Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Ilhas Cayman

Oro Verde Wreck

The Oro Verde is one of Grand Cayman's classic wreck dives, a 50-metre former freighter that was deliberately sunk in 1980 to create an artificial reef off Seven Mile Beach. After Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and subsequent storms, the once-intact hull broke apart and is now scattered across the sandy bottom in roughly 15 metres of water as a debris field of large hull plates, deck sections and engine room machinery. The dispersal has actually broadened the site's appeal, as divers can swim from one debris cluster to another exploring the fragments, all heavily encrusted with sponges, corals and gorgonians. Resident wildlife includes green moray eels, large hawksbill turtles, southern stingrays, schools of yellowtail snapper and schoolmaster, sergeant majors, blue tangs, queen and French angelfish, and Caribbean reef squid. The shallow depth and protected Seven Mile Beach lee conditions make the Oro Verde an excellent beginner wreck experience, a popular night dive (with octopus, basket stars and squirrelfish active after dark), and a great second dive after a deeper West Wall morning.