Scuba Diving & Snorkeling in the British Virgin Islands
When it comes to taking a relaxing vacation, the Virgin Islands are hard to beat with its stunning beaches and great scenery. For those who are looking for more ocean-bound excitement and adventure the BVI and USVI is a hotbed for water sports. From its famous sailing waters to a plethora of great snorkeling and diving locations such as wrecks, corals, rock pinnacles, formations and seamounts, if you want to hit the water in your vacation then you will be spoilt for choice.
One of the benefits of traveling to the BVI is that it offers great weather almost all year round. Generally speaking the best time to visit the Virgin Islands is December to April, although April to June is also a popular time to visit. You can travel later on in the year for some winter sun and still get a good level of heat and sunshine, but from September onwards you are entering the rainy season and also hurricane season so the weather is less predictable. For those who are interested in water sports such as sailing and diving then this can be a factor to consider since if the weather is really bad you will be stuck in your vacation accommodation which while comfortable and enjoyable will not be quite the trip you had in mind.
In this guide we’ll discuss some of the best diving sites that you can find in the BVI. This is only just the beginning - there are dozens of places to dive around the Virgin Islands. For those who are interested in taking an extended break in the Caribbean then there is plenty to keep you entertained, and to provide you with many great diving experiences.
Diving the RMS Rhone
If you’re interested in shipwreck diving, then the RMS Rhone might be the site you’re looking for. It’s a very popular dive site in the BVI.
Historically, was a UK Royal Mail Ship that was owned by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. The ship sank in a hurricane in 1867 and led to the deaths of 123 people. The wreck itself can be found off the coast of Salt Island.
The wreck's maximum depth is at 85 feet of water and as a dive site it is suitable for beginners due to the relative openness of the site. There is a lot to see at this site and you can even rub the lucky porthole for good luck. Sadly, the once famed goliath grouper fish that once lived at the site is no more after being killed.
Want another wreck to dive but in the USVI? Check out the wreck of the Cartanza Senora located in Shipwreck Cove off of St Thomas - located in about 40 feet of water. Before this wreck was broken up and moved by a hurricane it was a dive for advanced divers, but now it is suitable for intermediate divers.
Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland is also known as Alice’s Wonderland is a dive site that is just off Ginger Island and depending on the individual is often classed as a beginner or intermediate diving location. With this in mind if you fancy diving at this site that has relatively shallow depths and light currents, then it is best to discuss it with your divemaster who can evaluate the conditions and your experience.
At this dive site you will see a range of different coral formations, such as star corals and brain corals and it is not uncommon to see a range of sea creatures such as eagle rays, barracuda, snappers, pufferfish and parrotfish. You might even see a reef shark in this location.
Wreck of the Chikuzen
This is a wreck of a large 246-foot refrigeration vessel that 12 miles north west of Virgin Gorda located between Tortola and Anegada. It’s located in open waters with a maximum depth of 75ft and is in relatively good condition making it an interesting and exciting dive site. Diving this site is dependent on weather conditions and it is often classified as intermediate to advanced dive.
As with most of the sites around the BVI you get to see some great corals and sponges and amazing sea creatures - from a wide range of fish species to sharks.
Wreck Alley (Cooper Island)
If you like to dive wrecks, the Wreck Alley offers some great diving locations from the wreck of the Island Seal which was a small cargo ship that sank in 2006 but was moved to its current location to make an excellent diving spot (and reef).
You can see a few other wrecks in this area, as you might expect given the name of the location, and these include the Marie L, the Pat and the Beata. The location has a sandy bottom which is a great habitat for moray eels and other creatures such as stingray. This dive is classified as advanced.
The Chimney (Dog Islands)
With moderate swell and generally low currents at a depth of up to 40ft, The Chimney is a dive site that is best suited to intermediate to advanced level divers. It’s located north west of Great Dog - and is about a 15 minute boat ride from Spanish Town.
Close to another dive site called the Fish Bowl that is so named for the number of fish that congregate in the area, here you’ll see canyons and ridges. This is a popular dive site and gets its name from a rocky formation that form a gap that people say looks like a chimney. If you visit this dive location then you can make your own assessment as to whether the name given is appropriate or not.
Kodiak Queen & Kraken
The Kodiak Queen Navy fuel barge that was one of the only ships to survive the Pearl Harbor. It was left abandoned to rust in the Virgin Islands before someone decided to turn the ship into a dive site and art installation combined. Not only can you see the sunken ship but also a giant kraken model, which makes this a very interesting dive site. The site is located in a bay just outside of Virgin Gorda - and even snorkelers can get in on the action at this site and catch a glimpse of the ship and kraken.
Painted Walls (Deadman’s Bay)
This dive site is located at Deadman’s Chest (Dead Chest Island). The maximum depth here is around forty-five feet and it is classed as an intermediate level dive. Here you’ll find vertical walls and parallel passages, gulley and an archway.
This site has moderate swell so you will need to keep an eye on conditions to dive it safely. You should only dive this site if the conditions are good.
Aside from the rock formations you are likely to see a range of fish and sea creatures. The name of the dive site comes from all the colorful sponges that are found in this location.
Ginger Steps (Ginger Island)
Named after the Island it is located at the Ginger Steps is a dive site that as the name suggests is a series of ledges (or three stop wall) with sandy drop offs that go down to around 100ft.
You’ll get good visibility and since the site boasts plenty of crevices and rocks for fish to hide you can see a wide range of fish species, along with sea fans and sponges.
This is a popular and great reef dive with moderate swell and is best suited to intermediate divers.
Scrub Island
For those who want to dive around Scrub Island there are plenty of dive sites to be found here with a wide range of difficulty levels from beginner to the advanced diver.
For all diving levels and even snorkelers one of the best sites is Diamond Reef at Great Camanoe - where you can see a small wall. Great for fish and sea life. You can look for the diamond ring that was once lost here though many have tried and presumably failed to find it.
The Dip N Scrub is another popular dive site that features a wall that starts around 25ft and goes down to around 60ft. Great for pillar coral and sea life. Best suited to intermediate divers.
There are plenty of other dives to be found in this area. For more check out Shark Point, Lee Bay, Monkey Point and Great Central Station - to name a few.
Coral Gardens (Great Dog)
Coral Gardens is also an airplane wreck site. However, the plane did not crash here, but instead the Atlantic Air BVI's Shorts 360 airplane actually crash-landed in another location, was salvaged and ended up being placed in this location as a part of the artificial reef program that occurs in the islands. This not only helps the sea life but also makes for a great diving spot.
As the name suggests this diving location is also great to see coral and where there is coral normally you will also find sea creatures. The dive is between 20 and 50 feet - and you can swim through the wreck. One of the good things about this site is that it is also suitable for beginner and novice level divers.
The Indians
This dive site is located north of The Bight at Norman Island - and is an extremely popular dive site. The site itself consists of rocky pinnacles that come up out of the water - it is a shallow dive site that goes down to around 50 feet where you can get a great view of the rocks from the sandy bottom. With low swells and low currents.
You can find plenty of sea life and corals and you will also find a cave and tunnels that you can check out. It has plenty to see and offers great diving but can get a little on the busy side. So this dive is one to plan in advance so you can get there when there are less people around so that you can enjoy the experience more.
Blonde Rock
This diving site is an underwater pinnacle that you can find located between Dead Chest Island and Salt Island. You’ll see big and small rock overhangs here - that are home to lots of different sea creatures.
When it comes to wildlife you will likely find moray eels and lobster living in this area. There is a chance to see turtles here too!
This dive sites goes down to about 54 feet and is considered an advanced dive.
Angel Fish Reef
If you want to check out this dive site then you will find it is located southwest of Norman Island. Think canyons, ridges, gorgonians, and white sands. This is a great location if you want something scenic as it is considered a very beautiful location. Along with the great looking landscape you will see a lot of wildlife in this site. This site goes down to about 45 feet and is suitable for novice divers as well.
You might come across nurse sharks and even larger sharks here. Turtles, crabs and large lobsters and eels might also be found. Not to mention the plethora of fish and tiny critters that live in the rock crevasses.
Diving Charters in the BVI
For those who are looking to go diving - one of the major factors that needs to be addressed is how do you get to the dive sites in the first place? The good news is that since diving as an excursion is so popular many companies offer dedicated diving charters to the best dive sites in the Islands. Getting a boat or yacht charter is fairly straight forward but often most companies offer a pre-planned excursion. However, Chillout Charters offers custom charters, so if you have something specific in mind you can also contact us to create your very own custom charter in the Virgin Islands.
Chillout Charters can provide a range of different charters including half day and full day charters. These are perfect for days when you’re not diving - and these also include snorkeling trips.
Some of the snorkeling locations that we cover on our day trip can typically include Diamond Reef at Great Camanoe, Cistern Point at Cooper Island, Little Harbour at Peter Island, along with The Indians or The Caves at Norman Island.
This trip is great if you want to see some of the marine life in the BVI’s crystalline waters and you are not qualified to dive. Expect to see beautiful coral formations, gorgonians, sea fans, sponges, lobsters and schools of tropical fish. It is also possible to see giant sea turtles in the BVI - so if this is something you are interested in, then talk to Chillout Charters to get an idea of the best place to see them.
There is much more sea life to be seen in the BVI when you swim through the waters and around the coral reefs. Other wildlife you might see when diving in the BVI that we haven’t already mentioned can include tarpon, , brown garden eels, horse eye jacks, pelagic fish and nurse sharks.
Some of the other popular dive sites in the BVI that you might be interested in seeing are the Twin Towers, The Playground, Mountain Point (at Virgin Gorda) The Visibles and Vanishing Rocks (to see some great pillar coral and overhangs) to name but a few out of the dozens of great diving locations around the islands.
How to get around the BVI
Often when people first visit the Virgin Islands, whether that is the BVI or the USVI, often they are led to believe that it is impractical to visit the other islands in the region. This is not the case and water taxi services between the islands and even between the USVI and the BVI is commonplace and convenient.
If you need a water taxi around the Virgin Islands, Chillout Charters can easily transfer you and your party around the different islands in the BVI And USVI. In fact - we can even take care of the administration when transferring between the two territories making your trip smoother and hassle free. Learn more about our water taxi service.