Beachcomber Reef

The Beachcomber Reef is a real treat for those who love to snorkel and want to get up close to the tropical fish that the Cayman Islands offer. Right off the Beachcomber’s beach, in a max depth of 12 feet, are over a 100 varieties of sea life from sea turtles and stingrays to puffer fish and lobster.  Swim out to the reef every day and enjoy the variety the reef has to offer.  A snorkel in the morning will yield a different suite of fish than in the late afternoon when the sun is lower. Sea Turtles prefer the afternoon, while lion fish, lobster, flounder, and stingrays are more plentiful in the morning. Don’t be alarmed if you see an Eagle Ray or Barracuda (Charlie) swim by, as they are used to people and are harmless.  “Pablo”, our resident puffer fish, hangs out in the rocks 100 ft off shore.  Our guests have shot photos of over 100 different types of fish.  Check out the photo book at the Beachcomber office or in unit 17.

There are 4 main areas to check out.  Go to the center of the property, swim straight out about 100 ft and you will see two very large coral heads about 3 ft high.  Pablo the puffer fish (his picture is on the book n the office) can be found there, along with other small tropical fish. If you dive down the 6 ft in depth, you can peer under the coral head to see what other fish are hiding, too shy to venture out.  Then, turn left paralleling the shore and you will see a low level coral string about 1 foot in height.  On this path, look for Sea Turtles and Squirrel Fish.  After about 50 yards, then turn right and swim straight out to the vertical 200 yard marker buoy. Before you get there you will see a 30 x 30 coral head which we call the  “Lobster condo”.  It is full of them – the highest count of Lobsters was 23!  Please note that this water is within a marine park, so harvesting the lobster will land you in the local jail.  In and around this coral head are Parrot Fish, a Lion Fish (hiding), and Blue Chromis.

After, you have explored this area, then swim all the way to the vertical buoy, which is the farthest point of the Beachcomber Reef.  It also marks where jet ski and boats MUST stay outside of, so to stay safe, DO NOT swim beyond this buoy at any time.  The reef extends about a football field in size from the buoy and back toward shore. We recommend that you take a camera each time, as you will be surprised by what you might find.

As you swim back to the beach, look for more Sea Turtles, hidden Flounder in the sand, Octopus holes marked by chewed up conch shells, and Ballyhoo, just under the waters surface. In the afternoon, just before sunset, this area is really active with much larger fish “swimming by”.  Have fun!