Doc Poulson - 30 Years On The Reef

By Author: Steven Smeltzer
Total Articles: 7
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There are other interesting wrecks in Grand Cayman besides the USS Kittiwake.The Doc Poulson is a purpose sunk shipwreck on the western part of Grand Cayman. The ship was originally a Japanese cable laying ship and was sunk in Grand Cayman in 1981 to create an artificial reef on Seven Mile beach. The wreck site is named for Doc Poulson who helped set up the first hyperbaric chamber on Grand Cayman for the treatment of decompression sickness.The shipwreck sits upright in about 50 to 60 feet of water and can be easily explored. However, given the age of the shipwreck there are many exposed surfaces that can cause harm to a scuba diver ...
... The ship is about 70 feet in length and the cable wenches can still be seen on deck but are heavily encrusted with corals. There are a variety of marine life in and around the ship from Goliath grouper, to Queen Conch, to cleaner shrimp, Blue Tang and many more.The shipwreck sits on a sand flat and is about a 5 minute swim away from the reef. The clarity of the water in Grand Cayman, along with the upright position of the boat makes it a great place for underwater photography from the novice to the professional.The hatches have been removed to make penetration diving easy and safe allowing a diver to explore the decks and the hold of the ship. The interior of the ship is filled with a good bit of sand, but working your way through the ship is still quite easy even after 30 years on the reef. As a day dive the Doc Polson is a rather small site and is usually combined with diving the reef nearby which is about a 5 minute swim away. If you take your time however, you can spend most of your dive time at the wreck. However, this is a better dive when there are no more than 5 to 6 divers on the site and great when there are only two. It can be a good night dive spot especially for underwater photography as you have a wide variety of marine life around the wreck including a number of small creatures great for macro shots. There are many sponges, brain corals, Christmastree worms and a nice Social Feather Duster on the stern rail.For other underwater photographs of the Doc Polson just click on one of the photographs or go to my Doc Poulson Gallery. If you want to find information on other wrecks in Grand Cayman such as the USS Kittiwake you can check out my Blog and/or view more underwater photos on my website and/or follow me on Twitter at Images2Inspire. The pool is open...