Once home to a salt mine, and now a ghost town where you can see old steam engines and abandoned buildings, West Caicos lies approximately 10 miles southwest of Providenciales and is now home to wild flamingos, herons, ospreys, and other seabirds. The western coastline is known as “ironshore”, as it is harsh and rocky above the surface, and on that side of the island, sheer walls drop away to the seabed. The best diving is along the remainder of the island’s perimeter, where the topography is more interesting and the currents are less intense. Let’s look at just five of these incredible sites.
Elephant Ear Canyon
Named for the famous, largest known orange elephant ear sponge discovered in the Turks & Caicos region to date, this reef and wall holds a single sponge 11 feet in diameter, which lies in 95 feet of water, at the bottom of a sand chute which cuts its way through the wall. Smaller elephant ear sponges, vase sponges, barrel sponges, and colorful coral formations decorate the walls, while the water is filled with fish and other creatures. Watch for barracuda and jack, sharks and turtles, and even a queen conch or two, along with stingrays and sharks as you explore. Visibility is usually between 75 and 100 feet.
Whiteface
Also known as the Anchor, this site is named for the white cliffs on shore, or for the huge anchor you’ll find embedded in the wall at about 70 feet below the surface. The top of the wall, which begins at about 50 feet, is capped with a fantastic reef where stands of pillar coral host an incredible wealth of macro life, and where you’ll find butterfly and angel fish, parrotfish and groupers, lobsters, and others. Maximum depth is 100 feet, and visibility is normally between 75 and 100 feet. Watch for turtles, sharks, and the occasional pod of passing dolphins.
Driveway
Home to black durgeons, barracuda, Nassau and tiger groupers, and lots of small sharks, as well as a few larger ones, the Driveway dive site begins at about 40 feet, and is a sandy chute which cuts its way through the reef, ending at the edge of the wall at about 100 feet, providing a clear view into the abyss below. All along the ledge, profuse coral and sponge growth, including gorgonians and black coral, hides smaller creatures and creates an interesting foreground for photos of the creatures you’ll see passing in the blue. As with the rest of the sites in the area, visibility tends to be in the 75-100 foot range most of the time.
Magic Mushroom
This site is named for the rock formation which breaks the surface, and can be done as a deep dive along the wall at about 100 feet, or as a shallow dive among large heads of coral where small wrasse, shrimp, crabs, napping nurse sharks, and other creatures take shelter from the current that wells up from below. The wall is covered in black coral, gorgonians, and sponge growth, and is home to lobsters and moray eels, plus it provides an excellent vantage for gazing off into the blue distance beyond. With visibility at 75 to 100 feet, this multi-level site is suitable for all divers.
Highway to Heaven
An interesting site which looks like an underwater highway, features coral arches and swimthroughs, plus huge white sand chutes. With magnificent sponge colonies in purple and orange, as well as plenty of soft coral, sea fans, sea whips, and coral heads, the Highway to Heaven is home to a diverse population of marine life small and large. Look for everything from pipefish to nurse sharks, blue tangs to tiny butterfly fish, and everything in between! Maximum depth is about 100 feet, and visibility is excellent, sometimes exceeding 100 feet. There is a light current, and the area is best for intermediate divers and above.
Whether you visit via liveaboard or choose to enjoy the services of one of the friendly local dive operators nearby, these sites as well as others in the vicinity are certain to be some of the most enchanting you’ve ever logged. Plan ahead to visit those you wish to see most!