Reefwander
A white dive ship flying a red-and-white dive flag lies at anchor in turquoise water, with a granite boulder in the foreground and a green island behind — Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands.

Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands · British Virgin Islands · Reef

The Flintstones

Boulder city off West Dog, with eagle rays passing in the deep

Area photo: O'Dea · CC BY-SA 4.0

The Flintstones is a boulder dive on the west side of West Dog, named for rocky outcroppings said to resemble Fred and Barney's home of Bedrock. It is a less visited, intermediate site where the boulders continue underwater, and nurse sharks and the occasional eagle ray pass in its deeper part.

Also known as Flintstones.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of The Flintstones: typical dive 9–21 m (30–70 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit9 m21 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

18.4835° N, 64.4725° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Divers navigate through oddly shaped boulders between 9 and 21 m (30 and 70 ft), the underwater continuation of the outcroppings above the surface. Lobsters hide in the crevices among the rocks, while nurse sharks and the occasional eagle ray pass along the deeper edge of the site.

Marine life and season

  • Eagle rays
Month-by-month season rating for The Flintstones
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodFairFairGoodGoodPrime

Season follows Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands: High season runs from mid-December through April, when winter seas are rougher but clearer; hurricane risk peaks from late August through September.

Dive videos

Diving in the BVI - Flintstones Reef -June 2, 2021 · vectorw8t on YouTube

Sources

  1. BVI Dive Sites — Dive BVI
  2. Diving - Sunchaser Scuba — Sunchaser Scuba

More dive sites in Virgin Gorda & the Dog Islands

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Under an arch into a cathedral-like room open to the surface

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An archway into a reef canyon that opens on an amphitheatre of pillar coral

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High-walled canyons lead to a massive arch lined with yellow coral

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No walls, but ledges and boulders sheltering nurse sharks and grunts

9–23 m · max 24 madvanced

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