USS Kittiwake

by Jeff Ginther

On January 5, 2011, the USS Kittiwake made her final journey to the crystal clear turquoise waters off the northern end of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. After seven years of dedicated effort and planning, the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, in collaboration with the Ministry and Department of Tourism, successfully laid the former submarine rescue ship in its final resting place after 54 years of service. The USS Kittiwake, commissioned in 1945, is 251 feet long with a 42 foot beam and a displacement of 2290 tons and currently rests in 64 feet of water with her 5th deck only 15 feet from the surface, making her ideal for both divers and snorkelers. Join Jeff Ginther from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism as he presents Grand Cayman’s thrilling new destination for divers, the USS Kittiwake.