A shallow site on the leeward west coast with a maximum depth of around 21 m, named for a shipwreck in which a party of nuns died. A cross erected on the point above the site commemorates them and is the landmark divers pick out from the boat. Underwater it is a sponge-and-coral dive: large barrel sponges, brain coral and the occasional stingray.
Where it is and how deep
13.9406° N, 61.0427° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is a shallow one by the standards of this coast, with a maximum depth of around 70 ft / 21 m, so bottom time is generous and the profile is unlikely to be what ends the dive. Access is from the boat on the sheltered leeward side of the island, and the marker you look for on the way in sits above the surface rather than below it.
That marker is a cross on the point over the site, put there for the party of nuns lost in the wreck that gave the cove its name. Underwater the ground carries lots of large barrel sponges and brain coral, with stingrays turning up occasionally. Beyond the maximum depth and that list, no detailed description of the profile has been published, so the shape of the dive is one to settle with the operator in the briefing.
Background
Virgin's Cove is named after a shipwreck in which a party of nuns perished. A cross has been erected at the point above the dive site and commemorates them, and it is that marker rather than anything on the sea bed that carries the name today. No remains of the wreck itself are described in the published accounts of the dive, which cover the site as a shallow sponge and coral reef.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime |
Season follows St. Lucia: December–April is the dry season with the calmest seas; September–October carry the highest hurricane risk.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Virgin's Cove?+
Maximum depth is around 70 ft / 21 m. That is shallow for this coast, but it is past the 18 m Open Water limit, so agree a maximum depth before you get in.
Can you dive the wreck at Virgin's Cove?+
No wreck is described on the site itself. The name comes from a shipwreck in which a party of nuns died; the memorial is a cross on the point above the dive site.
Sources
- Diving in Saint Lucia — Saint Lucia Tourism Authority
More dive sites in St. Lucia
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Reef
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Reef
Drift over a 12 m to 18 m plateau, then the drop
Reef
A shallow terrace running out to a gorgonian wall lip
Wreck
A 1986 artificial-reef freighter lying in 20 m of bay
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