A British Virgin Islands luxury yacht charter itinerary is incomplete without a visit to one of the archipelago’s top diving sites.
With agreeable water temperatures sitting around 70°F in winter and visibility averaging between 60 to 100 feet, conditions are perfect for a Caribbean adventure this winter.
1. Cane Bay (St. Croix)
Step off the beach and emerge yourself in one of the most captivating diving sites across the Virgin Islands. Running parallel to the north of the shore of St. Croix is large 6 feet wall covered in plate corals, elephant ear sponges and black coral reaching depths of 2,000 feet.
Meet schools of horse-eye jacks along the wall, and perhaps even a reef shark or two. Explore Cane Bay nearby to discover large angelfish, stingrays, schools of black durgon and if you look carefully, the occasional seahorse.
2. Butler Bay (St. Croix)
Stay in St. Croix and head west to find the famous wrecks of Butler Bay. Before the turn of the century, shipwrecks were sunk here for to create a diving haven for visitors on a Virgin Islands yacht charter.
Highlights include the enchanting wreck of 177ft steel-hulled freighter Rosa Maria, home to schools of snappers and reef fish in her bold pink and red sponges. Travel to shallower waters to locate 140ft trawler The Suffolk Maid, another standout wreck that is home to astonishing variety of tropical life.
3. Alice in Wonderland (Ginger Island, off Tortola)
Described as a ‘fantasy’ diving location by those lucky enough to experience the bold and bright coral garden called ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by locals.
The site definitely lives up to its name, with huge overhangs, bursts of colour and enormous mushroom-shaped corals and a wide variety of exotic marine life found here.
From garden eels to the long-nose butterfly fish, you will never find yourself short of things to see on your visit to Ginger Island whilst you visit the British Virgin Islands.
4. Cow and Calf Rocks (St. Thomas)
Travelling to southeast end of St. Thomas, two large rocks greet you at the entrance to this fascinating diving site. Local legend is that the rocks gained notoriety as sailors would often mistake them for migrating humpback whales – a cow and calf.
Venture below and discover a colourful labyrinth of tunnels, archways and secret caves to swim through, connected by the two ancient boulders, covered in coral.
5. Hurricane Hole, St. John
Part of a protected national park in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hurricane Hole offers some of the most extraordinary examples of ecology in the world. Come for the water clarity, surpisingly calm waters and diverse marine life and find you never want to leave.
To find out more about a luxury charter vacation in the Virgin Islands, contact your preferred charter broker.
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