British Virgin Islands Dive Sites

Most of the dive sites are suitable for all levels of divers but some experience might be required when diving around Virgin Gorda. Diving can be done year-round. Water temperature is typically warm ranging from 78-83ºF (25-28ºC) and visibility is usually great at 60-100ft (18-30m).

Dive sites around the British Virgin Islands feature stunning shipwrecks, seamounts, coral gardens and sandy bottoms. Expect to find every manner of colorful reef fish amongst soft and hard corals. At shipwrecks, there are often schools of barracuda along with yellowtail snapper and many lobsters to find in cracks and crevices. Night dives are exciting as lobsters come out to hunt and orange cup corals unfurl to feed. Off Virgin Gorda, find more pelagic marine life like sea turtles, eagle rays, great barracuda, amberjack and cobia. Along the sea floor, expect to see resting nurse sharks, stingrays and colonies of garden eels. If diving from Tortola, the most famous dive site is the RMS Rhone shipwreck which lies off the nearby Salt Island - this great wreck is also accessible from Virgin Gorda and Scrub/Cooper Island. Besides that, the sandy bottoms and gentle sloping reefs at islands like Scrub Island, Pelican Island, Deadchest Island are all great especially for new divers. A seamount called Blonde Rock is always buzzing with activity and wonderful to visit. For a bit more excitement and pelagic marine life, dive from Virgin Gorda, access the Dog Islands which features underwater formations like arches and canyons.

Weather and sea conditions permitting, more experienced divers can head to the Chikuzen wreck or brave sweeping currents at the Invisibles which are submerged pinnacles.

Onboard scuba diving from a charter yacht is the best way to experance the incredible dive sites of the BVI. On a charter yacht sailing vacation you can visit a new dive site every day, and get to explore some of the most beautiful, magical, unspoiled dive sites in the Caribbean.

Below you will find a sampling of some of the best dive sites in the British Virgin Islands.