USS Kittiwake is a 251-foot vessel built in 1945 that rests at the bottom of the sea near the Cayman Islands. A viral diving site, the USS Kittiwake has become an artificial reef donated by the US Maritime Administration.

The vessel traveled throughout the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Many of its voyages were classified and included memorable dives and rescues. For instance, recovering the black box from the Challenger, the crashed space shuttle, was one of the vessel’s most widely-known accomplishments. Outside these history-making moments, the ship helped monitor minor dive operations and rescue procedures.

By the time the Kittiwake was retired, the US Maritime Administration had established a program for repurposing old Navy vessels as artificial reefs if the proper environmental protocols and safety issues were in place. However, the process took nearly 17 years for Nancy Easterbrook, who spearheaded the USS Kittiwake project. The Cayman Tourism Islands Association purchased the ship, and two years later, the vessel was sunken. In 2011, the ship was sunken correctly 60 feet near the shore of Grand Cayman.

Today, the USS Kittiwake is considered an adventure by dive masters. Moreover, it is one of the most requested (and iconic) dive sites.