Paul, Cissy and I met at Lantern Point in West Bay this morning for a shore dive from Dive Tech.

The actual dive centre is the nicest I have been to, a gorgeous B&B and dive centre up in the very north of Grand Cayman. Standing on the Iron Shore it looks west over the Caribbean Sea. You can stand on the end of the centre’s jetty and look south over the curve of the bay that is the west of the island and see the whole sweep of Seven Mile Beach, George Town right down to the southern tip of the island and home.

It was a beautiful sunny morning and the sea was a flat as a mill-pond, azure near the coast shading to deepest blue as the water got deeper, hardly a wave the sea surface glittering under a cloudless blue sky.

We kitted up and made our way to the end of the jetty, looked down at crystal clear water below. The water around the jetty is about ten feet deep and it was pristine. Final checks, then one big step off the jetty into the water. We submerged, sinking slowly to the seabed and away.

We followed the slope of the seabed down, slowly descending to about 25 feet and the top of a coral wall. We could see over the lip of coral  a cliff. The sea dropped down to about 60 feet and a sandy bottom.

At the base of the wall we could see The Guardian of the Reef. An 8 feet tall bronze statue of a triton and the second merperson I have had the privilege to meet in Cayman waters! He is father to nymph I met on my very first dive!

We slipped over the edge of the cliff and followed the cliff face down to take a closer look at the Guardian of the Reef.

He is stunning! An imposing figure from myth. Stern, serene and silent. Standing on his plinth looking north. Every bit as handsome as his daughter is beautiful. The water around him an unbelievably clear blue and filled with life.

Having spent time a quiet reflective time with Poseidon we set off south and swimming along the base of the reef wall seeing lots of fish, including a grouper, stunning corals, all quite spectacular!

The dive was made even more special by the appearance of Cayman Green Turtle. It was swimming down at about 25 feet, calm as you like, it was completely unfazed by us it just glided effortlessly along, ‘flying’ with us. It posed for the camera for a minute in scilent moment of connection with us before heading out into the deep blue!

It was also my first dive in my very own kit a BCD, regulator and dive computer. It was the most comfortable I have been on a dive so now I can get used to having my own equipment rather than using rented equipment. Cissy and Paul helped me get it set up properly.

A cracking morning with good buddies!