Twelve miles west of Grand Cayman is a pristine coral bank that rises from the depths of the Caribbean, but it doesn’t break the surface of the water. Only an elite few have dived this "Lost Island," but Divetech is looking for a select group of rebreather-certified divers to join their exploratory expedition of this incredible site.

The top of the isolated kidney-shaped reef formation, often called the fourth Cayman Island, is 90 to 100 feet below the surface, and like the other islands, it features dramatic drop-offs that plunge thousands of feet to the ocean bottom. Depth and distance make the 12-Mile Bank inaccessible to most divers, but Divetech is taking a select group on a dive expedition Aug. 19-26, 2017.

Video: Early Exploration of the Lost Cayman Island

“Divetech is always looking for new and exciting adventures for our clients,” says General Manager Tony Land, who led the initial exploratory dive trip to the banks last year. “Twelve Mile is unique in that it is remote and seldom explored. Our divers were probably among the first humans to lay eyes on sections of those walls. There aren’t many places you can do that in the world anymore, especially this close to civilization.”

Documenting the expedition will be Curt Bowen, CEO of Advanced Diver Magazine. Bowen is also on the board of the ADM Exploration Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to underwater exploration, discovery and education.

“We support groups with conservation efforts and exploration of the ocean,” says Land, who is thrilled with the pristine nature of the reef. “The top of the bank is filled with thriving coral heads that rise to 50 feet from the surface and abound with turtles, sharks, reef fish and pelagics, like wahoo and grouper. The area is virtually unexplored!”

Land says other dive operations run occasional trips to the 12-Mile Bank, but they are confined to the recreational diving depths of 130 feet or less. Divetech’s technical dive profiles allow advanced divers to uncharted depths of 250 feet.

Lost Island Expedition Details

Price of Divetech’s Expedition Package to 12-Mile Bank

• King Room (single) $3200
• Twin Room (share) $2900

Package includes:

• 7 nights' accommodations at Divetech's Lighthouse Point Condo
• All Taxes
• Round Trip Airport Transfers
• 5 Boat trips to 12 Mile bank
• Unlimited shore diving at Lighthouse Point
• Gas & Scrubber
• Breakfast each day at VIVO
• Lunch will be served on the boat
• Divetech's Dine Around option for Evening Meals including farewell BBQ at Lighthouse Point

Condos are based on triple occupancy. This is a rebreather-only dive trip, and divers must hold a minimum certification of CCR Normoxic Trimix. A minimum of 8 divers is required for the expedition to run. Deposits are fully refundable up until June 1, 2017. For inquiries and bookings, please email the Divetech reservations team at [email protected] or call 1-877-946-5658.

Want to know what it's like to dive on rebreather in Grand Cayman? Read our Advanced Adventure feature on rebreather diving in Grand Cayman.

About Divetech

Divetech is a IANTD Platinum Facility / TDI/SDI Instructor Trainer Facility / PADI 5-Star Resort / PADI TecRec Facility / PADI Project Aware Center / SSI Resort / IANTD & SSI Free Diving Center / BSAC Resort / National Geographic Center/ Scuba Rangers Club / Universal Training Facility / PADI Swim School / DAN Technical Field Research Station with full service dive operator with locations at Lighthouse Point on Northwest Point Road and the Holiday Inn Resort and Suites, both just a few miles north of the hustle and bustle of Seven Mile Beach. Considered one of Grand Cayman’s leading dive operations, Divetech has been providing quality dive services since 1994. It has earned a reputation as the place to go in Grand Cayman for quality training from kids to trimix with 18 Instructors on staff.