Caribbean · Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
Short boat rides from Falmouth Harbour to reefs, reef sharks and tarpon
Falmouth Harbour and English Harbour, beside Nelson's Dockyard on Antigua's south coast, are a boat-dive base a short ride from most of the island's dive sites, the majority within 20 minutes. The Pillars of Hercules sits just outside the Dockyard, Red Rocks is a soft-coral slope with barrel sponges, and the windward drifts at Nanton Point and Tarpon Alley bring reef sharks and tarpon. Most dives run from 3 to 23 m (10 to 75 ft).
About diving in Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
Diving here is from boats based in Falmouth Harbour and English Harbour, chosen because most of Antigua's dive sites are a short ride away. Most sites lie within 20 minutes and none is more than 30 minutes out. About half the sites carry permanent moorings; the rest are run as drift dives. Each trip's sites are picked to match the experience of the divers aboard and the day's weather, and guests can ask for a particular site. The Atlantic-facing sites go only when the weather allows.
The reefs are healthy, with water clarity above 18 m (60 ft) most of the time. To leeward, Red Rocks and Godzilla's Lair are dense sloping soft-coral reefs with huge barrel sponges, and the same reef continues to Carib House; nurse sharks are common on all three, with green moray eels at Carib House. Toward the windward side the current runs in unpredictable directions close to shore, so Tarpon Alley, Nanton Point and Carpenters Rock are drifted, with tarpon, Caribbean reef sharks, eagle rays and turtles. Invasive lionfish turn up at the least-dived sites.
Most sites suit divers of every level, and the two shallow sites at the harbour mouths also take snorkellers: Black's Point suits first-time divers, and the Pillars of Hercules certified divers of all levels. Headlands break the waves at both, so the surface stays relatively calm even when the sea outside is rough. The exposed windward drifts and the deeper sites are more demanding from a depth and exposure point of view, and those drifts run only when the weather and the group's experience allow.
Best time to dive Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Diving runs all year here. December to April is winter, with the best visibility of the year, and in winter spotted eagle rays turn up most at the Pillars of Hercules. From May the seas calm down, and the summer run of flatter water lasts to November. May and June are quiet months, with fewer crowds. July to October is the hurricane and tropical storm season, and September and October are also quieter months. The exposed windward drifts depend on the weather in any month.
Dive types & marine life
Spotted eagle rays show up most in the winter months, and green and hawksbill turtles are frequent sightings at the Pillars of Hercules. Several Caribbean reef sharks often circle at Carpenters Rock. The large tarpon at Tarpon Alley share the site with black jacks. Octopus and squid are the targets after dark.
- Reef
- Drift
- Eagle rays
- Sea turtles
- Reef sharks
- Trevally & jacks
Best dive sites in Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
- 1
Pillars of Hercules
Site just outside English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard where spotted eagle rays gather in winter
- 2
Red Rocks
Dense sloping soft-coral reef with huge barrel sponges, tube sponges and sea fans
- 3
Nanton Point
Windward drift where Caribbean reef sharks join the dive more often than not
- 4
Tarpon Alley
Overhanging rock on the windward side that holds very large tarpon
- 5
Carpenters Rock
Drift fully exposed to the Atlantic, dived only in calm weather
- 6
Carib House
Continuation of the Red Rocks reef with overhangs, sand gullies and rubble patches
- 7
Blacks Point
Shallow site at the windward tip of Falmouth Harbour, 3 to 9 m (10 to 30 ft)
Site guides
Reef
A resident great barracuda patrolling coral-covered boulders
Reef
Yellowhead jawfish living in the rubble patches
Drift
Caribbean reef sharks on most dives
Reef
Huge barrel sponges among sea fans and sea plumes
Drift
Large adult nurse sharks along a reef of overhangs
Drift
Very large tarpon under an overhanging rock
An enormous 17th-century anchor below eroded cliff pillars
How to get to Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
Taxis run from Antigua's airport to English Harbour. The dive centres sit around Falmouth Harbour and English Harbour on the south coast, one of them in the grounds of the National Sailing Academy in Falmouth Harbour.
Photos from Antigua — English Harbour & Falmouth
Thank You (23 Millions+) views · CC BY 2.0
Vincent van Zeijst · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Scuba Antigua: A Look Below The Surface Of Paradise · AntiguaBarbuda on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive English Harbour?+
Open Water is enough for most sites, including the Pillars of Hercules, which also suits snorkellers. The Montserrat wreck requires Advanced certification and the Deep Diver specialty.
When is the best time to dive Antigua's south coast?+
December to April has the best visibility, and winter brings the most eagle rays at the Pillars of Hercules. May to November has calmer seas, but July to October is hurricane and tropical storm season.
Is the diving shore or boat?+
Boat. The centres run out of Falmouth Harbour and English Harbour, with most sites within 20 minutes and none more than 30 minutes away. About half the sites are moored and the rest are drift dives.
Where are reef sharks seen around English Harbour?+
On the windward drifts; at Nanton Point Caribbean reef sharks join the dive more often than not. These Atlantic-facing sites run only when the weather allows.
Sources
- Antigua Scuba Dive Sites | DiveCarib — DiveCarib
- Antigua Scuba Dive Tours | DiveCarib — DiveCarib
- Diving Antigua | Soul Immersions Dive Centre — Soul Immersions Dive Centre
- FAQs - Soul Immersions Dive Centre — Soul Immersions Dive Centre
- Falmouth Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Antigua and Barbuda – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Antigua – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Aerial view over a turquoise bay with anchored sailboats, a scrub-covered headland and green hills beyond by Thank You (23 Millions+) views, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Layered rock cliffs and a bare tree above a rocky shoreline, with waves breaking along a green headland under grey clouds by Vincent van Zeijst, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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