Diving the British Virgin Islands

By Kevin Bieri on 22 September 2008

The first time that i headed off to the British Virgin Islands for a week of diving, most people asked why i was flying across the Atlantic to go diving when the Caribbean is a mere 4 hour flight from Texas. After patiently explaining that the islands were in fact in the Caribbean I was mostly met with blank stares and comments about how I should be traveling to Bonaire or Grand Cayman if i really wanted spectacular diving in the Caribbean.

A Quick Geography Lesson

A series of islands and cays strung along Sir Francis Drake Channel between Puerto Rico and St. Kitts, the BVIs have an unspoiled setting. Tortola is the largest island, and its capital, Road Town, hosts governmental offices, banks, shops, a ferry service and an international cruise-ship dock. It’s also the main location for charter boats. The north shore of Tortola is peppered with coves and isolated beaches like Brewer’s Bay and Smuggler’s Cove. The more populous Cane Garden Bay offers many restaurants and bars. The hilly roadways make for a four-wheel-drive challenge but provide spectacular views.

Mountainous Virgin Gorda, with secluded beaches and natural attractions, is the site of the Baths, where enormous granite boulders dominate the beach, creating numerous tide pools and great snorkeling. Jost Van Dyke thrives on its waterside reputation for festivity and provides excellent protected anchorages for yachters. Out to the northeast, day trippers visit Anegada and 18-mile-long Horseshoe Reef – one of the world’s longest – to spend the day bird-watching and snorkeling. Norman Island, supposedly the Treasure Island of Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous story, has no inhabitants other than a couple of restaurants. Here, the Caves is a famous snorkeling spot; the Indians and Marina Cay are also popular. Necker Island is privately owned by Sir Richard Branson, and largely undeveloped Peter Island hosts a resort that welcomes all for lunch and beaching. Guana Island is an officially designated wildlife sanctuary for species like the masked booby.

The Diving

The British Virgin Islands are home to some of the most spectacular and untouched diving that I have seen in the Caribbean.

There is diving for every single type of diver. There are approximately 200 shipwrecks, some unmarked and unexplored (for those of you that love to be one of the first few to view a wreck they are around just wander the coasts of the islands with side scan sonar) and some of the best reef diving to be found in the Caribbean.

The most famous and possibly spectacular wreck in the BVI is that of the HMS Rhone (this was the wreck featured in the movie The Deep). The Rhone is a Royal Mail Steamer which sunk during the hurricane of 1867 with 125 persons on board. At 100 meters long and 10 meters wide, the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamer lies in two main parts in waters between 10 and 30 meters deep. Much of it is still intact and visible, including decking, parts of the rigging, the steam engine, and propeller. There is also a porthole that still contains the original glass and should be rubbed for good luck. The site is popular with groups that are split between divers and snorkelers as the stern sits in shallow enough water to snorkel as well as being a superb dive. This is easily one of the best night dives in the Caribbean. On any given night there are approximately 3-5 giant sleeping green turtles that tuck themselves in underneath parts of the stern as well as half a dozen Moray eels and dozens of lobster and crab migrating across the sea floor. The bow section of the wreck still affords a swim through which can be described as nothing less than breath taking.

A less frequently visited shipwreck is just around the corner, the wreck of the Fearless sits in 30 msw less than a mile from where the Rhone met its end. The Fearless is supposedly the sister ship to the famous Calypso and was intentionally sunk as an aftificial reef in the 1986. The ship is approximately 30m in length and is largely intact. The marine life has started to encrusted virtually every surface. This wreck is home to a large turtle, several large spotted eels, and swarms of snapper. It is also close enough to the Francis Drake Channel that we have spotted reef sharks on multiple dives. This is one of the most photogenic wrecks in the region and its easy to spend an entire memory stick on the dive.

My favorite reef dive in the islands is overlooked by almost all of the operators, but a few will go upon request. Located on the north side of Tortola is “Brewers Bay Pinnacles”. The dive site is almost completely unprotected and can be swept by currents making it quite dangerous, so only dive it in calm seas. The mooring ball leave the dive deck of the boat hanging out over approximately 40 msw. A giant stride and a quick descent will leave you at the bottom of giant granite boulders which stretch all the way to the surface. Spending the dive slowly working your way around the pinnacles back up towards the mooring ball is a treat. On a recent dive there we encounter dozens of barracuda, several turtles and even the passing reef shark. The pinnacles are adorned with both hard and soft corals and are a spectacular first dive of a two-tank morning.

Most people would disagree with “Brewers Pinnacles” as being the best dive in the BVI. The second dive of the day should be a quick trip over to The Indians. The Indians is a protected marine sanctuary located between Tortola and Norman Island. The area is a pinnacle that rises more than 65 feet from the ocean floor below. The pinnacles are carpeted in hard and soft corals and marine life of all kinds. Upon turning a corner we were face to face with a school of 30 or more barracuda. Gently sliding deeper to stay out of their way we turned the final corner and swam into the “The Fish Bowl”. The Fish Bowl is a large depression approximately 50 feet wide by 100 feet long and 25 feet deep and is appropriately named. When moving into the fish bowl visibility dropped from more than 100 feet to less than 2 feet. We had dropped into a gigantic bait ball that the barracuda and resident tarpon had herded into the area for an easy meal. I perched myself on a small ledge and simply watched the predators slice through the baitfish for more than 40 minutes. If you look closely at the picture you can see the yellow of my dive buddy’s tank. I have never been so reluctant to end a dive.

Top Side

The life topside is characterized by restaurants with attached bars rather than by full on nightlife. For an active nightlife the best bets are Cane Garden Bay on Tortola and the area around Virgin Gorda’s Yacht harbor. A visit to the BVI would not be complete, however, without a trip to Foxy’s (www.foxysbar.com). Foxy’s is the bar and grill on Jost Van Dyke which throws some of the best parties on the planet (the New Years Party consistently attracts celebrities such as Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney). The bar has a weekly BBQ, which features some of the best food in the islands. While there do not forget to sample the “Firewater Rum” and lots of it as this is the only place in the world to get a bottle.

Essential Information

• AIRPORTS: TB Lettsome International (Beef Island), 10 miles from the capital Road Town on Tortola, Virgin Gorda’s Airport and Auguiste George Airport on Anegada.
• GATEWAYS/FLYING TIMES: Antigua – 60 minutes. Puerto Rico – 45 minutes. St. Martin – 30 minutes. St. Thomas, USVI – 20 minutes.
• CLIMATE: Average annual temperatures: Summer 90 degrees F. Winter 85 degrees. Average annual rainfall is 52 inches. Approximate sunrise: Summer 0545. Winter 0610. Approximate sunset: Summer 1930 -2030. Winter 1700 – 1730.
• Currency: The currency of the B.V.I. is the U.S. dollar. Major credit cards are accepted in many – but not all – establishments. There is a 10-cent stamp duty on all cheques and travelers’ cheques.
• DEPARTURE TAX: A departure tax is levied at the rate of $10.00 per person leaving by air, $5.00 leaving by sea and $7.00 for cruise ship passengers. In the B.V.I. there is a 7% Hotel Accommodation tax payable by guests who stay for six months or less in hotels, apartments, houses, cottages, villas and similar accommodation.
• Medical: An International Vaccination Certificate is not mandatory in the B.V.I. Peebles Hospital has surgical, x-ray and laboratory facilities. The nearest recompression chamber is on St. Thomas in the near by United States Virgin Islands.

Contact

Author: Kevin Bieri
Email: info@travel-dive.com

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