The Cayman Islands’ newest attraction sank in 62 feet of water at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman on Jan. 5.
The USS Kittiwake, a decommissioned submarine used as a rescue vessel in World War II, has found a new home on the bottom of the ocean as an artificial reef. (Watch the sinking in the below video.)
The top deck of the five-deck, 47-foot-tall submarine rests about 15 feet from the surface of the water, making it easily accessible to divers and snorkelers, according to Cayman 27, a local online news service.
Premier and Tourism Minister McKeeva Bush said the operation "represents the single most significant occurrence in a decade for Cayman’s dive industry," Cayman 27 reported.
The 2,200-ton Kittiwake was in service from 1945 to 1994. The last time a ship was sunk as a dive site in the Cayman Islands was in 1996, when the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts, a Russian frigate, was sunk off the coast of Cayman Brac.
The Kittiwake left the James River Reserve Fleet in St. Eustis, Va., last February and was towed to Grand Cayman after being cleaned.
Prior to sinking, all hazardous materials and chemicals were removed, and multiple cutouts opened up the ship to allow in natural light.
Divers will be able to view the recompression chamber, air bank storage, engine room and dive locker.
The Kittiwake was selected for the reef project due to its size, height and weight. This type of ship has the longest life underwater and will be less susceptible to breakup and damage from storms, according to Nancy Esterbrook, project manager.
The original date for the sinking was last summer, but preparations had not been completed at that time.