West Bay, Grand Cayman, Ilhas Cayman

Orange Canyon

Orange Canyon is a signature Grand Cayman West Wall dive named for the spectacular density of orange elephant-ear sponges (Agelas clathrodes) that coat its canyon walls. The site begins on the reef plateau in roughly 12 metres and descends through a deep canyon that cuts through the reef shelf and exits onto the main wall face around 24 to 30 metres. The canyon walls are dominated by enormous bright-orange elephant-ear sponges — some over a metre across — alongside giant barrel sponges, deepwater sea fans, black coral bushes, rope sponges and sheet corals. Beyond the canyon mouth, the wall plunges vertically thousands of metres into the deep Caribbean. Resident species include Caribbean reef sharks cruising the deep blue, eagle rays gliding the wall, hawksbill turtles foraging on sponges, schools of horse-eye jacks, queen and French angelfish, midnight parrotfish, large green moray eels in the canyon cracks, and the occasional black grouper. Visibility along the West Wall commonly exceeds 30 metres in the dry season from December to May. The depth rates the site advanced.