Babylon

Just got back from a trip to GC. Did 12 shore dives in total. Babylon was amazing and well worth the drive (40min from 7 mi island). I left early in the morning before traffic (yes even GC has it too). I parked my car on a little dirt road before the primary that goes all the way to the shore line entrance. The surface swim was not that bad at all. There were small breakers but not much current. The marine life wasn't as spectacular as some sites on the western part of the island but the structure and scenery along the wall were AMAZING. When I go back, I will definitely do this dive again.

Babylon is a swim but it is SO worth it! There are a myriad of shore diving sites on Grand Cayman, however, few are as spectacular as Babylon. The winds must be right for you to think about doing it..ie: no surf! The wall is so spectacular here. If you have good swimming ability and don't mind the snorkel out, take the plunge when you hit the wall and then scuba back in following one of the fingers back to shore. This makes for a great profile and takes care of your safety stop too. Enjoy!

This is one of the best sites on the island. I have done it many times and have never been disappointed. It is a bit of a swim, but really quite easy as the conditions are very tame in the summer. There are two different entry points from shore (one in a large clearing and the other in a narrow strip between the overgrowth). The narrow strip is actually directly in front of the Babylon mooring pin but is a little more challenging as the shore is rockier here than the other entry point. There are three mooring pins here with Babylon being the large one with the black ring. If you enter at the large clearing you will swim east towards Babylon. The toughest part of the entry is navigating past the rocks, but once past it, it is a leisurely kick out. The wall here is as vertical as anywhere on the island and the coral growth, which includes black coral, is fantastic. The wall starts at about 50 feet and drops sharply. Babylon proper is the highlight as it forms a canyon offset from the main wall allowing plenty of room for a swim through with fantastic coral growth on both sides. There is a good chance you will see eagle rays, large barracudas, lobsters, and turtles. I have made the dive at least ten times, but have yet to see the hammerhead. Be careful on the rocks coming in as they can be slippery (plenty of sea urchins around to greet you if you fall). Do yourself a favor and make this dive. Do not be intimidated by the distance; just take it easy and enjoy the swim out. Keep in mind this is a summer dive as the winds are out of the S/SE in summer and reverse in winter.

We did this dive from shore. It is a LONG swim out to the buoys! Probably best done from a boat…but is doable from shore if you're a decent swimmer. We went down at one buoy over a sandy bottom, low rise coral reef on both sides, swam out to the wall and were awe-struck!! It was absolutely beautiful!! The sheet corals were huge!! The some the size of a queen bed!! The vis was crystal clear 150+ feet! One of the best dives I have been on! Would LOVE to do it again & again. Just not crazy about the swim out to it!!