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I've got the cave dives set up for the coz trip
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2008 World Dive Guide
May 23, 2008
From the May, 2008 issue of Scuba Diving Magazine. An insider's look at 27 must-see destinations.
Bahamas
With all these options, you'll need to make some choices. The first is whether to follow the crowds to the major tourist islands--New Providence and Grand Bahama--or search for a quieter ideal in the more remote Out Islands. Here's an overview of what to expect on the best-loved dive islands. New Providence: From its southwest corner, you're only a short boat ride away from dramatic wall dives on the 6,000-foot-deep Tongue of the Ocean. There are also shallow reefs and a host of wreck dives, but the hottest ticket going is shark diving, says Cove. At sites like Shark Wall/Shark Arena, expect to see as many as 40 Caribbean reef sharks on a single tank. Grand Bahama: The island is commonly known by the name of its major city, Freeport. But no matter what you call it, don't miss its shallow- to medium-depth reefs, several excellent wrecks and--on specially guided tours--freshwater caverns like Ben's Cave in the Lucayan National Park. The Abacos: This horseshoe-shaped group of islands offers several popular dive ports, including Marsh Harbour and Green Turtle Cay. Shallow, sunlit coral gardens make the area popular with new divers, while history buffs enjoy exploring the remains of the San Jacinto, the first steamship ever built in the U.S.
Bimini: Just 55 miles east of downtown Miami, Bimini sits on the edge of the Gulf Stream, so anything can happen underwater--and usually does. Come for the active shallow reefs and deep drop-offs, stay for the thrill of snorkeling with wild pods of spotted dolphins. Cat Island: Remote shallow reefs and wall diving that have barely been touched await divers on this island in the central Bahamas. Eleuthera and Harbour Island: You'll find wrecks, reefs and inland blue holes, but the signature dive is the Current Cut--at 8 to 12 knots, it's the fastest drift dive in the Caribbean. The Exumas: A popular live-aboard destination, this long string of islands is fronted by shallow reefs and ocean blue holes. Long Island: Here you'll find a little bit of everything: shark diving, reefs, wrecks and day trips to the deep walls of Rum Cay and Conception Island. San Salvador: This island offers amazing sheer vertical walls, peak visibility and a better-than-average chance of encounters with big pelagics.
Bay IslandsFrom the massive whale sharks of Utila to the huge crack in the reef at Mary's Place on Roatan; from Guanaja's Jado Trader to the Caribbean reef sharks of Cara a Cara Point, Honduras's Bay Islands have long been noted for the great variety of dive experiences they offer. They've got wrecks, walls, reefs and animal encounters. If you're looking for something special, you don't have to look any farther than the Bay Islands.The vast majority of reefline around Roatan lies close offshore and follows the contours of the island's coastline. Cara a Cara Point, however, juts out at a right angle from the south shore. Thanks to its proximity to deep water, the point is a favorite hangout of Caribbean reef sharks. The 300-foot Odyssey was sunk in 2002 off Roatan's north shore. The top of the bow is at 70 feet and the stern is resting on the sand at 110 feet. You can explore the intact stairwells of the stern accommodation quarters, where you'll find barracuda, jacks and parrotfish. Gold Chain Reef on Roatan's south coast "is covered in staghorn coral and is filled with colorful tropical fish," says Patty Grier of Dockside Dive Center. "From there, you can get to my little secret spot. If you head west from the mooring at this site--a 20-minute swim--the wall begins to curve to the south and you'll find several reverse ledges and narrow crevices. Usually, these are filled with silversides." Mary's Place, one of the most popular dive sites on Roatan, is "a spectacular cut in the wall as wide as 12 feet in places," says Patrick Zingg, of Subway Watersports. At some points during the day, sunlight streams into the crevice, illuminating the colors of the reef; at other times, low light creates an eerie mood. Off the southern shore of Utila, an underwater mountain rises from the seafloor, stopping just 35 feet short of breaking the surface and becoming an island. "The Black Hills seamounts feature lots of fish, turtles and a beautiful reef," says Billy Hale, of Utila Lodge. Drop down deep over the side of the seamount at Black Hills to start your dive and then work your way around and back toward the top. "My secret spot," says Hale, "is Airport Caves, two caves that everyone thinks are blind caves, but they're not. You swim in and when you get to the sandbar, you can swim up and over into the back of the cave, follow it around and come out a different opening." Deep Blue's Steve Fox also recommends Duppy Waters, on the eastern edge of Turtle Harbour, "a site that has enormous barrel sponges and a beautiful reef to explore." Utila is still at the top of the list of Caribbean whale shark hot spots. The biggest fish in the sea congregate around the banks north of the island and may be encountered year-round, though the sightings occur most dependably March through May, and August through October.
Belize
Bermuda
"We're the wreck capital of the Atlantic," says Kevin Luton, of Dive Bermuda. "It would take forever to dive them all." The folks at Triangle Diving suggest the King George, a 171-foot dredger scuttled in the 1930s, fully intact at 60 feet and teeming with fish life and a stunning array of soft corals. Luton suggests the Hermes, another wreck that was purposely sunk, and is the island's most popular dive. She's resting at 80 feet and great visibility there gives divers the chance to explore her from engines and deck winch to propeller and pilothouse. Civil War buffs flock to the Marie Celeste, a paddlewheel steamer the Confederate Navy converted into a blockade-runner and the Pelinaion is a 385-foot beast of a cargo vessel with enormous, intact parts of her anatomy. And though Bermuda isn't known for its reefs, it still boasts nearly 300 square miles of them, where you can find indigenous black groupers, tarpon from September through March and even an "undertaker"--an invertebrate better known as the black sea hare. Cathedral features a great swim-through cave with thousands of glassy sweepers, while Hangover Hole has tunnels, arches and tons of animal life. Luton says cave diving in Bermuda's inland is also catching on. Bermuda's dive season parallels the U.S. East Coast's. Topside, renting a motorbike or buying a bus pass is a great way to visit small towns, historic forts and golf courses.
BonaireQuaint, colorful Dutch architecture, friendly people and easy, 24-hour shore diving all combine to make Bonaire one of those rare destinations that nitrogen junkies return to year after year. In the time it takes to say bon bini--the local term for welcome--you'll fall in love with this charmer, which is, with Curaçao and Aruba, one of the trio of Netherlands Antilles islands just north of Venezuela.Make just one dive underwater and you'll know why the island is a favorite among divers. The majority of Bonaire's pristine reefs, protected as a marine park for more than 30 years, are accessible from shore. The leeward side is the calmest, though the sites farther north or south of the capital city of Kralendijk are more challenging. Typically, Bonaire's small beaches continue under water in sandy plains dotted with a few corals that slope down to 30 feet. The reef drops off gradually to another sandy plain at about 140 feet. Dive resorts make tanks available 24 hours a day for shore diving among the island's 60-plus dive sites. Get a rental truck, fill it with tanks and dive gear and pick one. If you prefer, most sites can be accessed by boat, and dive operators also offer daily two-tank dives at Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited island off Kralendijk that boasts nearly two dozen sites of its own. Some of the best dives on Bonaire require neither a boat nor a car--they're found right off the dock of your waterfront dive resort. If you're a guest, you can suit up and wade in any time the mood strikes. At Plaza Resort, drop down on 18th Palm to find small terraces of scattered coral heads, tube sponges and elephant ear sponges. Bari Reef, off Sand Dollar Resort, is a gently sloping terrace renowned for its prolific fish life. La Machaca, the house reef at Capt. Don's Habitat, is named after the small fishing boat that rests in 40 feet of water. Buddy Dive Resort's house reef features a slope that starts in about 30 feet of water and drops off to a sand bottom at 100. Divi Flamingo's Calabas Reef has a small boat to explore at about 70 feet. Just off Harbour Resort's beach, the Our Confidence is a wooden-hulled freighter that's home to turtles and eels. Bonus: A line leads from the wreck to an adjacent reef called Something Special, one of Bonaire's best sites, according to marine biologist Anna DeLoach of Reef Environmental Education Foundation. "We have never been disappointed at this site," DeLoach says. "It offers plenty of fish life on a shallow sand and rubble shelf that slopes down to 100 feet." Public access is about 200 feet south of the resort. The sites just south of Kralendijk include the island's biggest wreck, the Hilma Hooker, a 236-foot-long freighter lying on its side in 100 feet of water. The underside is coated with orange cup corals and tube sponges. Angel City, a double reef system, is between the Hooker and another site, Alice in Wonderland. Angel City gets its name from the ubiquitous angelfish found here, but there's plenty more to see. North of Kralendijk you'll experience Bonaire's wild northwestern coast. Here's where you'll find the famed site 1,000 Steps. This dive begins from a pretty, sheltered cove. The shallow shelf is covered with corals and is alive with fish. You'll spot blue tangs, snappers and goatfish in large numbers. Recently, experienced divers have been heading to sites off Bonaire's east coast, like White Hole and Cai, where tarpon and rays hang out. "East side diving--when the weather is right--offers an adventure and something different from the west coast," says Mieke Hermans, of Wannadive Bonaire. Conservation-minded Bonaire is also becoming known for other adventure activities. "One of the most common misperceptions about the island is that there's nothing else to do but dive," says Hermans. "But that's wrong--there is also a big surfing and windsurfing culture, plus rock climbing, kayaking and mountain biking. It's not only about the diving."
British Virgin Islands
Tortola is home to more dive operations than any other island in the chain, but the majority of established dive sites are across the Sir Francis Drake Channel, around the largely unpopulated islands of Peter, Norman, Cooper, Salt, Ginger and Dead Chest. Divers staying on Virgin Gorda have easy access to sites surrounding the nearby Dog Islands, marked by intriguing formations including arches and canyons. Virgin Gorda is also home to the Baths, a scattering of colossal granite boulders that form quiet grottoes and pools. Bring a snorkel and fins to swim with a colorful array of reef fish on the ocean side of the rocks. Jost van Dyke is a small getaway northwest of Tortola. "Mercurious Rock and No Man's Land are our two most popular dive sites," says Capt. Colin Aldridge, of Jost Van Dyke Scuba. "Mercurious Rock is an offshore cave system that can only be done in good conditions. No Man's Land is a series of offshore pinnacles west of the island. Sharks are commonplace." Off Salt Island, the bow of the HMS Rhone lies on its starboard side in 75 feet of water and offers penetration into its cavernous interior. The shallower stern section features the 70-foot propeller shaft and a rich assortment of marine life, including schooling grunts and snappers, barracuda, morays, octopuses and lobsters. Large schools of fish and big pelagics seem to prefer the wreck of the Chikuzen, north of Tortola. This site is remote and subject to unfavorable ocean conditions. If you have a dive operator willing to make the run out, go. One of the best seamounts is Blonde Rock, which rises in two pinnacles from 60 feet to within 15 feet of the surface between Salt and Dead Chest islands. The rock itself is heavily honeycombed, with ledges and overhangs sheltering blackbar soldierfish, glasseye snappers and fairy basslets.
Cayman Islands
The Grand Canyonesque topography that defines the 150 sites off Grand Cayman--whether on the North Shore, West End or East End--is a showcase of precipitous walls, towering canyons and reefs laced with swim-throughs. A new shore diving site that was recently opened to divers in West Bay is Lighthouse Point, "remarkable for its sponge growth, pinnacles, swim-throughs and caves," says Divetech's Nancy Easterbrook. "It has two options--a shallow mini wall just minutes from the beach or a deep wall about 10 minutes from shore." The most popular area to dive on Grand Cayman is off Seven Mile Beach on the island's West End. Many of the sites here--Orange Canyon, Trinity Caves, Eagle Ray Rock and Aquarium--start in just 50 or 60 feet of calm blue water. The West Bay site Trinity Caves is a striking system of narrow passageways and small canyons that run perpendicular to shore and lead you out to the wall. North Shore diving is characterized by the shallow sites found in North Sound and the steep drop-offs along North Wall. Stingray City, Grand Cayman's world-famous animal encounter, is in only 12 feet of water in North Sound. Nearby is Sandbar, popular with snorkelers seeking a stingray encounter. Grand Cayman's East End "offers a slower pace above and below," says Lesley Agostinelli of Ocean Frontiers. Sites here, like Snapper Hole and Babylon, are clustered on the southeast and northeast corners. Babylon features a stunning pinnacle and wall. "Snapper Hole is a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns filled with snappers, tarpon and silversides," she says, "but it also features an 1872 Spanish anchor and a rare formation of pillar coral." This is an island where "you say 'hi' to everyone," says Marc Pothier of Paradise Villas. "Nothing really changes around here and people love that." Little Cayman, the smallest of the three Cayman Islands, boasts Bloody Bay Wall, a site on its North Shore, which is lavishly decorated with sea fans and coral formations. "This site is so popular because it starts in as little as 12 feet of water and drops straight to 6,000," Pothier notes. The intersection of Bloody Bay Wall with Jackson Bight is known as Mixing Bowl, another favorite among divers. Tranquil Cayman Brac boasts two shores of top-notch wall diving "with about 40 sites surrounding the entire island," says Charley Oxley, of Reef Divers at Brac Reef Beach Resort. Off the north shore, the MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts, the fabled 330-foot Russian warship, "affords divers the chance to see the interior of a wreck because there are a number of swim-through passages," Oxley says. "It's such a great dive because it begins in only 20 feet of water, and it's visited by turtles, eagle rays, green moray eels, scorpionfish and much more." Strawberry Sponge Wall, on the island's north side, sports a number of sponges on the drop-off, but it's the strawberry vase sponges that give the site its name. On the island's south side, Anchor Wall was named for the 10-foot anchor that is wedged between a coral chimney and a mini wall.
CozumelWhether you're novice or advanced, first-timer or old-timer, Cozumel has diving that fits your style. Cozumel's current-swept reef starts just off the island's southern leeward shore: mild current and shallow nearshore coral gardens for novice divers, swifter current and coral pinnacles near the drop-off for intermediate divers and vertical walls in deep water subject to unpredictable currents for advanced divers.Delilah (sometimes spelled Delila or Dalila) is an example of the island's nearshore coral garden offerings. Washed by a gentle current and with a low profile, Delilah has coral patches, lots of angelfish, colorful sponges and a variety of crustaceans that your divemaster will try to find. The strong south-to-north current at Tormentos Reef makes this site the fastest drift diving on the island. You'll be jetted over large coral heads (about 10 feet tall) topped with whip corals and sea fans. You can shelter behind these formations to see all the grunts, whitespotted filefish and schools of creole wrasse. Santa Rosa Wall "is a must-dive site," says Bill Horn, of Aqua Safari. The show takes place above bottomless blue depths, drifting alongside spectacular sheer cliffs. The current has carved out caves, grottoes and tunnels, where you'll find sponges, including elephant ears. Another don't-miss reef is Palancar, says Horn. "It's huge and gorgeous, making it very popular." The first trip through Devil's Throat, the central tunnel through Punta Sur Reef, is a rite of passage for all Cozumel divers. The sand channels lead to coral tunnels, which lead to the channel's deep water. Maracaibo Deep is far from home if you're staying near San Miguel--a day's trip--so find an operator with a fast boat. The offshore wall lip is at least 90 feet, so mind your computer. Most divers come here to find sharks, but they might not come to the party at the same time as you. Barracuda Reef is the stuff of legend. If you can handle mighty currents, the site delivers on the promise of its name: plenty of barracuda. Cozumel's east side offers shallower diving on "micro atolls," elkhorn coral gardens and swim-throughs, all in 50 feet or less. But what really makes this side unique is the 15 cannons, two anchors and countless cannonballs exposed since Hurricane Wilma tore through the island in 2005. Don't miss a Sunday afternoon hanging out with the locals at San Miguel's square.
CuraçaoDivers could easily check off many boxes on their wish lists with a single trip here. Calm conditions? Check. Good visibility? Check. Healthy reefs? Check. Macro life? Check. Unlimited shore diving? Well, let's just put it this way: The entire island is a shore diver's dream. Because Curaçao--part of the "ABC" islands of the Netherlands Antilles--is surrounded by a fringing reef created by geological events long ago, dozens of dive sites are within steps of the road. Plenty of major rental car agencies at Hato International Airport and near the cruise ship terminal in Willemstad stand ready for you to pick up your ride and then drive and dive.Some of the standout shore dive sites include Playa Lagun, Playa Kalki (Alice in Wonderland) and Cas Abao, where only a minimal parking fee is required. Dive operators like Easy Divers at Habitat Curaçao and Sunset Waters run the attractive house reefs at those resorts. While you must rent tanks from them, you don't have to be a guest to dive those reefs. If you prefer the boat diving experience, there are a myriad of sites all within easy reach of resorts. Watamula, with its mushroom-shaped coral heads and Porto Mari, a double-reef system (which can be dived from both the shore and from a boat), are treasure troves of small life such as yellow seahorses and Pederson cleaner shrimp. Classic can't-miss dives include Mushroom Forest and the Superior Producer wreck. A newly en vogue site called Seldom is so named, says Anne-Marie Vermeer, of Easy Divers at Habitat Curaçao, because it's rarely visited. Boats can't moor there due to the proximity of the drop-off to the nearby cliff, creating a drift dive over untouched corals on a vertical wall. It's definitely a necessity to have a car while on Curaçao--not just for the shore diving, but for covering all parts of the island to soak in the unique mixture of Caribbean, African and European influences. Towering Mt. Christoffel invites divers to challenge themselves to hike to its summit for incredible views, while culturally cosmopolitan Willemstad offers history at Museum Kura Hulanda and gaming at casinos. "Why should divers return?" Vermeer rhetorically asks. "The easiness of the diving, the friendly people and the healthy reefs."
DominicaThis Eastern Caribbean island is an adventurer's paradise, with take-your-breath-away topside and underwater sights. You'll be wowed by every inch of Dominica's dramatic profile--from its sheer, cloud-capped mountains to its pristine coral reefs. The most popular diving is found along the island's western coast--with sites clustered in the south, mid-island and north.Off Dominca's southwestern end, Soufriére Bay is actually the submerged crater of an ancient volcano. Divers can explore the shallow reefs that line the rim of the crater or drop down on its volcanic flanks for a deeper profile. Operators also take divers outside the bay to sites like Scott's Head Pinnacle. "Just west of Scott's Head, Swiss Cheese is one of the best places to make a dive," says Ginette Perryman, co-owner of Castle Comfort Lodge. "It has three beautiful swim-throughs and arches," including two huge granite boulders that lean against each other to form a church-steeple-like grotto filled with blackbar soldierfish. While the island is better known for the diving off its southwestern end, the entire west coast offers good diving. Dominica's mid-island region (mostly off Salisbury Beach and Grande Savane) features patch reefs sloping down to steep walls at sites like Rodney's Rock, Castaways Reef and Nose Reef. Larger blue-water pelagics like spotted eagle rays and rainbow runners that are largely absent from southern sites can be spotted here. Northwestern sites offer a varied underwater topography, exemplified at sites like Toucari Caves with its honeycombed caverns dripping with black coral and golden sea spray. Dive operators who dive at the Cabrits Cruise Ship Pier have dubbed the site Pole To Pole. "This is the island's newest, hottest dive site," says Helen Clarke-Hepp, co-owner of Cabrits Dive Centre. "Here you can find seahorses and flying gurnards." Sperm whales are common off Dominica from October to March, and most of the island's dive operators take groups on weekly excursions during this time.
Eastern Caribbean
On Tobago, divers find top-notch reefs and marine life, ranging from tiny tropical fish to massive manta rays, and spectacular drift diving. Colorful sponges and abundant hard and soft corals thrive on sites like Japanese Gardens, on the island's northern end. On the southern end, shallow reefs and mini walls are the norm. Tobago also attracts large pelagics like sharks and dolphins. "If you're lucky," says Sea Divers' Tracy Kearns, "you'll encounter hammerheads and mantas." Grenada has more than 30 named dive sites clustered along its southern tip--none more than a 30-minute boat ride away. Bianca C is a 600-foot luxury liner that lies off Grand Anse. "It is one of the largest shipwrecks in the world that's within recreational diving limits," says Peter Seupel, of Aquanauts Grenada. St. Vincent and the Grenadines offers deep walls and shallow reefs. St. Vincent has become known for its plethora of rare creatures--including seahorses and frogfish--that keep photographers busy for days. "Critter Corner is a must-dive site for photographers," says Kay Wilson, of Indigo Dive. Barbados offers gentle conditions for diving on its leeward coast. The island's claim to fame is the 360-foot Stavronikita, among the Caribbean's biggest wrecks. St. Lucia diving centers on sites in its marine park, where marine life tends to be small, with lots of tropicals and invertebrates. A live-aboard can get you to sites off Saba, St. Kitts and St. Eustatius (Statia). "Saba has beautiful underwater pinnacles--like Eye of the Needle--rising from the depths," says Jennifer Cumming, of Caribbean Explorer II. Most of St. Kitts' dive sites are clustered on the leeward shore and along its southeast peninsula. Off Statia, "Charlie Brown is our hottest new dive site," says Glenn Faires, of Golden Rock Dive Center. "The wreck is one of the most intact in the Caribbean."
Florida Keys
From Key Largo and Islamorada to Marathon, the Lower Keys and Key West, these five distinct regions constitute what locals affectionately call "the Conch Republic" and all offer a great blend of wrecks and reefs. Every morning, experienced divers--and rookies cutting their teeth--challenge themselves by diving on sunken treasures like the immense, 510-foot U.S.S. Spiegel Grove, the U.S.C.G. Duane, the Eagle, the Benwood, the Thunderbolt and this month, the 523-foot U.S.S. Vandenberg (scheduled sink date May 15), the latest piece in what Florida Keys dive professionals call the "wreck trek" puzzle. In late mornings and afternoons, divers of all levels have the ideal, shallow chill-out dives at places like little dived Davey Crocker Reef and at Molasses Reef, a 10-square-mile gold mine of nearly three dozen sites, big on bottom times and swarming with schools of colorful tropical fish at every turn. You can also pop in on nurse sharks and moray eels under sand ledges and be shadowed by goliath groupers and barracudas. To a person, dive professionals credit the establishment of sanctuary preservation areas, by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, for the abundance of marine life--both at the wrecks and on the reefs. "The reefs have been protected for decades now," says Jason Schwenke, general manager of Florida Keys Dive Center, in Tavernier, Fla., just south of Key Largo. "It's hard to find more marine life anywhere else in the world. Sinking a number of different wrecks (has taken) pressure off the reefs and has attracted more marine life and divers." On your off-gassing day, 24 hours in Key West is ideal. There are more sandy beaches here than in the rest of the Keys, and there's plenty of Conch culture. Watching the nightly sunset carnival of about two dozen street performers along the esplanade near Mallory Square is not to be missed. Don't get outta Dodge until you've visited the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, had an adult beverage or two at Capt. Tony's Saloon or sampled chocolate-covered Key Lime pie on a stick.
North CarolinaThe U-352, the sunken, fish-laden World War II German submarine off Cape Lookout, has long been the headliner here in the Crystal Coast--waters once plied by the infamous pirate, Blackbeard. And with good reason: It's small enough to explore in one dive and its hatches are literally bursting with small fish life.But the USCGC Spar is a fast-rising star among local and visiting divers here, where the quantity of wrecks inspired the bittersweet title "the Graveyard of the Atlantic." The Spar is a United States Coast Guard cutter in 110 feet of water, sunk purposely four years ago as part of the state's artificial reef program. "Once you descend, you learn you'll likely never see so many fish on a wreck again," says Nema Triplett, of Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, N.C. "Last year it was the site for spotting sand tiger sharks. There are also schools of spadefish hanging around the conning tower and stingrays playing in the sand." The Spar, U-352, Papoose, USS Schurz and the Caribsea--and the numbers of sand tiger sharks--all make undersea explorers say nothing could be finer than to dive in Carolina. Besides the wrecks, other experiences like rock ledge--or "live bottom"--diving is also catching on with Crystal Coast divers. Robert Cox, of Diver Down Scuba Diving Services in Morehead City, says this kind of diving is one of the Crystal Coast's hidden treasures. The ledges--2- to 5-foot breaks in the sand--house lairs of lobsters, groupers, stingrays, angelfish and turtles. And topside, Southern hospitality reigns and the combination of beaches (especially on Shackleford Island), barbecue and beer is hard to beat. You can recount a great dive day with your buddies while savoring the home-style flavors of Floyd's 1921 or the pizzas at Beach Bumz, both in Morehead City. Blackbeard buffs can satisfy their curiosity by visiting nearby Beaufort, the town he once lived in--when he wasn't plundering and pillaging on the high seas. With the region's weather being what it is, prime time to plunge into Crystal Coast waters is from April until September.
Puerto Rico
Rincon is where land-based dive operators run trips westward to Desecheo Island, where phenomenal visibility and a treasure chest of dive sites await. One of them is Las Cuevas (The Caves). Because it's shallow, with a max depth of only 30 feet, Las Cuevas is the ideal, chillout second dive, with plenty of canyons and arches to explore. "It's a series of about seven to eight swim-throughs," Barbieri says. "It's a cool little playground where 20 divers can fit inside. Once you're there and looking out, it has these triangular-looking natural windows. It's like you're looking out from inside of Darth Vader's mask." And if you ever played the board game Candyland in your childhood and remember all its odd-shaped mounds, then you'll quickly realize why there's a Desecheo Island dive site named in its honor. That's what the coral formations resemble, and you'll also see plenty of tropical fish. The aptly named Sea Fan City hosts a tremendous array of purple and white sea fans and barrel sponges at a 45-foot garden spot in white sands. Southern and eastern Puerto Rico also feature great diving. La Parguera, on the island's southwest edge, features at least two-dozen spots. Both Black Wall and Efra's Wall have forests of black coral and Fallen Rock is a likely spot for encounters with pelagics. Eastward, Puerto Rico has two smaller satellite islands ripe for diving--Culebra and Vieques. The establishment of the Culebra Marine Reserve Park ensures that its dive sites are protected. Cayo Lobito is a 75-foot dive where nurse sharks and jacks are plentiful, while Cayo Raton is known for smaller residents. Vieques has been in the news this decade--U.S. Naval bombing exercises drawing the ire of Puerto Rican nationalists--more than for what lies beneath the surface. Unlike other areas of Puerto Rico, there's ample opportunity for shore diving on Vieques. Boat trips shuttle divers out to Angel Reef, where, because it's seldom dived, corals are in excellent shape, and Patti's Reef, which features more--yeah, you guessed it!--swim-throughs.
Riviera Maya
The most unique aspect of diving the Riviera Maya has to be the omnipresent cenotes--sinkholes formed by collapsing underground caves. The ancient Maya believed these cenotes were portals to the underworld, or Xibalba. They're your gateway to the coolest diving in the Yucatan, but you'll need a qualified cenote guide to show you around. "Diving the cenotes is the closest experience to space travel, because of the amazing visibility of the fresh water," says David Tomlinson, owner of Abyss Dive Center and Training Facility in Playa del Carmen. "They are beautiful and show you formations that normally can not be seen on land. Also, snorkelers can join in on the fun as they watch the divers enter the underwater caverns." But Cynthia Lazo Sepulveda of the Riviera Maya Tourism Board cautions divers from overlooking the region's reefs. "The cenotes are perhaps the most famous dive sites, but the Riviera Maya is also home to the largest coral reef in the western hemisphere, the Great Mesoamerican Reef." Tomlinson offers up some of his must-dives: "I like Tortuga, a dive site with a ton of large green turtles; Jardines, a garden of coral with lots of sea life; and Moc Che, a deep and shallow site that has swim-throughs, sea life and great coral." The Riviera Maya's strongest draw is perhaps most evident when the dive day's through. There are tons of things to do when you're not getting wet, from exploring the ruins of Mayan life at Chichen Itza (which you can do in a day), Coba and Tulum, to immersing yourself in the nightlife in Playa del Carmen. There are also miles of luxuriant beaches, tons of watersports activities, shopping and dining.
Turks & Caicos
Providenciales, commonly called Provo, is perfect for divers who like to play both above and under water; the island offers a wide array of resorts, restaurants and activities. On Provo's north shore, the 14-mile barrier reef bordering Grace Bay is one of three main diving areas on the island, as are Northwest Point, a national marine park off the west coast, and uninhabited out islands like West Caicos. At least once a week, most of Provo's dive operators make the hour-long trip to West Caicos, 10 miles southwest of Provo. Here, divers find a dizzyingly steep drop-off. Choice sites include Elephant Ear Canyon, packed with tube sponges and black coral (though the giant elephant ear sponge for which it's named is long gone). Provo's renowned Northwest Point offers more than a dozen sites including Amphitheater, which boasts a pageant of fish--parrotfish, clown wrasse, angelfish--plus chance encounters with Caribbean reef sharks. On Grand Turk, one site, McDonald's, is named for the graceful coral arch on the wall's lip, a gateway to the site's showy drop-off. McDonald's is emblematic of the diving off Grand Turk--shallow reefs that give way to a striking wall. Along the way, you'll encounter hawksbill turtles, good-sized Nassau groupers, healthy corals and mammoth sponges. Tiny Salt Cay, eight miles southwest of Grand Turk, is home to only about 70 people. You can stay on Salt Cay and dive nearby sites or make the trip from Grand Turk if your operator is willing. Dive sites here include the HMS Endymion, a historic wreck 16 miles south of the island, Kelly's Folly, whose undulating coral gardens slope down to a precipitous drop-off, and Northwest Point, where black corals cling to the wall and tiger groupers hang out in cracks. "We have something very special here," Debbie Manos, of Salt Cay Divers, says. "And we hope that it will never change." Between February and April, hundreds of migrating North Atlantic humpback whales pass in close range of Grand Turk and operators offer snorkeling encounters with the animals.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Off St. Thomas, don't miss Cow and Calf Rocks, a maze of tunnels, swim-through archways and caves painted in encrusting sponges. Advanced divers will love Sail Rock, a trio of current-swept pinnacles swarmed by schooling horse-eye jacks. The island is also home to the wreck of the Wit Shoal II, a colorful wreck with railing and rigging dripping with orange cup corals in 25 to 90 feet of water. On St. John, where half the island is a national park including the waters surrounding it, divers of all skill levels love Congo Cay, where topside cliffs plunge into the water, then break up into a sloping boulder field covered with hard and soft corals. Keep your eyes open for hawksbill turtles and spotted eagle rays. At legendary Carval Rock, divers can circumnavigate the entire formation, swimming through canyons in the rock. The diving off St. Croix includes shallow reefs and steep drop-offs that lead divers to the wall. Two of the best dives are located between Cane Bay and Christiansted at the mouth of Salt River Bay. Salt River East and Salt River West are separated by a deep chasm. Salt River East drops vertically, and you'll find colonies of yellow tube sponges and schools of blackbar soldierfish. Separated by several hundred yards and a deep submarine canyon, lies Salt River West. This dive begins in 20 feet of water and abruptly drops to 90, where it continues sloping away gradually to the abyss. Don't miss Christiansted, St. Croix's capital city, with its Danish colonial architecture featuring arched covered walkways filled with shops and restaurants. St. Thomas is home to one of the Caribbean's most stunning cruise ship harbors--Charlotte Amalie. Shop for trinkets here in restored Danish warehouses.
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