Join experienced guides from Sunset Divers on a small-group dive to the wreck of the Kittiwake. This 251-foot long, five-deck, decommissioned US Navy submarine rescue ship is one of Grand Cayman’s most famous and most spectacular dive sites.
On this USS Kittiwake diving experience, you will explore the decks for up to 60 minutes with a computer profile, reaching a maximum depth of 72 feet. And if you have friends or family interested in USS Kittiwake snorkeling opportunities, they are welcome aboard the dive boat. While the certified divers descend to the wreck itself, the snorkelers can look down from the surface!
Do you have any questions about this Kittiwake Grand Cayman dive? Please get in touch for all the answers you need. If you’re looking for more underwater adventures, check out our full range of Grand Cayman diving experiences.
For the ultimate peace of mind on this USS Kittiwake diving trip, Sunset House provides DAN (Divers Alert Network) Membership & Dive Accident Coverage, allowing you to dive with complete confidence. If you’re looking for something more short-term, we also offer DAN temporary insurance, covering everything from a single day to 30 days.
Whether you’re snorkeling or diving the USS Kittiwake, here’s a quick look at the ship before you board our dive boat.
The Kittiwake is 251 feet long, 44 feet wide, and once displaced about 2,193 tons when fully loaded. After the removal of much of her equipment, she now weighs roughly 1,800 tons of steel. Built with a solid steel hull and 18 bulkheads, she still carries her original solid brass propeller. In service, she was crewed by 10 officers and 98 enlisted personnel, though her armaments were removed before leaving the U.S.
The Kittiwake is at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach, on the West or lee side of Grand Cayman, at latitude 19 21.714 ‘ N and Longitude 081 24.073 ‘ W for her bow. The wreck is around half a mile offshore, near the Sand Chute dive site. The bottom is flat and sandy. The Kittiwake rests at 72 feet deep at the bottom and is around 35 feet from the surface.
The 47-foot-tall Kittiwake has five decks. Her crow’s nest, mast, and stern A-frame were lowered for Cayman waters, and the upper decks housed two bridges plus the radio and navigation rooms.
On the main deck were the rec room, mess hall, ironing room, tool workshop, and recompression chambers. The stern A-frame once supported submarines, hard-hat divers, and a diving bell used before decompression.
Two decks below held the crew quarters, medical station, engine rooms, air banks, compressors, steering gear, ammo lockers, cold storage, and even a barber shop—every space on board had a purpose. Large openings now make these areas more accessible to divers.
In 2016, the wreck shifted onto its side, offering a new perspective. Today, the Kittiwake serves as an artificial reef, creating vital habitat for marine life. The Kittiwake is protected within a Cayman Marine Park: nothing may be touched or removed, gloves and fishing are prohibited, and all visitors pay a marine park fee (included in tour costs) to support ongoing protection. The only exception is lionfish culling, as they are invasive.
The Kittiwake’s primary mission was rescuing sailors from downed submarines, and she spent 50 years as a dedicated diving vessel. Many of her operations remain classified, but her record includes submarine rescues, salvage work, and even recovering the black box from the Challenger disaster.
She served widely in the Caribbean and western Atlantic—visiting Bermuda, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Puerto Rico, and Havana—and crossed the Atlantic to the North Sea. Her duties ranged from supporting the USS Orion and testing ballistic missiles to recovering dummy Polaris missiles, assisting divers, and even running interference for a Trident submarine test.
Former crew recall both challenges and camaraderie at sea, summing her up with affection: “To know her was to love her. God bless the USS Kittiwake and those who served aboard her.”
Again, if you’re looking for more underwater adventures, check out our full range of Grand Cayman diving experiences.
