Saint Barthélemy · Saint Barthélemy · Reef · Wall
Fourchue
Hundreds of garden eels on the sand below a leeward coral reef
Fourchue is an uninhabited islet 8 km from Gustavia with the best offshore reef and wall diving around Saint Barthélemy. Its leeward side holds rich coral down to 22 m, above a seabed where hundreds of garden eels live, and rays, barracudas and turtles patrol the reef.
Also known as Île Fourchue, Ile Fourchue, Forked Island.
Where it is and how deep
17.9560° N, 62.9007° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Dives run on the leeward side of the islet, along reef and wall with rich coral coverage to 22 m. Large barracuda schools circle the deeper sections, spotted eagle rays appear on most dives, nurse sharks rest beneath overhangs, and Caribbean reef sharks turn up on occasion.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Saint Barthélemy: November to May is the dry peak season; July to October is hurricane season, with a risk of storms and heavy rain.
Know before you go
- More current runs here than at Pain de Sucre, and intermediate skill is recommended.
Dive videos
Scuba-Dive at Ile Fourchue, atlantic side with La Bulle Diving Center St Barts · Daniel Schlaegel on YouTube
Cave At Ile Fourchue St Barth · Jim Kelly-Evans on YouTube
Sources
- Diving in St. Barts — TripBase
- The Essential Guide to Diving St Barts — Bucket List Villa
- Dive sites in St Barts — Serial Divers
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a bare, brown, hook-shaped islet curving around a sheltered blue bay, with a small rock off its tip. by Hansottowirtz at English Wikipedia / chrisbox2, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Saint Barthélemy
Drift
Drift dive along steep drop-offs swept by fast currents
Pinnacle
A pinnacle at the harbour mouth, five minutes by boat from Gustavia
A sponge-covered wall and a pinnacle where barracudas live
Similar dives elsewhere
Barracuda over a volcanic mini-wall, in groups of five to twenty
A small coral island with a vertical wall, to 19 m
Reef
Coconut Reef
St. Kitts · Saint Kitts and Nevis
Nurse and reef sharks along a sloping reef and wall
Reef
Drake Island
Portobelo · Panama
Sponge-covered reef where legend puts Francis Drake's lost ship