9/1/15 – Cobalt Coast, West Bay, Grand Cayman
Hurricane Erika threatened to put a damper on our dive expedition, but Mother Nature seems to have a way of providing surprises.
I’ve been around the big drink for as long as I can remember – but I have never seen the ocean go from dead flat to 4 foot perfect beach break in an hour. These were my first visions of Cobalt Coast. Every surfer knows the feeling, you go somewhere without a board, there will be waves. However, as fast as Hurricane Erika sent the swell in, is equally as fast as it dissipated. We came here to dive, so I can safely say this may be the only time I was happy to see the swell disappear over the horizon. Crystal clear water and unreal ocean life greeted us from the moment we stepped off of the Divetech boat on the first day. Sheer wall drop-offs lead divers from the safety of 20 ft sandy bottoms to seemingly infinite abyss of darkness as deep as you can imagine. Corals and sponges create structure and color that even the imagination becomes jealous of. It seems almost laborious to take in the massive grander that is the Caribbean dive scene (a task we openly welcome). The north wall runs along the coast, a thin barrier between the protected shallow inshore and the pelagic expanse stretching between Grand Cayman and Cuba. We descended down into the dark blue in sheer amazement of what the Caribbean was offering us.
The abundance and variety of ocean life here is almost laughable. From massive Mutton Snapper to the tiniest Blennies, the reef looks like the natural I-95 during rush hour. Each and every animal has its own personality – Green turtles cruise right up to take a nibble off our lens (or maybe ask to join our selfies), massive Pompano cruise overhead like watchdogs waiting to divebomb for unsuspecting meals, tiny Blue Chromis dart together over the corals like a group rehearsing for the most incredible natural ballet. Water here pulses like a heartbeat.
The Ex-USS Kittiwake lies just around the corner from our dock. Rising impressively from the bottom, the de-commissioned submarine recovery vessel serves its new purpose as an artificial home for fish and sponges while creating moody vistas for photographers. A massive sand ‘chute’ leads upward from 300 ft towards the wreck like a beige ski run, walled in on both sides by vertical walls sporting colors spanning the entire spectrum. Giant groupers watched carefully as we approached with our strobes firing – the underwater paparazzi has officially arrived.
Cobalt Coast has provided us with unbelievable views and what will soon be permanent memories. For us Williams boys, this is truly paradise. I could imagine diving here everyday and never becoming even close to bored with the scenery, ocean life, or people. So far, every night has ended with rain tapping down on our windows – we begin the day in the water and end the day dreaming of returning to it. Sounds of bubbles rise over the pattering rainfall… the dream doesn’t seem to end when tomorrow arrives.
