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Diving BVI's Dog Islands: A Magnificent Underwater World Awaits

The British Virgin Islands’ Dog Islands are a group of five uninhabited islands, including Great Dog, which is the largest at 98 acres, West Dog, George Dog, and the pair of smaller islands known collectively as the Seal Dogs.  With fascinating geology and an abundance of marine life, these little islands are simply magnificent and provide countless opportunities for all divers.  While there are many wonderful dive sites surrounding the islands, some do deserve special mention.  Here are just five great Dog Island dives to whet your appetite.

Bronco Billy 

Located on George Dog’s northwestern tip, Bronco Billy is a beautifully varied site, with coral arches, ridges, and canyons, plus a beautiful boulder field.  Exploding with colorful coral and sponges in brilliant shades of orange, lavender, red, yellow and pink, the site is ideal for underwater photography and is home to a never ending parade of fat, healthy reef fish.  With depths ranging from 15 to 50 feet, it is perfect for all divers.  Be sure to bring lights so you can see the colors, and watch for small sharks, eels, and some very large lobsters as you explore. 

The Chimney

Really two sites in one, the Chimney is nestled into the northern corner of the bay on Great Dog’s western side.  Ideal for all divers and fun for snorkeling too, it features an area called the Fish Bowl, which is home to yellowtails, parrotfish, sergeant majors, angelfish, and others, all of which are accustomed to being hand fed by visiting divers.  As soon as you open a pocket, they’ll surround you, vying for your attention and a snack.  Having been fed, they will return to their nibbling among the massive coral heads that dot the sand and rubble bottom.  

Once you’ve passed through the Fish Bowl, head toward the north to find the Chimney itself, enjoying the sight of the canyons and ridges that parallel the shore as you travel.  At a depth of 45 feet, you will find a canyon that points back toward shore.  Pass beneath the archway, and you’ll find yourself in a narrow canyon with walls that nearly touch at the top.  Encrusted in beautifully colored coral, and home to all kinds of tiny shrimp, spotted rock lobsters, and tiny fish taking shelter in and around the sponges that proliferate along its walls, it is perfect for macro photography.  

If you don’t want to swim through the narrow chimney, you can make your way back up to the top of the boulders and simply go over the top, then make your way back to your mooring at the bowl.          

The Airplane Wreck and Coral Gardens 

Featuring Atlantic Air’s BVI Shorts 360 airplane, which had an accident while trying to take off in 1993; this site is fun for all divers to explore.  No one was injured when the plane crashed into the water, and it was even refloated for repair attempts prior to being deployed here as an addition to the reef and movie prop.  

With huge mounds of great star coral and boulder star coral, as well as large brain corals, sea fans and gorgonians, big tube sponges, and lots of soft coral, this colorful site is home to lobsters and spotted drums, moray eels and snappers, black tip reef sharks, and flying gurnards.  You’ll also find schooling sennet, grunts, wrasse, filefish, goatfish and lizard fish as you explore.  Maximum depth is just 50 feet, with many features in water as shallow as 20 feet. The plane wreck, which is missing its wings and tail, is in 40 feet of water and can be swum through.

The Visibles 

Located off Cockroach Island’s southwestern tip, the Visibles is a site for experienced divers only, although it begins at the tip of a pinnacle in just 10 feet of water.  Beyond this, a slope covered in deep water gorgonians and sea fans hosts an abundance of angelfish and snappers, highhats and filefish, butterfly fish, and others.  At 80 feet, you’ll find a series of coral encrusted ledges that lead to overhangs where nurse sharks can be found and large grottoes where bigeyes and glassy sweepers peer out from the shelter these magnificent rock formations provide.  Swarming with small baitfish, the area is patrolled by barracuda and sharks, mackerel and tarpon.  Be careful as you explore the tunnels and arches closer to shore, as there is fire coral in among the sponges and hydroids, and keep an eye out for the rays and turtles which frequently visit the site.  There is quite a bit of current here at times, which keeps the fish coming and encourages the soft coral to feed in the nutrient rich upwelling. 

Joe’s Cave 

Not just one cave, but an incredible series of holes and ledges, massive monolithic boulders up to 25 feet tall awaits divers at this fantastic shallow site.  Joe’s Cave itself is a massive triangular crack in a rocky wall, with a spherical chamber at the end, which has been carved out by the ocean’s current over time.  If there is no surge, you can enter the cave and peer up toward the open top, where you can see the light from above penetrating the surface in shafts and rays that beg to be photographed.  Inside the cave, swarms of glassy sweepers hide from the tarpon and barracuda that patrol the outside, and everywhere you look, colorful coral and sponges hide a multitude of small creatures.  Outside, among the boulders, you can find everything from lobsters to anthias and other reef fish.  Maximum depth is just 40 feet. 

There are so many dive sites to be enjoyed around the Dog Islands that the best way to experience the area is to travel with a liveaboard.  Not only do local liveaboard operators offer luxurious accommodations and continuous opportunities for diving, they can take you to places that are usually out of the reach of day trip charters.  Be sure to book your trip well in advance, particularly if you want to travel with a group.  Brush up on your underwater photography skills and bring home memories that will last a lifetime! 

Location:
  • Caribbean
  • British Virgin Islands
Keywords: caribbean dive sites, british virgin islands dive sites, dog islands dive sites, bronco billy, the chimney, airplane wreck, coral gardens, the visibles, joe's cave Author: Related Tags: Travel Articles