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Santa Monica Rock |
Santa Monica Rock
The rock slopes on all sides to a hard bottom. Deep overhangs offer protection
for lobsters, crab and schools of grunts and squirrelfish. This dive site
also benefits from larger pelagic, barracuda, bar jacks, blue runners, horse-eye
jacks and Atlantic spadefish.
Depth Range: 20-70 ft (6-21 m)
Location: .8 mile southwest of Norman Island
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Angel Reef |
Angel Reef
Shallow canyons rising to the surface with nudibranch, blennies, jawfish,
solderfish, angelfish, octopuses, southern stingrays, eagle rays and snake
eels. Sailfin blennies are also spotted in small sandy patches adjacent
to the mooring ball.
Depth Range: 20-65 ft (6-20 m)
Location: Southwest peninsula of Norman Island |
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The Indians |
The Indians
Four cone shaped rocks rise from a depth of 40 ft to about 30 ft above the
surface. Three rocks stand together while the fourth is separated by a channel.
Near the bottom, fish fill the narrow passages, and large sea fans and small
corals dot the walls. The other side (east) is much shallower. Here you
will find small pools filled with silversides in the summer. This site is
considered to be one of the best spots for macro life in the BVI’s.
Depth Range: Surface – 50 ft (15 m)
Location: West of Pelican Island |
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Rainbow Canyon |
Rainbow Canyon
Calm and shallow with large coral heads
rising from a sandy bottom with classic spur and groove coral
formations with canyons and small overhangs. Expect to see hamlets in all
colors, cleaning stations, scorpionfish and large colonies of garden eels.
Depth Range: 25-60 ft (7.6-18 m)
Location: South of Pelican Island |
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Black Forest |
Black Forest
Protected from the weather due to its location – south of Peter Island
this dive begins under the mooring ball in shallow waters. A few feet out
to sea is a steep slope bringing you to a sandy bottom at about 75 ft. Large
black coral trees populate the entire slope, also home to sea fans and a
large variety of corals. You will be visited by Caesar, French and bluestriped
grunts along with trumpetfish and houndfish.
Depth Range: 15-65 ft ( 4.6-20 m)
Location: Southwest of Peter Island |
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Fearless & Willy T
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Fearless & Willy T
The Fearless is a 110ft wooden minesweeper that was scuttled in 1986 and
sits next to a small coral wall on a sandy bottom. Divers are able to
circumnavigate the wreck and peer into dark holes, however penetration is
discouraged as time has taken it toll on her wooden timbers. A short swim
south, divers come to the wreck of the Willy T, the BVI’s original floating
restaurant and bar. The Willy T is a battered 90ft Baltic trader that was
put to her rest in 1995. The consistently less than perfect visibility in
Great Harbour adds to the mysterious, ghostly feel of this dive site. The
coral walls has an abundance of life, including a large amount of Black
Coral.Depth Range: 30-85 ft (9-26 m)
Location: West of Great Harbor Point, Peter Island |
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Painted Walls |
Painted Walls
Three deep canyons carve their way into the island’s south side. The
canyon sides are covered with colorful sponges and soft corals. There’s
a lot to see in a small area. Light plays off the site’s many arches,
cracks and crevices like a Grand Canyon sunset. Keep your eyes open for
octopuses and camouflaged frogfish.
Depth Range: 6-40 ft (1.8 – 12 m)
Location: South of Dead Chest Island
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Blonde Rock |
Blonde Rock
Part of the shallow reef that the Rhone avoided in its scramble for open
sea during a lull in the Hurricane of 1867. Divers can explore a coral ledge
riddled with caves, crevices and narrow holes. Spiny and slipper lobsters
as well as all sorts of crabs and shrimp emerge from hard to reach nooks
and crannies.
Depth Range: 10-65 ft ( 3-20 m)
Location: Salt Island Passage
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RMS Rhone |
RMS Rhone
Wrecked during an unexpected hurricane on October 29th, 1867, the Royal
Mail Steamship Rhone is now the most popular dive site in the British Virgin
Islands and is considered a classic amongst wreck dives. Split into very
distinct sections, the RMS Rhone is best seen over at least two dives where
divers can spend optimal time exploring her many historical features and
abundant marine life. |
The deepest and most in tact
section of the wreck is the bow which rests on its starboard side and is
usually considered “dive one”. Due to its depth the bow has missed out on
much of the harm Mother Nature can cause and it still displays many of the
ship’s original features, like the fore mast and crows nest which are
completely encrusted with a variety of corals and sponges, the bowsprit and
rigging that once hoisted the mast and an open entrance hatch that’s large
enough for a diver to get through. Further towards the break in the hull
divers will see some of the ship’s deck supports which now stand to
attention like majestic Greek columns. Pinned under this part of the wreck
divers will also see one of the ship’s two signal canons and can view the
original davits that used to hold the lifeboats.
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The highlight of the bow section though
has to be the cavernous interior which is open for exploration. Divers are
guided into a gapping black hole by the foremast into the dimly lit hull
where Spiny Caribbean Lobsters, Clinging Crabs and Moray Eels are often
seen. The crystal blue glow of the exit is always visible and an abundance
of marine life is there to welcome you back out into the vast expanse of the
ocean. |
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is considered a multilevel dive profile, gives divers the chance to explore
both the midsection and stern. The Rhone’s midsection reaches down to 70ft
where divers can view more of those majestic looking deck supports. Just by
the deck supports divers should look out for the ships HUGE wrench set which
was either fused to the wreck in the intense heat before the sinking or
later by the growth of coral. Working their way slightly shallower divers
come to an additional area of the midsection where they are able to see more
deck supports surrounded by schooling fish like Horse-Eyed Jacks and
Yellowtail Snapper. This part of the wreck also displays the water pumps
that failed to do their job and a piece of original tile flooring that has
now been occupied by a fairly aggressive Sergeant Major protecting his
purple egg patch. |
| Moving into the shallowest
portion of the wreck, divers are greeted with the rare opportunity of seeing
the guts of the ship. During the 1950’s the British Navy considered the
section a navigational hazard and used explosives to remedy the situation,
which subsequently opened the ship right up exposing the propeller shaft,
gear box and engine for all to see. The aft mast, which until the 1950’s
broke the surface of the water, now lies forlornly alongside the “wreck of
the wreck” of the Rhone, again with the crow nest visible for scrutiny. |
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There are many hand
made and individually numbered portholes visible around the wreck; however
the most popular one lies just by the aft mast and it is considered good
luck to rub the brass rim. The shallowest section of the dive finally brings
divers through the coral encrusted propeller housing and out the other side
to view the magnificent rudder and propeller. Often divers are unclear as to
what they are looking at until they drift away from the wreck slightly so
that they can take in the sheer size of the rudder and propeller.
Due to the RMS Rhone’s exposed location conditions can
vary a great deal, with currents and a drop in visibility occurring on a
regular basis. However, it is a stunning dive and even if you visit it again
and again and again, you’ll always find something new and interesting to
look at.
Bow:
Depth Range: 65-80 ft (20-24 m)
Midsection:
Depth Range: 50-70 ft (15-21 m)
Stern:
Depth Range: 20-50 ft (6-15 m)
Location: West side of Salt Island
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Vanishing Rock |
Vanishing Rock
Located in the middle of a narrow passage, fish are attracted to the site
from nearby Salt and Cooper Island and enjoy the area’s expansive
coral gardens. This rock is visible above the surface in only the calmest
weather.
Depth Range: Surface – 40 ft (12 m)
Location; Mid-channel between Salt and Cooper Islands
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Cistern Point |
Cistern Point
A few small underwater canyons across the rocky bottom, hosting a variety
of fish. When the seas pound the coastline, the surf builds and breaks around
this small peninsula. Divers sometimes encounter reef sharks, usually close
to shore in the breaking surf.
Depth Range: Surface 30 ft ( 9.1 m)
Location: Just south of Manchioneel Bay, Cooper Island
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Inganess Bay |
Inganess Bay
A 150 ft freighter was sunk by the BVI Dive Association as part of an ongoing
artificial reef project. It is the longest and largest of all the scuttled
vessels in the BVI. The wreck lies completely upright on a sandy bottom
with no adjacent reefs. It sits in the middle of the channel that runs between
Salt and Cooper Islands.
Depth Range: 45-80 ft (14-24 m)
Location: Mid-channel between Sale and Cooper Islands
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Beata |
Tugboats Beata, Marie L & Pat
Intentionally scuttled as part of an artificial reef program these three
wrecks make for an awesome dive with divers getting the best of both worlds
due to their close proximity to the coral reef.
Swimming out over the reef, divers come to a “wall”
drop off where the wreck of the Beata can be seen reaching majestically out
of the blue for
all to see. The wreck sits perfectly upright on a sandy bottom
and as you approach the site it can really take your breath away.
Cruising around the wreck, divers will come across a
swim through where a large school of Glassy Sweepers live. They will quickly
move aside to although the diver through, but look back and all you will see
is a bronze wall of these pregnant looking fish. Look out for the porcelain
toilet sitting just inside one of the open doorways. Also check out the
wheel house and have a photo taken off you “driving” the wreck!
Once you have checked out the Beata head south along
the sandy
bottom, about 150ft away are the wrecks of the Marie L & Pat.
However, don’t forget to keep an eye out while you’re swimming across the
sand. Garden Eels live in burrows on the sandy bottom and divers will see
their heads extending from the holes, continuously moving in wave-like
motions to catch plankton. Also, keep a sharp eye out for Southern Stingrays
as they can often be found lying motionless on the sandy bottom. They can
usually be spotted by their long whip-like tail protruding from a mound of
sand that has eyes!
The Marie L is a 75ft inter-island cargo vessel
intentionally sunk in 1990 and the Pat is a 90ft freighter that was scuttled
in 1995, both ships sit upright laying bow to stern with only a few feet
separating them. An abundance of marine life has taken up residence in and
around the two ships, including Angelfish, Sergeant Majors, Groupers and
schooling Grunts, there are also frequent sightings of a fairly large
Barracuda who
seems completely unconcerned with the intrusion caused by
divers. As a special treat divers may get to see two Cobias that are spotted
here on occasion, these are torpedo-shaped fish that can look surprisingly
like small sharks! They are completely unafraid of divers and the horrendous
amount of noise that we generally make, so they will often come very close!
Depth Range: 45-85 ft (14-27 m)
Location: Cooper Island’s southwest point |
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Ginger Steps |
Ginger Steps
One of the area’s deepest coral dives. Crab, shrimp and schools of
fish abound on ledges and overhands and in small crevices, which spill rapidly
to a bottom of powdery white sand. Ginger Steps lies close to the open water,
making it an ideal arena for encounters with larger pelagics. Eagle rays,
southern stingrays and the occasional manta ray make appearances as do reef
sharks and barracuda.
Depth Range: 40-100 ft (12-31 m)
Location: Southwest of Ginger Island
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