Kathleen's Reef

Dive Site Name: Kathleen's Reef

 

• Location: 25 minutes drive from the dock
• Dive Site Background: Named after the wreck of the Geneva Kathleen, a three-masted schooner that sank in 1930. The wooden remains have long since rotted away, but snorkelers can still see various parts of her equipment in shallow waters near Barefoot Beach.
• Dive Site Details: A reef dive with depths ranging from 30-60 feet. Highlights include extensive and varied sponges, huge feather plumes, and spur and groove reef formations.
• Fun Fact or Anecdote: Yellow Tube Sponges often have little schools of juvenile Bluehead Wrasse swimming around them.
• Practical Information: Explore the large overhang east of the mooring pin for a chance to see Spotted Drums. If visibility is good, divers can enjoy a stunning underwater landscape.
• Safety and Conservation: Follow standard diving guidelines and protect the marine environment.

 

 

Sitting just in front of Barefoot Beach, Kathleen's Reef is named for the wreck of the Geneva Kathleen, a three-masted schooner that met her watery end in 1930 en route from Gulfport to Curacao. Her wooden remains have long since rotted away. Still, snorkelers entering the ocean from Barefoot Beach can swim a short distance east to see various parts of her equipment sitting in just a few feet of water. However, the area is ****too shallow for diving, unfortunately.

 

 

The namesake dive site is a little further out from shore beyond the barrier reef. Kathleen's Reef can sometimes suffer poor visibility due to the outflow from the nearby lagoon, but catch it on a good day, and you will be rewarded. Divers can expect extensive and varied sponges, huge feather plumes, and the beautiful spur and groove reef formations typical of the north side.

 

Make sure to look inside the roomy barrel sponges for lobsters! If you approach gently, these surprisingly inquisitive little guys will often edge slowly from their hiding places to investigate you, waving their antennae as they do so. The Yellow Tube Sponges often have little schools of juvenile Bluehead Wrasse teeming around them. These youngsters are yellow (not blue like the adults) and will swarm toward any disturbances in the sand to pick out the tasty treats it holds.

 

 

Just a little east of the mooring pin, there is a large overhang for divers to pass underneath. Spotted Drums are a regular sighting here. If you accidentally spook one and it disappears into a hole, don't worry! Hang tight nice and still, and it will come back out again.

 

About Ocean Frontiers Ltd.

 

Ocean Frontiers Dive Shop is located on the remote East End of Grand Cayman. Founded in 1996 with one dive boat and a dream to introduce divers to the wonders of East End diving, the company has grown into one of Cayman’s premier dive operations with a reputation for legendary customer service and having the island’s friendliest staff.  Ocean Frontiers is also recognized as one of the most conservation-minded dive operators in the Cayman Islands with a long history of promoting ocean protection through its company programs, and an unwavering support for outside environmental projects. The winner of Project AWARE’s Environmental Achievement Award in 2004 and 2010, Ocean Frontiers has again been recognized in 2012. The company also received the PADI Green Star Dive Center accreditation in 2012 for demonstrating a dedication to conservation, the first dive operator in the Cayman Islands to receive this distinction.