10 Reasons to Go Scuba Diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Whales, walls and drifts — the best diving and topside activities in the Turks and Caicos Islands delivers a conveyor belt of highlights
Turks & Caicos
Antoine Corbineau/Folioart.co.uk
1. Sunset in Style
For extravagant sundowners, make a break come cocktail hour for the Restaurant at the stunning Amanyara property on Providenciales’ western shore. The Basil Dazzle — basil, lime, vodka and ice — is a house special and particularly refreshing. aman.com
2. Salt Cay
For a bucket-list experience, slip into the water to snorkel with migrating humpbacks as they make their way past Salt Cay, in the eastern Turks and Caicos, toward southern breeding grounds in Dominica. The migration occurs between January and March, with mothers and calves sometimes sighted together — the ultimate thrill. saltcaydivers.tc
3. Land of the Giants
A caribbean reef shark
iStockphoto
A favorite dive between Provo and West Caicos in the Sandbore Channel, this site’s a dazzler. Huge schools of fish and hunting barracuda are among the regulars. But it’s the ocean transients sometimes seen here that set pulses racing — among them manta rays, eagle rays, reef sharks and even the occasional traveling dolphins and hammerheads. aggressor.com
4. Eco Tours
Explore the mangrove-lined canals around Provo by kayak or stand-up paddleboard during eco tours that include stops at a pristine beach to swim. bigblueunlimited.com
5. Rock and Roll
This French Cay site is a favorite liveaboard call-in for afternoon and night dives thanks to abundant sponges and pillar and staghorn corals in shallow water that host all manner of sea life. Soldierfish and squirrelfish peer from the shadows, and you’ll often spot huge eagle rays, sharks and schooling jacks patrolling here too.
6. Da Conch Shack
Conch is used in a variety of dishes in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
iStockphoto
Follow the sounds of hammers hitting conch shells to this favorite hole-in-the-wall shack on Blue Hills Beach, where TCI’s national dish (that would be conch) is served up with a good dose of local flavor. Try it in fritters or chowder, curried or as part of the rum-spiked cocktail called a Conch Knocker said to have, ahem, special effects. daconchshack.com
7. West Sand Spit
When the weather is good, liveaboards access this site 5 miles south of the uninhabited island of French Cay, where giant stingrays and nurse sharks congregate in the lee. Fin down to 40 feet, where the wall starts, and marvel at gorgonians and the gaping maws of barrel sponges along the way. diveprovo.com
8. Explore by Ferry
From Leeward Provo it’s a quick 25-minute hop by public ferry to land in North Caicos, the second-largest island in TCI and home to flamingos, freshwater ponds and plantation ruins. Sign up for guided tours or set out on your own to explore. caribbeancruisin.tc
9. Becky’s Beautiful Bottom
Pufferfish
iStockphoto
This West Caicos site’s name gets the laughs. And for macro photographers, Becky’s bottom is particularly beautiful for the tiny treasures hidden in the barrel sponges and huge corals along the wall.
10. Caicos Conch Farm
Other islands may claim conch as their national food (hey, Bahamas!), but TCI is the only place where you’ll find a commercial conch farm. Learn about the entire process of growing a Caribbean Queen — from hatching to harvest — during the 30-minute tours. visittci.com
SCUBA DIVERS GUIDE
Average water temp: Mid-70s to mid-80s
What to wear: Skin in summer, 3 mm wetsuit in winter
Average viz: From 80 to 130 feet
When to go: Year-round
More info: sportdiver.com/turks-caicos