The top ten dive sites in the Caribbean The top ten Caribbean dives possess some of the most optimal scuba diving conditions in the World: visibilitys of greater than 100 feet and average in the water temperatures of 83 degrees. Sting Ray City, Grand Cayman Island-- domesticated feedings of friendly stingrays in sheltered bay. You can hand feed the rays, as they vacuum food up from your hands. The Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize-- famous for its Great Blue Hole at 1,000 feet, you will see stalactites hanging from the indented caverns along the wall. Half Moon Caye Wall, Lighthouse Reef, Belize-- The reef and wall configuration is dressed with corals and sponges of every color. Good blend of small tropicals and some larger pelagics such as eagle rays, sea turtles, and groupers. Angel Reef, Vieques, Puerto Rico - If you are looking for wilderness diving, this rarely dived site truly fits the bill. It is a shallow dive, at 40 to 60 feet, in a spur-and-groove reef, with corals in near-pristine condition. Have your dive guide show you the old Spanish anchors wedged into the reef and watch for groups of gray angelfish. Walkers Cay, Nassua Bahamas-- domesticated feeding of reef sharks. Organized dive whereby group kneels on sandy bottom while dive-master wearing protections chums Caribbean reef shark. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Caymen-- clear visibility and great sunlight filtering combine for photographers delight. Wall starting at 18 feet with coral and sponges of all types, colors, and sizes. Plenty of smaller reef fish: horse-eye jacks, triggerfhfish and small tropicals, and larger grouper. RMS Rhone wreck, British Virgin Islands-- The wreck of the Royal Mail Steamer R.M.S.Rhone, is lying in The British Virgin Islands. It sank in a hurricane 1867. Today, the wreck is one of the most famous wreck and divesites in the Carribean and is declared as Underwater national park. Salt Pier or Carls Hill Annex, Bonaire-- both a photographers haven for sponges and corals, and many small creatures such as seahorses and frogfish. Famous for its shore diving, walk-in right off beach to reefs of coral and immediate drop-offs. Because of the concentration of small tropical reef fish, just about anywhere in Bonaire you will feel like you are in an aquarium. Green Outhouse Wall, Roatan- Honduras-- canyon with lots of brain coral, sea fans and gorgonians. Plenty of angel fish, big scrawled filefish, schools of tangs, durgeons, barracuda and stingrays cruising throughout your dive. A good blend of colorful sponge and coral, small to midsize tropical fish. Occasionally a sea turtle or spotted eagle ray appears in the vicinity. Columbus Passage, Grand Turk or Salt Cay, Turks & Caicos-- Dramatic walls mark the interface between the islands shallow reefs and the abyssal depths of the Columbus Passage. Great year round diving for corals, sponges, small tropical’s, and larger pelagics. Most famous as the primary migratory path of humpback whales going to Dominican breeding grounds during winter months. The Duane, Key Largo, Florida--The Duane is a 327 foot Coast Guard cutter intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in 1987. The wreck sits in 120 feet of water and there is usually a current prevalent. The ships railings are encrusted with bright red and orange corals and sponges. Schools of barracudas and grunts abound. French Cay, Tursk & Caicos - Small inhabited reef island with 6000 foot vertical wall drop-offs all around. Dramatic combination of reef and wall diving, with many reverse angle undercuts in the wall. Eagle rays by the pod, sometimes in groups of 4 to 5. Schools of friendly reef shark plus sea turtles, nurse shark, moray eel. Occasional manta, hammerhead and humpback whales in winter. Santa Rosa Wall, Cozumel-- Sponge covered coral heads, gorgonians, azure vase sponges, orange elephant ear sponges. Some swim-throughs in the coral formations. Occasionally you may come face to face with a 20 to 30 pound grouper. Most dives are drift dives. Victory Reef, South Bimini, Bahamas-- Between encounters with giant loggerhead turtles and coral-laced canyons, this is a remarkable dive site. Youll have an opportunity to swim with Caribbean reef sharks and even big game fish that come into the area with the nearby Gulf Stream. Cow and Calf Rocks, U.S. Virgin Islands-- One of the most popular shallow dives, you can swim through amazing natural arches and ledges that are attached to the reef. The reef is rocky and some ledges might contain a sleeping nurse shark or two.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 22:18:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015