RMS Rhone & Salt Island · British Virgin Islands · Reef
Dry Rocks East
Pillar and black coral at 21 m with pelagics passing through
Area photo: Gareth Richards · CC BY 3.0
An open-water site off Cooper Island, dived to about 21 metres, where pillar corals, black corals and sea fans dot a sandy bottom between boulder ridges. Because it sits away from any shelter, pelagics come through: cobia and African pompano are the ones the site is known for. The ridges run parallel to the shore, which makes it good navigation practice.
Where it is and how deep
18.3780° N, 64.5000° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is an open-water site rather than a sheltered reef: it lies off Cooper Island with no shoreline to hide behind, and the dive runs over rock and sand to about 21 metres. Pillar corals, black corals and sea fans are scattered across a sandy bottom, and black triggerfish, coneys, trunkfish and slipper lobsters crowd the big boulders at the base of the ridge.
The open aspect is what brings the rest of it: cobia and African pompano pass through without warning, so it pays to look out into the blue as often as at the rock. The boulder ridges run parallel to the shore and give clear visual references, which makes this a good site to practise navigation on a calm day. It is exposed, though, and conditions change with the wind direction, so it works as the first dive of the day when the forecast allows.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
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.
Know before you go
- The site is exposed and conditions vary with the wind direction, so check the surface state before you commit and keep the deep part of the dive short.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Dry Rocks East?+
The site is dived to a maximum of about 21 metres. That is past Open Water limits and puts it at the deeper end of the Cooper Island sites, so it works best as the first dive of the day.
Sources
- British Virgin Islands Diving Sites — Dive The World
More dive sites in RMS Rhone & Salt Island
Coral ridges in north-south lines with sand lanes between
Wall
A three-step wall with different growth on every ledge
A reef the length of Ginger Island's calm north side
Reef
A rocky islet between Ginger and Cooper, sloping to 30 m
Overhangs and a gentle slope in 6 to 15 m off Cooper Island
Pinnacle
A thumb-shaped rock, mostly inside 15 m, in clear water
Wreck
Four scuttled hulls on one mooring, from 20 to 27 m
A 5 m (15 ft) propeller and open gearing in 9 m of water
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral fingers and sand channels, usually with some current
Sheltered fringing reef with a sponge-covered wall
A maze of sandy channels and small coral archways
Bonaire's demanding southern site, current and all