Oro Verde Scuba Diving

By Author: Thomas Price
Total Articles: 2
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The Oro Verde shipwreck in Grand Cayman has been a much loved location for divers from the time when the ship was sunk on May 31, 1980 by the Cayman government. The ship a is located in approximately 50 feet of water a short distance off Grand Cayman's famous Seven Mile Beach. The wreck has deteriorated considerably from the time of her reefing, mainly on account of several hurricanes which struck the Cayman's in the previous 30 years. The debris field today is distributed across a wide area and only the bow section remains intact.Read more regarding the history and background of the Oro Verde ...
... on Steven Smeltzer's blog and explore the entire underwater photo gallery on Smeltzer's internet site.Details of the diveThe wreck and surrounding coral reefs house a variety of sea creatures including, fishes, Sea Turtles, corals and crustaceans, creating among the most visited shallow dives in Grand Cayman, often frequented subsequent to a deep wall dive or on a night dive. Though the ship was in perfect shape at what time it was reefed and lying on her starboard side in the sand near to a patch of reef, the wreck's finer details have since succumbed with the passage of time; passing hurricanes have busted scattered the shipwreck over a large area nearer to the coral reef. Still, theOro Verderemains a great example of a thriving artificial coral reef. A buoy is attached to the bow section which is the only remaining intact part of the shipwreck. Although you may no longer penetrate the shipwreck you may look into the bow section through a couple of port holes.. The debris field runs from the bow section to the north along the coral reef. The diver may decide to spend all or part of the dive exploring the wreck and part of the dive on the coral reef. At this dive site there is a wide array of reef fish including Silversides (seasonally), Sergeant Majors, Angelfish, Schoolmasters, Parrotfish, groupers, eels and crustaceans.. This is a very good dive and it can be especially worthwhile as a night dive site owing to the range of marine species which are present. The Oro Verde rests roughly one hundred yards off shore so advanced scuba divers in good physical condition could reach it via a shore dive however with the long swim and required dive flags and floats due to offshore boat traffic, it doesn't make a lot of sense? All of the local scuba diving operators will be glad to take you to the Ship on a morning, afternoon or on a night dive. It is positively suggested to dive the wreck regardless of whether it is the first time or if you have been diving on the shipwreck in the past. The site is constantly changing and the fish and other marine animals on the site always make for an interesting dive. Review photos of additional wrecks in The Cayman's including the Doc Poulson and the USS Kittiwake.See Smeltzer's website or blog for more underwater photos and information. The pool is open...