorkel spots on all three islands. I will eventually be getting to some of the lesser known spots along South Sound either later this year or early next. Though I really like Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto, it has been a bit lower on the priority list since it is so well know and utilized. But If I hit it next trip maybe I can get a guide published. In the mean time, here is a link to a dive map of the site that points out some of the features for both Eden Rock and Devils Grotto:

EDEN ROCK Site Map

DEVIL’S GROTTO Site Map