Back in April I spent a week in Grand Cayman, principally to photograph the Southern Stingrays - but the general diving is great too. The visibility is some of the best I've ever experienced and this definitely makes it possible to photograph more subjects because you don't need to get so close. The clarity of the water (called viz by divers) is always a limiting factor on the quality of the images you can capture. The only way to combat poor viz is to get closer to your subject, but this often causes them to move away. If the viz is good you can use a longer lens and photograph them from further away, giving you a much better chance of a good shot.
I photographed the Southern Stingrays at a location known as Stingray City. It’s world famous as being the best place to be able to swim with stingrays and this is because tourist boats visit & feed them several times a day. To avoid the crowds I hired a guide and went out at 6am. They definitely didn’t disappoint - I spent a fantastic hour alone with them.
I love all Rays - it’s the magical way they “fly” through the water that captivates me, it’s just so graceful. Unfortunately this doesn’t really come across in a still photograph, you lose the sense of motion. But it certainly does in video, take a look for yourself here - https://youtu.be/ij7sN6eIUpA
Southern Stingray
Tarpon
