Scuba Diving Grand Cayman - Oro Verde

By Author: Steven Smeltzer
Total Articles: 7
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The Oro Verde shipwreck in Grand Cayman has been a favorite site for divers since she was sunk on May 31, 1980 by the Cayman government. The vessel a 131-foot 692-ton freighter lies in about 50 feet of water just off Grand Cayman's famous Seven Mile Beach. The wreck has deteriorated a lot since her reefing, mainly as a result of several hurricanes that have hit the island in the last 30 years. The debris field today is scattered over a wide area with only the bow section still intact.You can read about the history and background of the Oro Verde ...
... on my blog and view the complete underwater photo gallery on my website.The DiveThe shipwreck and surrounding reefs are home to a variety of marine life including, fishes, Sea Turtles, custaceans and corals, making this one of the most popular shallow dives in Grand Cayman, often frequented after a deeper wall dive or on a night dive. Though it was in pristine condition when it was sunk and lying on her starboard in the sand next door to a patch of reef, the wreck's finer details have since given way to the force of time; passing hurricanes have broken, rolled and scattered the vessel across a wide debris field closer to the reef. Still, theOro Verderemains a great example of a thriving artificial reef. The buoy is attached to the bow section which is the only remaining intact part of the wreck. There are no longer any ways to penetrate the wreck but you can look into the bow section through a couple of port holes. The debris field flows primarily from the bow section to the north along several coral fingers. The diver can choose to spend all or part of the dive on the wreck and part of the dive on the reef. There is a wide variety of reef fish such as Parrotfish, Sergeant Majors, Angelfish, Silversides (seasonally), Schoolmasters, large groupers and moray eels as well as crustaceans such as the arrow crab and rough file clam This is a very worthwhile dive and I especially like it as a night dive for the variety of marine species that are present. The Oro Verde lies about 100 yards off shore so advanced divers in good physical condition could reach it as a shore dive but with the long swim and requisite dive flags and floats due to offshore boat traffic, why bother? All of the local dive operators will be happy to take you to the Oro Verde as your second half of a two tank west side boat dive, an afternoon dive or on a night dive. I would urge you to dive the wreck whether it is the first time or it you have dove on the wreck before. The site is constantly changing and the marine species always make for an interesting dive. Check out images of other wrecks in Grand Cayman the Doc Poulson and the USS Kittiwake.See my website or blog for more underwater photos and information. The pool is open...