Descend Upon the Eerie Wreck of the Kittiwake off Grand Cayman

I have always been fascinated by wreck dives. There is just something surreal about seeing a ship resting on the bottom of the ocean. So when I found myself in Grand Cayman, I made sure to add the USS Kittiwake dive site to the top of my list.

As we descended upon the Kittiwake it was kind of eerie. No other divers were around and a thick layer of growth covered her hull. She looked like a ghost ship decaying on the ocean floor. I thought to myself, what an interesting underwater museum. To think, this ship sailed the seven seas and witnessed moments in history.

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In her earlier days, the Kittiwake was a U.S. Navy submarine rescue ship that was in service from 1945 to 1994. Although most of her missions are still classified, it is interesting to note that in 1960 she was the rescue ship on duty as the submarine USS George Washington launched the first Polaris ballistic missiles ever fired underwater.



The Kittiwake was also the ship that recovered the black box from the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster back in 1986. Today, the Kittiwake has become an artificial reef and an excellent wreck dive that should not be missed.

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