Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman is the only place in the world where members of the general public can descend to 800 feet in a research submersible. They have two submersibles in operation, each carries two passengers and the pilot, and operates five times per day, seven days a week. Its been about five years or so since I was there, and it was 269 US dollars per person then (about £180 at that time). Expensive, yes, but the one hour journey was worth every penny - an absolute trip of a lifetime. The Cayman Trench is one of the deepest stretches of water on the globe, and the Cayman Wall, just a few hundred metres from shore, is reputed to drop almost vertically for 25000 feet. I can vouch for the first 800 at least.

Having booked the trip several days earlier, I turned up at the harbour for weigh-in armed with my video camera and accompanied by my wife. The submersibles are moored about half a mile from shore so they had to take us out in an inflatable to board it. The trip out there took ten minutes or so and then we had to wait while they adjusted the buoyancy to account for our combined weight. Entering through a very small hatch we were soon perched in front of a hemi-spherical window that made everything look quite small. The small platform between my legs proved very useful for mounting the video which ran throughout the journey. Ten more minutes of safety and communications checks and we were underway, descending into the unknown. The descent to 800 feet was quite rapid (10 to 15 minutes) and the visibility was unbelievable - at 600 feet the pilot pointed out an object on the wall in front of us, it was a settee. We could see it quite clearly but it was miniscule so I asked him how far away it was - about 150 feet he replied. Now, in theory, you shouldn't be able to see that far in sea water, but the total absence of plankton at this depth greatly enhanced the visibility, and this was without the lights on.

The sub was equipped with four 300 watt lamps and the pilot finally switched them on when we approached the wall at 800 feet. There, before our eyes, was a completely intact shipwreck, wedged onto a ledge in the wall. The effects of the dome lens and the power of the lights were such that we could see the entire ship in one go - we were speachless. We spent a good ten minutes exploring the wreck from different angles, seeing some of the rarest animals in the world in the process. From here, the journey was a slow ascent of the wall, hugging it closely, (that close that we actually hit it once or twice) discovering awesome sight after awsome sight all the way to the surface. This was one amazing journey, and the memory will stay with me for the rest of my life, what's more I've got it on video too. The pressure remains at atmospheric so you don't need a housing for the video.

The price may have altered since I went, but the experience will still be worth it. I have dived in some of the best locations in the world but have never seen anything to rival this. My wife is a non-diver and enjoyed it just as much. Be bold and have a go, you won't regret it.

Incidentally, the cost of the trip included a free trip on the 60-man submarine that goes to 100 feet. If this is still the case, take my advice and take that trip first if possible (after the deep one you may find it disappointing), and you will almost certainly find the night trip more enjoyable, even if it means paying a little extra.