Caribbean · Anguilla
Anguilla
Seven wrecks sunk as artificial reefs, with turtles asleep on the Oosterdiep at night
Anguilla is a small Caribbean island whose dive boats all leave from the beach at Sandy Ground. The diving splits between seven wrecks sunk as artificial reefs, among them the Sarah, the Oosterdiep and the M/V Commerce, and reefs off the offshore cays such as Prickly Pear Reef and Dog Island. Most dives run from 12 to 24 m (40 to 80 ft), and the wrecks are what bring divers, including a night dive on the Oosterdiep.
About diving in Anguilla
Every dive trip on the island leaves from the beach at Sandy Ground, the main port, a harbour shared with sailboats, yachts and the freighters that use it as the cargo port. A morning usually brings two dives, either two wrecks or a wreck and a reef. The reef dives include the offshore cays such as Prickly Pear and Dog Island, and the Oosterdiep wreck is also dived at night.
Seven wrecks were sunk as artificial reefs, and they attract a lot of sea life. The reefs are the other half of the diving. Prickly Pear Reef is a canyon cut with ledges and caves, where nurse sharks rest on the sand beneath the overhangs, and the reefs carry sharks, rays, eels, turtles, lionfish and big lobster. The Prickly Pear Cays and the Seal Island Reefs form a marine park designated by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and the Prickly Pear Cays have permanent moorings.
Anguilla suits divers comfortable at 18 to 24 m (60 to 80 ft), the depth of the wrecks, who prefer small groups: some boats take only four divers at a time. Newer divers are not shut out, since a morning can pair a wreck with a shallow reef dive. It is not a well-known dive destination, and the operator base is small, with three scuba operations on the island.
Best time to dive Anguilla
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
January to April is the high season, and it coincides with the coolest water of the year, about 25 °C in February and March, as the December to February cool spell ends. May and June sit between the busy months and the storm season, with the water warming steadily. From July to November the island is exposed to sudden tropical storms and hurricanes, which is why those months rate lowest; the same stretch is the hottest of the year, July to October, and the sea peaks at about 30 °C in August and September. December falls outside the storm window and is among the coolest months, ahead of the high season.
Dive types & marine life
Turtles are the headline: on one night dive on the Oosterdiep at least eight were counted sleeping on and around the wreck. Nurse sharks rest on the sand under the ledges at Prickly Pear Reef, and big lobster are common on the reefs and the wrecks, alongside rays, eels and lionfish.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Night
- Sea turtles
Best dive sites in Anguilla
- 1
Sarah
The island's biggest wreck, a 71 m (232 ft) former cargo ship at 24 m (80 ft) with the wheelhouse at 9 m (30 ft).
- 2
Oosterdiep
A wreck at 24 m (80 ft), bow toward Sandy Ground, with turtles on the hull and garden eels all around.
- 3
M/V Commerce
A 46 m (150 ft) hull lying on a slope, its depth running from 18 to 24 m (60 to 80 ft).
- 4
Prickly Pear Reef
An underwater canyon of ledges and caves from 12 to 21 m (40 to 70 ft), with a chimney-like formation.
Site guides
Wall
A current-carried drift along an offshore rock face
Wreck
A hull laid down a slope, shallow end to deep end
Wreck
At least eight turtles counted asleep on one night dive
A canyon of ledges and caves with a rock chimney
Wreck
Anguilla's biggest wreck, with a wheelhouse reaching up to 9 m
How to get to Anguilla
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) has a daily Cape Air flight from St. Thomas. Small public ferries cross from Marigot on French St. Martin to Blowing Point in about 20 minutes. The dive centres work from Sandy Ground on Road Bay, where all the boats leave.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Shipwrecks in Anguilla (MV Sarah) · ScubaTY on YouTube
Anguilla Scuba Diving Special D Diving · No Way Back on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How do divers get to Anguilla?+
Fly into Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA), served by a daily Cape Air flight from St. Thomas, or take a small public ferry from Marigot on French St. Martin to Blowing Point, about 20 minutes. Dive boats leave from Sandy Ground on Road Bay.
Can newer divers dive Anguilla?+
Yes: a morning can pair a wreck with a shallow reef dive, Prickly Pear Reef starts at 12 m (40 ft) and the Sarah's wheelhouse rises to 9 m (30 ft), though the wrecks themselves lie at 18 to 24 m (60 to 80 ft).
When is the best time to dive Anguilla?+
January to April is the high season, with the water at its coolest, about 25 °C. July to November carries the risk of tropical storms and hurricanes, though the water is warmest then, about 30 °C in August and September.
Are Anguilla's reefs protected?+
Yes. The Prickly Pear Cays and the Seal Island Reefs are a marine park designated by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and the Prickly Pear Cays have permanent moorings.
Sources
- Scuba Shack AXA — Scuba Shack
- Vigilant Divers | Scuba Diving in Anguilla — Vigilant Divers
- Dive Trip: Travel to Anguilla — Scuba Diving magazine
- Diving Wreck of M/V Commerce — Anguilla-Beaches.com
- Anguilla — Wikipedia
- Anguilla — Wikivoyage
- Prickly Pear Cays — Wikipedia
- Seal Island, Anguilla — Wikipedia
- Stoney Ground Average Sea Temperatures — Sea Temperatures
- Sandy Ground, Anguilla — Wikipedia
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