Grand Cayman's newest water sport attraction the USS Kittiwake opened on January 6th 2011. Deep Blue Divers is proud to be one of the few dive operators licensed to use the use the new marine park. The wreck of the Kittiwake and the surrounding area is designated a marine wildlife area dedicated for the use of snorkeling and scuba diving.

What makes the USS Kittiwake so special

• 251 feet long with a 42 foot beam making it one of the largest shipwreck attraction anywhere

• Five open decks for penetration into the wreck (wreck diving specialty required)

• 5 mooring balls from the bow to the stern of the ship providing space for multiple boats

• Open during the day and for night dives

• Beautiful artificial reef for snorkeling

Ship Wreck Diving Package

To fully experience the USS Kittiwake you will need to be a certified wreck diver. By completing a P.A.D.I. or equivalent certification you gain access to the inside decks including the captains bridge, engine room, galley, and crew quarters. Our special package focuses on learning safety techniques, practice navigation and mapping of the wreck, and finally guided penetration of the lower decks.

Course Length: 2 days
Number of dives: 4 dives
Cost: T.B.A.

USS Kittiwake History

Designed as a a submarine supply ship the Kittiwake was built in Savannah, Georgia, USA. It launched on July 10th, 1945 and was assigned to support and rescue duty with Submarine Squadron 6. In the 1950's she was stationed to the Atlantic and served "silent service" ships. In July of 1960 the Kittiwake stood ready to assist the George Washington, which launched the first successful Polaris ballistic missiles.

During the 1960 she continued to support submarines in Rota, Span, and Greece. Then she assisted with search and recovery of torpedoes while stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. In late 1965 the Kittiwake assisted in the recovery of the German submarine (S-171).

In 1984 the Kittiwake collided with the the attack submarine USS Bergall. The cause was a miss-wired main drive which caused it to operate in the opposite direction than expected. The bridge personal saw the submarine approaching and ordered an increase in speed to avoid the collision. This resulted in the stern of the Kittiwake hitting the Bergall's sonar dome.

Decommissioned on September 30, 1994 and then purchased by the Cayman Island government in 2004. In July 2010 she will be sunk off the West cost of grand Cayman as become an artificial reef. Come and explore this amazing historical wreck dive today

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