St. Kitts · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Wreck
River Taw
An upright freighter crusted in corals and sponges
The River Taw is a 44 m (144 ft) freighter that sank in a storm in 1981 and is now the best known wreck dive on St. Kitts. It sits upright at 15 m (50 ft), broken in two by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and crusted in corals and sponges, and suits novices as well as experienced divers.
Also known as River Taw Wreck.
Where it is and how deep
17.2780° N, 62.6983° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The hull rests upright in two parts on the bottom, with no current to fight. Schools of yellowtail snapper and sergeant majors hang around the wreck with a resident barracuda, while rays, lobsters and green sea turtles are common sights. Near the wreck, in the sea grass, lie construction rubble and the remains of a bulldozer and a van.
The wreck
- Vessel
- River Taw
- Type
- Freighter
- Length
- 44 m (144 ft)
- Sunk
- 1981
- Cause
- Sank in a storm
- Lies
- Upright on the bottom at 15 m (50 ft), broken in two
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime |
Season follows St. Kitts: December to May is the dry, busy season; June to November is hurricane season, wettest around September.
Dive videos
River Taw Shipwreck St Kitts · Pro Divers St Kitts on YouTube
Sources
- Dive Sites | Kenneth's Dive Center — Kenneth's Dive Center
- Diving St Kitts — Dive the World
- River Taw Wreck, Saint Kitts — ScubaGo
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