( CNN ) -- The water is so clear you can see it from the surface . It 's the Cayman Islands ' newest tourist attraction , the USS Kittiwake . The Kittiwake is a Chanticleer-class submarine rescue ship that was part of the U.S. Navy 's fleet until it was decommissioned in 1994 . Now it 's an artificial reef , one that Scuba Diving magazine says is a must for divers . `` It is definitely one of the top 10 purposely sunk wrecks because of its accessibility , '' says the magazine 's editor , David Espinosa . `` It 's in relatively shallow water and it 's upright . '' The Kittiwake was sunk a little over a year ago just off Grand Cayman 's popular Seven Mile Beach . A five-minute boat ride brings divers to the site where the vessel 's bottom sits about 60 feet down on the sandy floor of the Caribbean Sea . Getting the 251-foot-long ship to the bottom of the ocean was easy , unlike the effort to obtain the vessel . `` It was a pilot project and that was part of the complexity of it , '' says Nancy Easterbrook , who spearheaded the Kittiwake project on behalf of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association . The Caymans applied to the U.S. government to receive a decommissioned ship to use as an artificial reef , a process that was open for the first time to international applicants . Then Easterbrook journeyed to Norfolk , Virginia , to tour the available ships . She says choosing the USS Kittiwake was the easy part of her eight-year effort . `` She was a ship that served divers all of her life , '' she says , `` so it just seemed the appropriate ship . '' Before the vessel could be transported to its new home , it had to be cleared of all military equipment , undergo an inspection for hazardous materials and pass environmental regulations in the United States and the Cayman Islands . As a submarine rescue vessel , the Kittiwake was home to many Navy divers during its 49 years of service . When built , it was outfitted with a recompression chamber , a diving bell and a diving locker . But the ship 's highlight for most divers today is an unlikely place : the vessel 's head . `` They 've left the mirrors inside the bathrooms , so you can actually take a look at yourself while diving , '' says Jason Shaddox , an instructor with local dive company Don Foster 's . But you do n't have to be a diver to appreciate this new attraction . `` It 's the only wreck I 've been around where you can snorkel on it and see what we see as divers , '' Shaddox adds . `` The only thing you do n't see as a snorkeler is what is inside . '' In just over a year , a ship that might have ended up in the scrapheap has been transformed into a must-see for visitors . Inside there are five decks with the stairs intact . A dive will take you through the recreation room , mess hall , crew quarters , navigation room and up to the main deck , which sits about 15 feet from the water 's surface . `` The warmth of the water and the visibility is incredible , so you can see the whole ship from the surface , '' says Easterbrook . `` It 's kind of eerie because it 's something that does n't belong there but on the other hand , it 's quite friendly to divers and snorkelers . '' The vessel has also quickly become a friendly spot for marine life . Recently , the island was abuzz when a whale shark was spotted near the ship .
A decommissioned U.S. Navy ship has become a popular Cayman Islands dive site . The USS New York was commissioned in 1944 and served as the flagship of the Pacific Fleet. Divers can explore the inside of the submarine rescue ship .