With some of the best wall dives in the world, and home to magnificent pelagics, such as bottlenose dolphins and reef sharks, hammerheads, and manta rays, the Turks and Caicos region is a well sheltered area with dive sites along shallow reefs and steep walls that plummet to more than 7,000 feet below. It takes an effort to get to the area, as it is well off the beaten path. This is just one reason the diving is so spectacular. Let’s take a look at just five of the best sites the Northwest Point area has to offer.
Black Coral Forest
Beautiful black coral grows in diverse profusion here, along a ledge at 200 feet below the surface. With black coral trees so large that you must navigate around them, and long coils of black wire coral, this ledge affords divers with a look out into the deep, seemingly bottomless blue below. As you make your ascent, you’ll find beautiful deep water gorgonians in shades of red and violet, as well as more black coral, sponges in all shapes and sizes, and sea fans that wave gently with the light current. The top of the wall is home to schooling grunts and brilliant parrotfish, among others. Visibility is usually good, between 30 and 50 feet. Watch for the occasional hammerhead among the many reef sharks you may encounter, and keep an eye out for turtles and dolphins as well.
ThunderDome
Once regarded as an incredible swimthrough, ThunderDome collapsed during hurricane Frances in 2004. Originally part of a French game show set, this steel dome lies in just 35 feet of water and can be accessed at about 20 feet. Home to a brilliant array of marine life large and small, this fantastic artificial reef features a cleaning station operated by red strip cleaner shrimp, and you’ll find lots of Queen angelfish, goatfish, blennies, and snappers. Visibility is usually exceptional here, often exceeding 100 feet. Ideal for photography, this beautiful site is perfect for all divers.
Coral Stairway
Named for its shape, which is much like a stairway completely formed of various types of coral, the Coral Stairway is a fantastic sloping wall which begins at 45 feet, and slowly winds its way to 110 feet before dropping away into the blue. Home to a multitude of crustaceans and invertebrates, and peppered with colorful sponge growth, the wall is home to chub and hamlet, as well as jacks, barracuda, a few reef sharks, and the occasional hawksbill turtle. At the top of the wall, you’ll find fields of brilliant soft coral, and schools of fish in every color of the rainbow. Ideal for photography, this multi-level dive site is excellent for all divers, and is a great place to encounter eagle rays and dolphins. Visibility is usually between 50 and 100 feet.
Amphitheatre
Located to the south of the Black Coral Forest, the Amphitheatre is a beautiful site which is ideal for intermediate divers and above. At about 85 feet below the surface, you’ll find an undercut which extends back into the wall for approximately 15 feet, and which drops down to meet the sandy seabed at 90 feet. The entire wall is covered in magnificent sponges and coral, and in front of the entryway, a huge pillar-like buttress of plate coral stands sentinel, surrounded by swathes of rope sponge and sea fans, and swirling with a colorful array of fish. Watch for barracuda, sharks, and turtles as you make your ascent toward the top of the wall, which is at just 4 meters beneath the surface.
The Crack
Located in a wall which begins at about 50 feet beneath the surface, this massive curving crevice is covered in brilliant sponges, wire coral and sea fans, and deep water gorgonians, with massive black coral trees at about 100 feet, where you can take a look out over a 30 foot ledge that provides a perfect vantage point for an unbelievable look into the abyss. Outside the crack, you can see huge pelagic fish and sharks, while the inner reaches are populated by large lobsters, turtles, and countless species of tropical fish. As you ascend back toward the boat, you’ll make your way across the top of the wall, where an eel garden beckons and sunlight from above streams onto the brilliant white sand. Suitable for experienced divers only, this fantastic site offers great visibility which sometimes reaches 100 feet or better. Remember your camera!
These are just a handful of all the dive sites Turks & Caicos’s Northwest Point has to offer. There are several wonderful shore based operators to choose from, and if you like the idea of spending time on a liveaboard, that is definitely a great option. As diving in Turks and Caicos is so desirable, and as space is limited, it is a good idea to choose your dive operator well in advance of your holiday.