Three-Day Diving Itinerary
There are many great dive tour operators, guides and dive shops in the BVI. With over sixty dive sites in the BVI, no matter what your level of expertise, you can plan the diving vacation of your dreams. Here are suggestions for things you don’t want to miss when diving in the BVI.
And of course, check with your guide to make sure your skill levels are a match for the site.
Day One
Head out to Norman Island and make Angelfish Reef your first stop.
This mixture of reef and sand creates narrow canyons where an abundance of fish including yellow head jaw fish, sailfin blennies, angelfish and sea horses can be found. Rays and the occasional turtle can also be spotted.
Also off Norman Island, try Brown Pants. There are rocky underwater canyons, with an open cave in one. Barracuda, turtles and rays can be seen here, along with queen angels and white spotted tilefish.
The Black Forest, a mini reef wall off Peter Island, is named for the endangered black coral found there, and a variety of fish including the long snout butterfly fish, creole wrasses and blue tangs.
Carvel Rock is your last site of Day One. It’s off Cooper Island and it’s made up of huge boulders. Green morays and lobster hide in the nooks and crannies, while redlip blennies sit on top of rocks covered with fire coral and sponges. Barracuda and kingfish can be seen in the blue water, while white spotted file fish, queen trigger fish and durgeon flit among the rocks. (Strong currents and large swells often restrict diving, so check with your guide.)
Day Two
The Wreck of the Rhone is the “Big Cahuna” of diving sites in the BVI. The wreck is a Royal Mail Steamer, which sunk during the hurricane of 1867 with 125 persons on board. At 310 feet long and 40 feet wide, the wreck of the RMS Rhone lies in two main parts in waters between 30 and 90 feet deep. Much of it is still intact and visible, including decking, parts of the rigging, the steam engine, and propeller.
The Marine Park stretches from Lee Bay on Salt Island westward to include Dead Chest Island. The ship's anchor broke away outside Great Harbour, Peter Island, and this site forms the second portion of the Park. The park is used by several commercial dive operators daily. Other dive sites in the park include Rhone Reef, Blonde Rock, and Painted Walls.
Another really unique dive site in the area is Alice’s Wonderland, off Ginger Island. It is a colorful coral garden with large heads of pillar and star coral with waving purple and green sea fans and soft gorgonians. All five types of butterfly fish can be found including the shy long snout butterfly fish. Large grouper rays, jewfish, African pompano and even reef sharks are also found here on occasion.
Day Three
Take the 7:00 ferry out to Anegada for some classic snorkeling and to dive to the Wreck of the Parmatta. The Parmatta, which ran aground on her maiden voyage in 1853, offers opportunities to see butterfly fish, turtles and huge grouper.
While you’re on Anegada, don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy sea creatures in a different way – the island is famous for it’s locally caught lobsters, that they cook in oil drums. Pass the drawn butter!
Head South after lunch to the The Dogs. The Chimney, off Great Dog, was named for two boulders forming a narrow slot. This slot has a lot of color from sponges and is home to small shrimp, spotted rock lobster, and many anemones. There are ridges and dips with yellow tail damsels, sergeant majors, parrot fish and the occasional scorpion fish.
Wall to Wall off West Dog is a veritable room formed of coral and rock recesses rising from a sandy floor. Marine life is abundant in the form of porkfish, blue striped grunts, big eyes, squirrel fish and angel fish. Octopus, as well as nurse sharks might be found sleeping in a crevice.
