RMS Rhone & Salt Island, the area around Blue Chromis Reef

RMS Rhone & Salt Island · British Virgin Islands · Reef

Blue Chromis Reef

Overhangs and a gentle slope in 6 to 15 m off Cooper Island

Area photo: Cayeldo · CC BY-SA 3.0

A shallow reef off Cooper Island in 6 to 15 metres, suited to beginner divers and snorkellers. Rock formations closer to shore make overhangs that fish and lobsters use for cover; beyond them low coral heads and gorgonians sit on hard sand and the reef slopes gently away. Schooling tarpon and creole wrasse pass over it, and it is named for the blue chromis and quillfin blennies on the coral.

Also known as Chromis Reef.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Blue Chromis Reef: typical dive 6–15 m (20–50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit6 m15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

18.3728° N, 64.5101° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

The site splits into two halves. Closer to shore the rock formations pile up into overhangs and cuts, and that is where the residents shelter: lobsters and reef fish in the holes, golden tail moray eels under the coral heads, and the blue chromis and quillfin blennies that give the site its name working the gorgonians. It is shallow enough at this end that snorkellers see most of what the divers are looking at.

Beyond the rocks the reef slopes gently down to about 15 metres over low coral heads scattered across hard sand, and the water above it is where the schooling fish work: tarpon in loose formation, creole wrasse streaming past, blue tangs grazing over the algae. The whole dive stays inside 15 metres and the relief is low, so there is no way to end up deeper than you planned and gas rather than the computer decides how long you stay.

Marine life and season

  • Reef fish swarms
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Blue Chromis Reef
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodFairFairFairGoodPrime

Season follows RMS Rhone & Salt Island: Nov–Jun is calmest and clearest; Aug–Oct hurricane season brings swell that can close the exposed Rhone site entirely.

Questions divers ask

Can you snorkel Blue Chromis Reef?+

Yes. The site runs from about 6 to 15 metres and is described as suiting beginner divers and snorkellers, with the rock formations and overhangs sitting at the shallow end.

Sources

  1. Blue Chromis Reef — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
  2. British Virgin Islands Diving Sites — Dive The World

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