This spectacular wreck is one of the main draws for diving in Cayman Brac. Sunk in 1996, the M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts is a Russian military frigate, destroyer #356, which has been turned into an artificial reef. After almost 30 years, it has a lot of growth on it and is nicely covered in sponges and corals.
The ship was originally built in 1984 and the Russians gave the ship to the Cubans who in turn sold it to the Cayman Islands in 1990. The purchase was made with full intention of sinking it to create a sunken artificial reef and a dive attraction. It was renamed the M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts after a local dive operator on Cayman Brac.
Tibbetts Wreck Dive Site
After being thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the sinking, the 330ft wreck found its place between two reefs in a sandy area not far from shore in Cayman Brac at a depth of about 80ft. There are two dive buoys on the wreck with one at 65ft at the bow and the other at 85ft at the stern.
The wreck has become the adopted home for lots of creatures. Apparently, there used to be two resident Goliath groupers aptly named Boris and Doris, but they haven’t been seen for a while.
We did see plenty of Nassau groupers and other reef fish. Mostly it was exciting to see the wreck itself with the turret guns and the huge wreck.
Our dive guide took us through a coral swim-through where we exited facing the wreck. It was spectacular to come out and have the wreck come into view.
In 2004 a hurricane broke the hull in two and the wreck now sits in two parts. The wreck split right down the bathroom area and tiles with urinals can be seen. There is also a huge turbine on the ground where the two parts of the wreck are now separated.
The wreck was phenomenal and a highlight of our dive trip. Seeing the guns with all the sponges growing on them is quite a site.
Just the enormity of the wreck combined with the crystal-clear visibility we had on the dive was great. It was definitely one of our favorite dives in Cayman Brac.
Related post: