World dive sites

Antigua and Barbuda Diving

Land Temperature:
Antigua has year round warm temperatures of around 25-30°C.

Water Temperature:
Average of about 25°C (80°F)

When to go:
Mid December to April are the best months with the lowest rainfall and the cooling trade winds. September and October are the most humid months. June to November is potential hurricane season, August/September are the highest risk months.

Wetsuit required:
3mm – 5mm

Visibility:
15-50m

Diving types:
Coral Reefs, Walls, Wrecks

Experience Level:
Beginner to Experienced

Marine life:
Schools of reef fish, turtles, reef sharks, nurse sharks, pelagics, occasional whale sharks

After diving:
Suntan, sightseeing, sail, snorkel, sip a rum punch.

Antigua Dive Sites

Antigua and close neighbour Barbuda do not have the same reputation for diving as some other Caribbean islands but there are plenty of good dive sites to satisfy most divers. Although there are a few deep dives, most dive sites are less than 30m deep and are just a short boat ride from shore. Visibility is normally excellent. Coral health is rather variable having been damaged by hurricanes. Nurse sharks, turtles, barracuda and stingrays can be seen on many dive sites.

Barbuda diving is less developed than Antigua’s and needs to be arranged in Antigua. There are many wrecks in the area that are yet to be explored.

Antigua’s Best Dive sites are:

Pillars of Hercules is one of the best dive sites around Antigua. Located at the south of the island, it gets it names from the large limestone rock formations above water. Large rock formations continue underwater too. Maximum depth is 22m. Snapper, fusilier, parrotfish, surgeofish, barracuda, jacks and angelfish can all be seen here. This is also a good dive site for spotting small critters and crustaceans such as lobster.

Cades Reef, an offshore reef to the south west of Antigua, is one of Antigua’s most popular dive sites. It is a 7 mile stretch of reef with several dive sites along it’s length. Colourful soft corals are more healthy here than in other areas and the varity of marine life is huge. As well as all the usual reef fish expect to see barracuda, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles and stingrays. Whale sharks have been spotted on the outer side of the reef. Deeper dive sites drop to 25m but other sites are just 15m deep. This area is often dived as part of a two dive daytrip as it’s a 20-30 minute boat ride from shore.

Sunken Rock, located just off Antigua’s south coast shore is another popular dive site for both day and night dives. The huge submerged boulder starts at just 1m below the surface and drops to around 35m. Rock formations form several valleys to explore and crevices to peer into looking for lobsters and other critters. Gorgonian seafans and barrel sponges cover areas of rock. Red soft coral and bushy black coral also cling on. Parrotfish and angelfish are busy around the rocks. Schools of fish include snapper and jacks.

Boon’s Reef is a patch reef used for training dives. There are patches of healthy coral, visibility is good, currents are minimal and marine life is abundant with lots of schools of fish and the occasional turtle.

Ariadne Shoal is a good site to spot and photograph barracuda and other pelagics. Nurse sharks are also often found here. Maximum depth is 21m. Visibility is excellent, often over 40m.

Billy’s Grotto has some impressive soft corals and seafans with some sponges. Schools of snapper, fusilier and other reef fish are abundant. Turtles can be found eating the coral. Nurse sharks and stingrays can be seen. Maximum depth 18m.

Snappers Ledge dive site starts at 12m and drops down to around 30m deep. Schools of snapper and other reef fish are prolific. Southern stingrays can also be seen here.

Cape Shirley is a dive site for experienced divers where large underwater boulder formations create caves, canyons and swim-throughs to be explored. Maximum depth is 35m. Currents can be strong here.Eagle ray

Carpenters Rock has some impressive soft coral species that are home to Queen angelfish and other reef fish.

Pillars is a shallow dive site that occasionally sees eagle rays and nurse sharks. Maximum depth is 11m.

Sam’s Hangover is a series of scattered boulders that are home to a myriad of reef fish. Eagle rays are sometimes seen. Maximum depth is 25m. Rick’s Drift is next to Sam’s Hangover and is a good place to spot nurse sharks and stingrays. Octopus and moray eels can also be seen here. Maximum depth is 30m.

Nanton Rock is a boulder dive site with a maximum depth of just 14m. Reef fish here include butterflyfish, parrotfish, trunkfish and trumpet fish. Maximum depth is 18m.

Stoney Cove is another boulder dive site with a maximum depth of 20m. Turtles are common here.

Stereo Reef is another shallow dive site with a variety of hard and soft corals and many schools of reef fish.

Horseshoe Reef is home to all the usual reef fish seen in this area and gets occasional pelagic visitors too.

Eric’s Garden has healthy staghorn coral and seafans. Nurse sharks and stingrays can be seen here.

Monks Head is home to southern stingrays. Maximum depth is 15m.

Papaya Channel is home to stingrays, barracuda and moray eels. Maximum depth 11m.

Sandy Island, located off the north west coast of Antigua has several areas to dive including The Ridge where nurse sharks can be seen, Jewel Box where critters can be found hiding in coral cracks and the Sunken Barge which is home to parrotfish, snapper, spade fish and barracuda.

Antigua Wreck Dives

There are hundreds of wrecks around the shallow sand banks and reefs of Antigua and Barbuda. Many have still to be explored. Here are three that are dived regularly.

Jettia’s Wreck is the wreck of a French steamship sunk in 1817. The wreck is broken up and sits on a shallow sandy bottom at around 8m depth. Parts of the ship can still be made out including the bow and stern sections and the engine. Coral covers the wreck and many fish species have made their home here.

Wreck of Joe Young is a 27m tugboat wreck that sits in 12m of water just outside of the harbour. Visibility is poor, often no more than 5m and coral growth is minimal. There are some largegrouper and tarpon living in the hull and angel fish can be seen around the wreck.

Andes Wreck sank in Deep Bay on 7 June 1914. The wreck is anything but deep though as it is sitting on the bottom in just 9m of water and it’s location in the bay means that snorkellers can swim out to it too. Visibility is not great at this wreck.

The wreck was an 866 ton merchant vessel built in England in 1874. She was carrying pitch to Chile to built roads. The cargo caught fire causing the sinking. She was a three masted vessel and until recently one of the masts was still visible above the water.