Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in British Virgin Islands

RMS Rhone was a UK Royal Mail Ship owned by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (RMSP). She was wrecked off the coast of Salt Island in the British Virgin Islands on 29 October 1867 in a hurricane, killing 123 people. She is now a popular Caribbean wreck dive site.

Nice corals, and a tunnel which scuba divers may pass through... West side of Pelican Island

A shallow dive, good for new divers. The southern portion of the dive gives the opportunity to swim through some canyons where there can be some surge. Some eagle rays and stingrays, snake eels and moray eels. Recently (2008/2009) a couple of turtles have taken up residence in the area, and are known to be extremely friendly towards divers, sometimes swimming right through the middle of groups. By boat only. Dive is the western tip of Norman Island. Approximately 4 minutes by boat from the Bight on Norman Island, or about 25 minutes by boat from Nanny Cay on Tortola.

A double pinnacle located in otherwise open water between two islands. Not a deep site, but prolific marine life. Lots of ledges. Abundance of sharks, lobster, morays and turtles. Takes its name from nearby Carrot Rock, but coincidentally viewed from above, the shape of the two pinnacles do look slight like a carrot and its leaves. Access by boat only. Located between the southeastern tip of Peter Island and the northwestern tip of Norman Island. Approximately 30 minutes from Road Town, or 10 minutes from the Bight on Norman Island. Mooring buoys have been placed on the site by the National Park trust, but can sometimes be difficult to locate in heavy swells.

One of many excellent dive sites amongst The Dog islands. Usually skipped over by dive operators in favour of more popular dive sites like Bronco Billy, The Chimney and Airplane Wreck (Coral Gardens). It is a shame because the visibles is a superb dive site. A series of coral pinncles punctuate a calm and sheltered dive site. A relatively shallow maximum depth makes it an excellent dive for beginners, but enough abundant marine life to attract veteran divers (especially photographers). By boat only. Site is located on the west side of Cockroach Island, in the dogs. Approximately 12 mintues from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda by boat, and about 20 minutes from East End, Tortola. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by the National Park Trust.

Wreck of the Fearless is probably the least popular of the BVI's wreck dives. Although located adjacent to a coral reef on a sandy bottom, little marine life flourishes. Visibility is usually low because of the slightly silty composition of the bottom. The site is also a rough anchorage in exposed position in the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The wreck is wooden, and after over 20 years underwater is now extremely fragile and close to collapse. Any form of penetration of the superstructure is extremely unwise. By boat only. Site is located about half a mile north of Great Harbour, Peter Island. Can be difficult to locate in high seas. Approximately 15 minutes by boat from Road Town, Tortola. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by the National Parks trust. Fearless Wreck is also known as Wreck of the Fearless.

One of the more advanced dives in the British Virgin Islands, Shark Point combines a rare opportunity to do a wall dive, explore shallow caverns and chasms, and see large deepwater marine life. Because of the exposed position of the site, it is difficult to do in any except the calmest of conditions. By boat only. Dive site is located on the southernmost tip of Peter Island, about 20 minutes from Road Town. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by the National Parks Trust.

Probably the most popular dive site in The Dog islands, the Chimney is a relatively shallow dive, with lots of canyons and ledges to expore (which combined with its sheltered location, means zero current). The site is named after a shaft like crevasse in the rocks which divers can swim up (provided that they are not too overweight). Larger and more timorous divers can swim over the top of the crevasse. Excellent marine life, but the mooring balls can get crowded with snorkellers because the site is so relatively shallow. By boat only. Dive site is in a bay on the northwest side of Great Dog. Approximately 15 minutes from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda or 25 minutes from East End, Tortola. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by the National Parks trust.

Good reef Dive NorthWest of Tortola

Wall To Wall is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Markoe Point is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Aquarium is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Short swim from the beach. Tarpin! Off the beach from Long Bay

North Seal Dog is basically a pinnacle dive, but the pinnacle extends about the surface of the water. The sides of the pinnacle are fairly sheer, but it is small and so easy to circumnavigate. A very pretty dive, but difficult to do unless conditions are calm. Abundant marine life. By boat only. Dive site is approximately 40 minutes from Road Town, Tortola; 20 minutes from East End, Tortola and 15 minutes from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. Mooring bouys have been placed on the site by the National Parks Trust. Seal Dog North is also known as North Seal Dog.

Shipwreck found by Captain Colin, owner of Jost Van Dyke SCUBA Western side of Jost Van Dyke

Beautiful shells on the bottom North East side of Tortola

Beautiful Cove for shallow diving West end of Tortola

Garden Eels West of Great Harbor

The Invisibles is an excellent site, and one which is rarely dived. It has no marker bouy on it, and so is a challenge to find unless you have GPS coordinates. It is also completely open to the North, so in swells or rought weather it is an almost impossible site to dive. However, when it is calm, it is an extremely beautiful shallow reef dive with a number of large swim throughs.

Nice shallow dive, lots of fish. First dive after certification.

Large Barracuda, Elkhorn Coral, Tarpin, Hacksbill turtles, Stingrays and many fish Northwestern Point of Norman Island

Brewers Bay North Side is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

practice with swell, and be careful of being inside cave, good site lots of fun. Boat, from the moorings in the bight, sail west around the point then hug the shore till you see the balls, or the cave, there is no anchoring here it is very rocky. The Caves is also known as Norman Island Caves.

Brewers Bay West Point is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

West End Point is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Cane Garden Bay North Side is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Little Thatch is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Sea fans, Lobster and many tropical fish. This is one of the best skin dives I have seen in the BVI Short swim from the beach

Rays, parott fish and many other fish Virgin Gorda near the baths Devils Bay is also known as Devil's Bay.

Large barracuda, Grooper and many fish Beach at Big Bamboo Bar and Grill Jack Bay Point is also known as Big Bamboo.

Spotted Eagle Rays and many tropical fish. This is one of many dive sites discovered by Jost Van Dyke SCUBA that they want to remain their own From Great Harbor

beautiful rock formations and many tropical fish West ens of Jost Van Dyke Cathedral is also known as The cathedral.

Underwater sea mount that comes within 15 feet of the surface. Great 50 foot swim thru Great Tobago Island. By boat from Jost van Dyke

Lots of tropical fish Great Tobago Island. By boat from Jost Van Dyke Island

Coral Gardens was for years a popular dive site, but the marine life was severely damaged by a "bleach fishing" incident, from which the reef has not fully recovered. To popularise the dive site, an old DC-3 aircraft was sunk in the sand next to the site to provide an attraction for divers. The plane is relatively intact (minus the wings) and big enough for divers to penetrate and swim through comfortably. By boat only. Site is approximately 45 minutes from Road Town, Tortola; about 20 mintutes from East End, Tortola or about 12 minutes from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. Dive site is on the sheltered south side of Great Dog. Mooring balls have been affixed to the site by the National Park. Coral Gardens is also known as Airplane Wreck.

This is more of a bank than a rock. No rock within 15 feet of the surface. Lobster, barracuda, sharks, and big Southern Stingrays and many small fish. Whilst Tow Rock is normally a very pleasant dive, in poor conditions it can be very challenging indeed. When the northern swells are up, visibility can drop to just a few feet, and current and surge can make life absolutely miserable. When conditions are calm and viz is good, it is a very enjoyable site. Just West of the Dogs. There is no marker bouy on the site, so GPS coordinates are a must.

Santa Monica Rock is a pinnacle which rises from just under 100 feet to just 20 feet below the surface in otherwise open waters. It is teeming with life and is approximately an acre in total size. The top of the pinnacle varies in height, and lots of valleys, ridges and ledges give lots of areas to explore. Because the dive is in an are of open sea, strong waves mean that the site can only be dived in calm conditions. The reef is in superb condition and supports a wide array of marine life: sharks, moray eels, lobster, turtle, grouper and others. By boat only. Dive site is approximately 1.5 miles southeast of the tip of Norman Island, a few minutes boat ride from The Bight (the popular mooring area on Norman Island), or about half an hour by boat from Road Town. Like all BVI dive sites, there is a mooring ball placed by the National Parks to tie up to. Santa Monica Rock is also known as Santa Monica.

Spyglass is a good introductory dive for new divers. A relatively shallow reef (about 15 feet) drops down relatively sharply to a sandy bottom (at about 60 feet) given a relatively short wall dive. Divers usually swim out along the bottom and the circle back along the top, thereby doing an extremely long safety stop! The marine life is fair but not spectacular by BVI standards. By boat only. The site is approximately 5 minutes from the Bight on Norman Island, or about 25 minutes from Road Town on Tortola. Mooring balls have been fixed on the site by the National Park trust. Spyglass is also known as Spyglass Wall.

Ring Dove Rock is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in British Virgin which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Good reef dive North East of Tortola

Focus of the dive is a canyon with an arch swim through. Possibility of seeing large marine life. Good coral growth. Reported to have been Jacques Cousteau's favourite dive in the British Virgin Islands. By boat only. Located on the northwest side of George Dog. Approximately 12 minutes by boat from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda; 20 minutes from East End, Tortola and 35 minutes from Road Town, Tortola. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by National Parks trust.

Dive is the mirror image of the more popular "Spyglass" dive site on the north side of Norman Island. A reef shelf starting at about 30 feet and sloping down to 70 feet and a sandy bottom. Unlike Spyglass, the sandy bottom leads to another wall on the other side, leading to a broad east-west canyon with two walls to explore. Marine life is not the best, but the topography is very nice. By boat only. Approximately 12 minutes from Road Town, Tortola or about 8 minutes from the Bight on Norman Island. Mooring ball has been placed on the site by the National Parks Trust. Black Forest is also known as West tip of Peter Island.

Very pretty dive, starting in a sheltered "lagoon" area and then swimming around the point into deeper water. Lots of ledges, caverns, grottos and gulleys. Abundant marine life. Rarely dived part of The Dog islands as most of the tourists dive more popular nearby sites such as Coral Gardens and Bronco Billy. By boat only. Dive site is approximately 35 minutes from Road Town, Tortola; 25 minutes from East End, Tortola and 15 minutes from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. Mooring bouys have been placed on the site by the National Parks Trust. Seal Dog West is also known as West Seal Dog.

Named after the blue chromis fish, the sand bottom Blue Chromis Reef features numerous corals with sea fans, gorgonians, quillfin blennias and others. In occasion, there might be swells, although the dive spot is mostly calm. It is a deep dive spot, but ideal for training, since it is difficult to get lost and the visibility is good. The depth ranges from 30ft to 90ft. Look inside the cracks to find anemones and shrimp.

Mostly sandy bottom except near rocks. Southern end of Virgin Gorda. The Baths is also known as Baths.

One of the more intriguing dives in the British Virgin Islands, Brown Pants features a large number of ledges, caverns, nooks and crannies. The site was named when discovered on an exploratory dive by Ducan Muirhead, off Cuan Law, who was chased back to the boat by a pack of bull sharks, and promptly christened the site appropriately. The site is known for good marine life, in particular lobsters, turtles and eels. Despite the name of the site, shark sitings are not frequent. By boat only. Site is located on the southern coast of Norman Island. Approximately 35 minutes by boat from Road Town, Tortola, or about 15 minutes from The Bight, Norman Island. Site is very exposed, and can be difficult to locate or moor at in rough seas. Mooring balls have been placed on the site by the National Parks trust.