Privately owned, Peter Island is a 720 hectare island which is mostly undeveloped. With luxurious spa treatments and fantastic opportunities for fun and relaxation available topside, it is also wonderful for diving. Facing the Caribbean Sea on one side, and the Atlantic ocean on another, it is nothing short of a marvelous place to spend a holiday. Here are just a handful of Peter Island’s best dive sites to give you a brief taste of all that diving here entails.
Blonde Rock
A set of two pinnacles situated in the Salt Island passageway, Blonde Rock rises up from the sandy seabed 60 feet below to within 15 feet of the brilliant blue surface above. Normally subject to currents which can be swift at times, this site is reserved for experienced divers only.
Its position of solitude within the channel causes it to attract all kinds of marine life, large and small. Here, you will find everything from mating pairs of moray eels to sea turtles grazing on the sponges that wreath the rocks. Schooling jacks and torpedo-sleek barracudas, cobia, and even reef sharks can be seen here.
The site gets its name from the brilliant yellow fire coral that encrusts the pinnacles’ rocky tips, and besides this, fantastic sponges, algae, and cup coral, along with lovely gorgonians and green stalked hydroids create a tapestry of color. A swirling school of glassy sweepers inhabits a small cave in the walls that undercut the nearby plateau, and you can find yellow French grunts, blue tang, and other colorful reef fish swimming in bold profusion as you explore. Look for blackbar soldierfish, triggerfish, and parrotfish too, and don’t forget to keep an eye on the blue!
Carrot Shoal
Suitable for intermediate divers and better, Carrot Shoal offers a maximum depth at 60 feet; but there is plenty to see in much shallower water. Located off Peter Island’s southwest tip, and shaped like a group of subway cars waiting to load, it features an underwater platform that rises up from the bottom, then levels off at about 40 feet. The shoal, perched atop this platform, is cut through in several places and rises all the way up to nearly break the surface. Hundreds of feet long, this magnificent geological feature is home to a wonderful and vibrant array of marine life, large and small.
Beneath the “platform” ledges, look for big green and black moray eels, tiny yellow and purple fairy basslets, and lots of little crabs and Spanish and spotted lobsters. Watch for the curious longsnout butterfly fish, tangs, Moorish idols, and parrotfish that can be found nibbling among the coral encrusted rocks. Last, but not least, investigate the arched swimthrough that looks almost like the opening to a railway tunnel, all the way at the end of the shoal.
Truck Reef
Back in the 1950’s, long before the advent of today’s ecologically sound methods for recycling old automobiles, Peter Island’s occupants decided to get rid of all the old broken down cars and truck from the island. In an effort to clean up in advance of a visit from Queen Elizabeth, and as part of a “Clean for the Queen” campaign, they loaded all those run out autos onto a barge, towed it to the mouth of Great Harbor, and dumped them into what is now a fantastic underwater junkyard teeming with life.
While the junk heap itself is fascinating, so is the drop-off into the abyss nearby. With black coral in abundance and huge tube sponges, as well as several large anchors which are lodged into the wall, it is a good place to spot large pelagics, including passing sharks and schooling game fish. Maximum depth is 100 feet, and visibility often leaves something to be desired, however the opportunity to meet up with these huge creatures and pose for photos with the old cars more than makes up for it.
Rhone Anchor
While the Rhone itself lies some distance away, closer to Salt Island, her anchor lies here, still attached to the chain which once tethered the two together. Lying on a sandy white bottom among columns of hard coral festooned with clumps of sponge and soft corals, the huge anchor, which is coated in encrusting coral, is sitting upright with one fluke buried in the sand. It is 15 feet tall, and is an excellent place to take photos. You can find queen conch, wrasse, and blennies here, along with others. Interestingly, the anchor chain is 300 feet long – follow its winding path, and prepare to be amazed. Maximum depth is about 75 feet.
The Fearless
The 100 foot long wreck of the Fearless lies beneath 80 feet of water, and is accessible at 40 feet. Home to French grunts and soldier fish, and a good place to encounter southern rays, as well as creole wrasse and occasional turtles and eagle rays, Fearless was scuttled in 1986, and is now covered in a fantastic coating of colorful sponge and coral growth. Watch for fairy basslets and gobies, curious little blennies, and plenty of other small creatures on board this old wooden boat, which sits right next to a beautiful wall.
When you’re done, don’t forget to take a quick side trip to the old Willie T wreck, which was a floating bar and restaurant at one time. Look for moray eels and groupers, as well as countless crustaceans and other small creatures as you explore. Penetrating either of these wrecks is not recommended, as both boats are wooden and subject to collapse.
Black Forest
A wonderful site for all divers, the beautiful Black Forest is named in honor of the black coral trees which can be found at the bottom of the wall in about 70 feet of water. Up top, at about 30 feet, you’ll find lots of hard and soft corals in colorful splendor, surrounded by schooling blue tang, creole wrasse, damsels, and others. Take your time to explore slowly, and you may be rewarded with the sight of a long snout butterflyfish or two. Usually calm, this site is great for photography.
Shark Point
If you were to walk right off the southern tip of Peter Island, into the water, you would find yourself on an underwater ridge that is a continuation of the island’s spine. With schooling pelagics and lots of smaller reef fish in attendance, it is almost continuously washed by a current and is suitable only for experienced divers.
With maximum depth at 80 feet and visibility that sometimes exceeds 100 feet, this is a majestic dive site that is ideal for wide angle shots of all the marine life you will encounter, including reef sharks, if you are fortunate. Watch for jacks and queen angelfish, groupers, butterfly fish and filefish in the small tunnels and canyons that cut their way through the ridge, and watch for nurse sharks resting beneath beautiful archways. Keep an eye out for turtles, and don’t forget to investigate the shallow caves that lie along the shoreline if conditions are calm. You can snorkel if you like, but be careful to do this only if you happen to be visiting when the current is very light, as the rocks and corals are sharp and painful to collide with.
Even if you’re not staying on Peter Island, you can enjoy these dive sites, as liveaboards and charters visit with frequency. Be sure to plan your itinerary in advance, and you’ll enjoy your holiday even more.