Photos: Cayman Islands Sink 1945 Submarine Rescue Vessel

The latest addition to Cayman's network of artificial reefs is the USS Kittiwake.

Contractors began flooding a decommissioned U.S. Navy ship Wednesday to sink it in the clear waters off the Cayman Islands, where officials hope the vessel will attract tourists and fish.

Plans called for the USS Kittiwake, a 1945-vintage submarine rescue ship, to rest on a sandy bottom off Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach. The 47-foot-tall (14-meter) ship will be at a depth of 62 feet (19 meters), so the top deck should be close to the Caribbean Sea's surface, making it easily accessible for snorkelers and divers.

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The ship, which was in commission from 1946 to 1994, was decommissioned on September 30, 1994 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register that same day. The Kittiwake's title was transferred to the government of the Cayman Islands for an undisclosed amount in November of 2008.

Check out the stunning Kittiwake Sinking Pictures by Elly Wray (via Sunset House Cayman)

Here are a few selections:

(click image to enlarge)










Let's dive!