Rather, this is all about exploring the splendours of the deep as you scuba dive in the dramatic seascape of the Caribbean.
The British Virgin Islands
There are more than 100 dive sites in the BVI, and the underwater vistas are among the world’s most breathtaking. Dives off the Sir Frances Drake Channel include ledges, caves, canyons, wrecks and sponge-encrusted walls. Some of the more popular dives include the following:
1) The Chikuzen – Lying at a depth of 75′ six miles north of Beef Island, the ship was sunk in 1981. The full 246ft. length of this once-refrigerated vessel is teeming with fish of every description, including big rays, horse-eye jacks, barracudas and more.
2) Painted Walls – A shallow dive (20-30 ft) off the southern point of Dead Chest. Divers can delight in the kaleidoscope of colors created by encrusting corals and sponges on the walls of four long gullies.
3) Alice in Wonderland – Experienced divers looking for a deep dive will enjoy this one at South Bay on Ginger Island. The wall here slopes gently downward from 15-100ft. Huge mushroom shaped corals give the site its name.
4) The Indians – Off of Norman Island, 4 large, jagged pinnacles protrude from the surface after rising 50′ from the ocean floor. The formations feature a series of canyons and grottoes with both soft and had corals that are overwhelmingly colorful as the sun’s rays shine down on them. Myriads of reef fish swim along the canyons.
5) Wreck of the RMS Rhone – A royal mail steam packet that sunk off of Salt Island during a hurricane lies well-preserved in two halves on a sandy bottom. Her steel wreckage is home to many species of fish and encrusting corals. The bow section, laying in about 80′ of water, reveals the coral encrusted cargo hold and other interior chambers.
6) Blonde Rock – A pinnacle between Dead Chest and Salt Island which rises from a depth of 60′ to just 15′ below the surface. Its rock ledges, tunnels, caves and overhangs are home to crabs, lobsters, hordes of reef fish and beautiful fan corals.
St. Martin
Diving on the island is good, but compared to the rest of the Caribbean, not in the top league. Visibility in the waters around St. Martin typically extends for about 100′ and sometimes can even reach up to 200′. The diving is generally fairly shallow, typically in 60′ of water or less.
1) Proselyte Reef – This is the top dive site in St. Martin. In 1801, the HMS Proselyte sank in 60′ of water. The reef surrounding the frigate rises to within 15′ of the surface. Divers can see fish, coral and occasionally turtles and rays.
2) Split Rock – This is a large boulder divers can swim through. Nearby is Cabie Reef, where large fish such as pompanos can often be seen. Both sites are at 55feet.
3) Old Simpson Bay Bridge – The remains of the old bridge was submerged in the 1980’s and now serves as an artificial reef. Schools of reef fish now congregate at the site which is 55′ at its deepest. Nearby, there are a number of wrecks, including an aircraft.
Anguilla
Anguilla’s turquoise blue waters boast seven marine parks: Dog Island, Prickly Pear, Seal Island Reef System, Little Boy, Sandy Island, Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System and Stoney Bay Marine Park. Dive sites include wreck dives, shore dives, wall dives, night dives, and heritage dives. Expect to see stingrays and garden eels in the sand that surrounds the dive sites. Anguilla is specially known for its intentionally sunk shipwrecks.
1) El Buen Consejo – A truly unique attraction, the 960 ton Spanish galleon rests quietly on the ocean floor with her cannons and cargo serving as a silent testament to the Caribbean ‘s turbulent past. significant artifacts.
St. Barts
Most people do not think of St. Barts as a dive destination, and yet there are approximately 26 dive sites. The dive sites fall into two separate areas. The main dive area extends from the main town of Gustavia, with several others sites no more than five minutes from the entrance to Gustavia Harbour.
Saba
Saba ‘s beauty extends below the waterline into an exciting marine environment rich in corals and active in fish life. Superb diving is the main reason most sailing charters make it to this island. Divers will encounter huge populations of colorful tropical fish as well as larger fish and pelagics (large open ocean fish, like spotted eagle rays and sharks).
Although Saba ‘s underwater attractions include shallower yet spectacular reefs and walls, it is for her pinnacles that the island has gained a reputation as a must go destination among experienced divers. The pinnacles are actually summits of underwater mountains, beginning at around 85’ and extending into the abyss.
Another impressive area is Tent Reef Wall. This is a steep and extended ledge that plunges into the depths with tons of interesting marine creatures seeking shelter on its walls. Three things are particularly unique to diving in Saba.
Statia
Lobsters, sea turtles and a myriad of reef fish hide in the many shelves and crevices.
3) Crack in the Wall (aka Grand Canyon ) – This is a large pinnacle of coral reaching up from the ocean floor. There is an abundance of life here, including large fish such as barracuda and black-tip sharks.
4) Triple Wreck – This site is actually two coral-encrusted shipwrecks lying just 150 feet apart at a depth of 60′.
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua has approximately 42 dive sites, of which many are close to shore. Both Antigua and Barbuda are almost completely surrounded by well-preserved coral.
Barbuda’s diving is at least as good as Antigua ‘s, with countless wrecks dotted around the nearby reefs. Many of these wrecks have yet to be explored. Unfortunately, there are no established dive operators on the island of Barbuda.
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis are not major dive destinations in part because the islands have never really been promoted in that way. With the new emphasis by St. Kitts’ government to make the island a tourist destination, that may change. More than 400 ships sank near the islands between 1493 and 1825, but only a dozen or so have been identified to date. Most of the dive sites spread between the eastern coast of Nevis to the western end of St. Kitts.
1) Black Coral Reef – This dive is for people searching for rare black coral. The reef begins at 40′ and descends to 70′.
2) The Caves – Lying 40′ under the west coast of Nevis, just north of Charlestown, the Caves are a series of coral grottos.
3) Nags Head – Due to the strong current where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet, this is for experienced divers only. The reef is colorful, plunging dramatically down to 80 feet. You will find stingrays, turtles, squirrel fish and sea urchins, along with assorted large reef fish.
4) River Taw Wreck
This site is a large wrecked freighter measuring 144′ x 70′. The wreck is in excellent condition and only 50 feet deep. Encrusting coral and large numbers of reef fish can be observed.
5) Grid Iron –
This undersea shelf is found in the channel between St. Kitts and Nevis. It rises to within 25′ of the surface. It contains a multitude of shallow water corals, sea fans, sponges and large numbers of angelfish.
Montserrat
1) Carr’s Bay
The north of the island, this area offers several shore dives. Towards the south of the beach, one can get into the reef system. There are several huge boulders rising from the sea floor. Colorful sponges and corals cover these boulders. Tons of reef fish dart around. This is truly an el dorado for underwater photographers.
2) Rendezvous Bay
This area is one of the best for diving. The northernmost dive region on Montserrat’s west coast is the reef system between Rendezvous Beach and the North West Bluff.
3) The Northern and Eastern shores of Montserrat offer exciting diving as well. Little Redonda is a rock that reaches the surface from a depth of 80 feet. It is a spectacular dive. The Pinnacles on the northeastern corner of Montserrat offer fantastic submerged rock formations. In Yellow Hole, south of the Pinnacles, is the wreck of a 19th century steel schooner, which sank in 1886. Her remnants are scattered over a wide area in 25′ of water.
Guadeloupe
The diving in Guadeloupe is “average” according to the Undercurrent Insider Report. The majority of the island’s 27 dive sites are off Basse Terre. Expect to see several species of corals and classes of sponges. Guadeloupe has strict diving regulations. Unless you are a dive master yourself, you must dive with a guide, and not all operators speak English – so plan ahead. Some sites to check out include:
1) Islets Piedgeon
This is the site of the Cousteau Marine Park. Despite its popularity with day-trippers and glass bottom boats, the marine life is in good condition. There are two wrecks near the Pigeon Island.
2) Grand Cul de Sac Marin – Several miles of reef have developed in the sheltered waters in the north between the two sides of Guadeloupe.
3)The Le Sac Pate – Located north of Iles des Saintes is a group of large boulders rising to about 40′ below the surface. Some interesting coral and fish.
Dominica
The dominica ‘s volcanic origins are evident all over the island, including underwater. Jets of hot water and bubbles spurt from fissures, lave plugs form underwater pinnacles and ferocious blasts have driven arches through the rim of ancient crater walls. There are approximately 26 dive sites. Some of the many spectacular sites include:
1) Toucari Bay
Excellent for day or night dives, this site boasts a wide variety of sea life, including octopus, moray eels, rays, squid, lobster and puffer fish. Toucari Bay is a honeycomb of tunnels. A couple of tunnels 25-45′ long provide exquisite swim-throughs. The reef then drops to 110′ and is home to large school of mahogany snapper, big crabs and frogfish.
5) The Cabrits
This is, in fact, several dive sites. Cabrits South and West are both beautiful reefs dropping off sharply to a sandy bottom at 155′ and 110′ respectively, and a third site further south drops off to below 185′. These sites often have currents and offer spectacular drift dives over barrel sponges and schools of Creole fish.
Martinique
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Pelee in 1902 gave Martinique 12 ancient wrecks to supplement a coastline of fringing reefs and dramatic offshore rocks. You will need to speak French to get the best out of most dive operators. Of the many sites, be sure to see the following:
Barbados
So With over twenty miles of barrier reefs reaching to within 40-60′ of the surface, as well as 9 frequently dived