The BVI’s Best Scuba Diving Locations

The BVI's Best Scuba Diving Locations

When thinking about British Virgin Islands vacations, many people immediately think about sailing and boating getaways. After all, the BVI is considered to be one of the best yacht chartering destinations in the world. But, if you’re a scuba diver, there are even more reasons to consider the British Virgin Islands for your next escape.

In recent years, the BVI has come into its own as an outstanding Caribbean destination for divers of all levels. In addition to beautiful beaches, first-rate resorts, and charming culture, the BVI also offers infinite diving possibilities—whether you enjoy diving reefs or wrecks.

With the limitless dive sites scattered throughout the British Virgin Islands it would be nearly impossible to learn them all, so we’ve done the legwork for you. When you make your way to the BVI for the diving trip of a lifetime, here are seven must-see spots:

Chikuzen

This site is remotely located 12 miles north of the island of Virgin Gorda. A majority of the surrounding area is sand, so marine life thrives at Chikuzen. Be on the lookout for barracuda, eagle rays, nurse and reef sharks, snapper, stingrays, and the infamous 600-pound Goliath Grouper. And in case you were wondering, this top dive site was named after the Japanese fishing boat that drifted into the BVI and eventually sunk.

The BVI’s Best Scuba Diving Locations

Wreck Alley

Located just off of Cooper Island, this site certainly lives up to its name. Wreck Alley came to be after four separate wrecks occurred there, the most recent being in 2009. All four of these wrecked ships can be explored during your Wreck Alley dive, and don’t be surprised if you spot a large garden eel and green moray eel population down there. This dive is also a unique opportunity to see what a sunken ship looks like when broken in half.

Flinstones

The name alone makes this a fun dive site worth visiting. When exploring the depths of Flinstones, expect to see boulders and rocky outcroppings that look just like Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble’s Bedrock homes. And because of the many rocky ledges and overhangs, fish and lobster encounters are common down there. 

Alice in Wonderland

Situated just outside of Ginger Island, this site is ideal for intermediate divers.

The coral sightings are incredible there and the primary reason why this site stands out in the crowd. Alice in Wonderland is definitely a dive for your eyes. 

Alice in Wonderland

RMS Rhone

Hands down, this is the most popular dive site in the BVI that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. RMS Rhone is rich in history and home to a significant number of artifacts from 1867. There’s just so much to see and take in down there, including the occasional turtle sighting. And if you happen to spy an octopus floating nearby during your dive, that’s considered good luck.

RMS Rhone

Painted Walls

This visually stunning site is both popular and perfect for beginners. Painted Walls is fun to explore because the colorful canyons create unique passageways for swimming. As an added bonus, the sun helps keep visibility fairly high down there. You’ll really appreciate that when surrounded by beautiful corals and all kinds of aquatic wildlife.

Twin Towers

Located off the north side of Little Jost Van Dyke, this site is only for the advanced. In accordance with its title, two huge coral-covered boulders are what make Twin Towers so special. The unique topography down below also includes a sloping shoreline, mini caves, and schools of reef squid.

Man scuba diving

 

Contributor

Leslie Montenegro

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