British Virgin Islands Scuba Trip Links

British Virgin Islands Pinnacles, tunnels, boulder mazes, overhangs, and a wealth of shipwrecks Water Temp: W-mid70sF, S-mid80sF The BVIs' relative isolation is their blessing and their curse, with a lack of direct jet service keeping visitors to a minimum, while ensuring that you'll be one of only a handful of divers at all the best sites. Most tourists fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico, then catch a turbo-prop to Tortola's Beef Island or Virgin Gorda. You can also fly into St. Thomas, USVI, and hop a plane, or catch a ferry. Connections are available on American Eagle (800-433-7300) and Air Sunshine (800-327-8900, 800-435-8900 or 284-495-8900). You'll definitely want a rental car on Tortola, though you can get by with cabs on Virgin Gorda. Exercise caution on hilly Virgin Gorda, where a normal set of brakes lasts about six months. Don't forget when driving in these British isles that left is right. U.S. and Canadian citizens need at least a birth certificate and photo ID to enter, though a passport is best. American greenbacks are the official currency. Credit cards and traveler's checks are widely accepted, and cash works nicely in the smaller bars and restaurants. Water Conditions: Don't expect excellent visibility, though the BVIs' 50 to 100 feet will beat the hometown quarry any day. Water temps vary just a couple degrees off 80F year-round.

Tortola Blue Water Divers Dive Tortola

Vigin Gorda Dive BVI Limited (800-848-7078) Kilbrides Sunchaser Scuba

Live Aboards Sail Caribbean (800-321-0994) Cuan Law Trimarine (800-648-3393)

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British Virgin Islands Dive Sites

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1) Rocus Depth - 40 feet. Skill Level - Novice. What you'll see - The scattered remains of a 380-foot Greek freighter that ran aground and sank off Anegada Island in 1929, attracting schooling baitfish, black jacks, black durgon and green moray eels. What you might see - Nurse sharks. 2) Chikuzen Depth - 45 to 80 feet. Skill Level - Advanced. What you'll see - The open ocean location of this 246-foot-long refrigerated cargo ship that sank in 1981 is a pelagic rest stop: the intact wreck draws out amberjacks, horse-eye jacks, barracuda and snapper. The wreck lies on its port side and the highest point comes to 45 feet. Penetration is not recommended. What you might see - The occasional jewfish or shark-like cobia. 3) The Invisibles Depth - 15 to 60 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate to advanced. What you'll see - A series of ocean pinnacles good for calm ocean days. Archways and crevices are a veritable theme park for fish. Black durgon, queen triggerfish and angelfish swim around while grouper line up at cleaning stations. What you might see - Schools of horse-eye jacks and the occasional jewfish. 4) Bronco Billy's Depth - 50 feet. Skill Level - Novice. What you'll see - Let the surge carry you through the sponge- and coral-encrusted crevices and archways while you keep your eyes peeled for grunts, spotted drum and yellowtail morays hiding in the crevices. What you might see - Big dog snapper. 5) Alice in Wonderland Depth - 40 to 80 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate. What you'll see - Wait for calm days to dive these mushroom-shaped patches of star corals off Ginger Island which rise 12 to 15 feet off the sand bottom. Look also for African pompano, grouper and rays. What you might see - The occasional reef shark or jewfish. 6) Vanishing Rocks Depth - 15 to 45 feet. Skill Level - Novice. What you'll see - Strong currents sweep the healthy shallow reef that's famous for an abundance of sea fans, sponges and soft corals. A remarkable quantity of fish life hides in a series of coral ledges, and a patch of pillar corals is home to thick schools of sergeant majors. What you might see - An occasional sleeping nurse shark. 7) Blonde Rock Depth - 60 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate. What you'll see - This 300-foot-wide pinnacle gets its name from the thick coating of yellowish fire coral that covers the rocky outcropping. Bring a light to explore these crevices which are home to glasseye snapper, angelfish, scrawled filefish and grunts. What you might see - Large crabs beneath ledges and hunkered down in crevices. 8) The Indians Depth - 15 to 50 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate. What you'll see - West of Pelican Island, these four jagged pinnacles are one of the British Virgin Islands' most popular dive sites. The fringing reef is a garden of elkhorn, staghorn and fire corals planted among mini-pinnacles, coral canyons and undercut ledges. What you might see - Predatory jacks, tarpon and barracuda dining in the fishbowl. 9) Angelfish Reef Depth - 10 to 90 feet. Skill Level - Novice to advanced. What you'll see - Located off the southwestern tip of Norman Island, this fishhook-shaped coral ridge drops from 10 to 90 feet, topped with waving gorgonians and elkhorn coral. Look for spotted drum, yellow-fin majorras and angelfish. What you might see - Amberjack and schooling horse-eye jacks. 10) Carrot Shoal Depth - 60 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate to advanced. What you'll see - A 200-foot-long ridge with mini-caves and ledges dripping with fire coral, snapper, schoolmasters, Spanish grunts, lobster and moray eels. Due to currents, this site is best left to experienced divers. What you might see - Uncommon longsnout butterflyfish. 11) RMS Rhone Depth - 80 feet. Skill Level - Intermediate. What you'll see - The steel remains of this historic sailing steamer that sank in an 1867 hurricane are so heavily encrusted that the wreck has become integrated with the surrounding reef. You can still spot massive tools, machinery and the occasional porthole and swim through the stern's massive propeller. What you might see - A jewfish, if you're lucky.