South Side, Cayman Brac, Ilhas Cayman

Snapper Reef (Cayman Brac)

Snapper Reef is a shallow reef-top dive on Cayman Brac's south side, named for the dense schools of yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) and schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus) that hover above the coral heads. The site sits on the reef shelf in roughly 12 to 18 metres of water, with healthy hard coral cover including boulder coral, brain coral, sea plumes and sea fans, scattered across white sand patches. The south-side reef is sheltered from the prevailing easterly trade winds, keeping conditions calm and water clear. Resident wildlife includes the signature yellowtail and schoolmaster snapper schools, hawksbill turtles foraging on sponges, southern stingrays in the sand patches, green moray eels in the coral crevices, schools of grunts, sergeant majors, blue tangs, queen and French angelfish, midnight parrotfish, Creole wrasse, and Caribbean reef squid. Visibility commonly exceeds 25 metres in the dry season from December to May. The shallow depth, near-zero current and easy navigation make Snapper Reef an ideal beginner dive and a perfect second dive after a deeper east-end wall morning.