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A large mustard-yellow brain coral head surrounded by reef fish on a shallow Providenciales reef — Turks & Caicos

Turks & Caicos · Turks & Caicos Islands · Wall · Cave & cavern

The Hole in the Wall

A vertical crack you exit into blue water at 29 m

Area photo: SNORKELINGDIVES.COM · CC BY 2.0

A crack in the Northwest Point wall that drops vertically from 17 m and emerges from the face of the wall at 29 m, out into open blue water. Space inside is limited to one diver at a time, so a group goes through in single file, and extensive sheet coral formations grow on the wall around it.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of The Hole in the Wall: typical dive 17–29 m (56–95 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit17 m29 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

21.8550° N, 72.3252° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The walls at Northwest Point are vertical and begin around 11 m, and this site is a hole in one of them. The crack starts at 17 m on the top of the wall and drops straight down inside the rock, emerging from the face at 29 m. Space is limited to one diver in the hole at a time, so the group waits on the wall top and goes through in single file rather than following each other in as a pack.

Emerging into the blue water at 29 m is the point of the dive, and it is over quickly — that is also the deepest part of the profile, so the plan is to go through early and spend the rest of the dive working back up the wall. Extensive sheet coral formations are found here, laid flat against the face, along with the gold and purple tube sponges the point is known for. Finish on the shallow top of the wall above the entrance.

Marine life and season

  • Pristine corals
Month-by-month season rating for The Hole in the Wall
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFairGoodGood

Season follows Turks & Caicos: January–April brings calm seas and the humpback whale migration through the Turks Island Passage; September–October is peak hurricane season.

Know before you go

  • Only one diver fits in the hole at a time, so the rest of the group waits on the wall top — agree the order before the descent rather than sorting it out at the entrance.
  • The crack enters at 17 m and exits at 29 m, making the swim-through the deepest part of the dive: do it first and treat everything after it as the ascent.

Sources

  1. Dive Sites — Dive Provo — Dive Provo

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