| For every personality there is a perfect diving | | | | of all varieties, these islands are a diver¹s |
| destination. But with 70 percent of the globe | | | | Mecca. While there are terrific dive sites off the East |
| consisting of water, and thousands of diving | | | | End of Grand Cayman and in the Northern Sound, the |
| destinations around the world, even the most | | | | greatest concentrations of dive sites are focused on |
| detailed traveler will have trouble narrowing it down. | | | | the western end. Here there are vibrant shallow |
| So put aside your nautical maps and read on, | | | | reefs and walls, canyons, tunnels and caves, wrecks |
| because Caribbean IN STYLE assembled an expert | | | | and so much marine life your eyes will pop. Cayman |
| panel of underwater adventurers to identify the best | | | | Brac offers consistently great underwater visibility |
| diving in the Caribbean. | | | | and fantastic shallow reef and wall diving. A huge |
| The nature of the dive site's waters are what the | | | | Russian frigate waits in only 60 feet of water. |
| panel took into consideration when choosing the top | | | | Legendary walls are the highlight of Little Cayman |
| sites. While accommodations are important, for the | | | | diving. And these walls are often accented by |
| serious diver, where you spend your time on land is | | | | canyons and swim-throughs and chimneys. There are |
| hardly a factor in picking a site. There are certain | | | | great shallow reefs available as well. |
| base conditions that will guarantee a great dive site. | | | | The Caymans are not the only Caribbean dive sites |
| From the wall diving of the Blue Hole, Belize and | | | | suitable for all levels of divers, So even if your loved |
| Northwest Point Drop-off, Grand Cayman to the | | | | ones aren't avid divers, they can still tag along for a |
| shallow reefs and colorful fish of BVI or the amazing | | | | good time. |
| shipwrecks of Aruba, one thing isobvious: Narrowing | | | | Turks and Caicos Islands |
| the range of scuba spots to the Caribbean by no | | | | These islands provide a rich assortment of relatively |
| means lessens the variety and wonder that can be | | | | unexplored underwater sites, including sea lanes |
| found. | | | | where boaters and divers often spot whales from |
| BVI | | | | January to March. A collection of unusual underwater |
| Many divers plan their entire vacations around | | | | wrecks includes the HMS Endymion, which sank |
| exploring the famed wreck of the HMS Rhone, off | | | | during a storm in 1790. Miles of reefs house myriad |
| Salt Island. This royal mail steamer, which went down | | | | kinds of colorful marine life. Right off Grand Turk, |
| in 1867, is the most celebrated diving site in the | | | | experienced divers love the many miles of "drop-off" |
| Caribbean. Also, a popular dive site trip from the | | | | diving, where the sea walls plunge into the uncharted |
| Yacht Harbor, is a site named "The Aquarium". A | | | | depths of blue holes more than 2,100m (6,900 ft.) |
| shallow sandy bottom is decorated with a expanse | | | | below sea level. As you descend you'll see colonies of |
| of granite boulders similar to those found at The | | | | black coral, rare forms of anemone, purple sponges, |
| Baths, some rising to within 10 ft of the surface. An | | | | stunning gorgonian, endless forms of coral, and |
| oasis in the middle of the ocean floor, it attracts | | | | thousands of fish. |
| some of the largest schools and varieties of reef fish | | | | Aruba |
| anywhere in the BVI. Its lack of depth gives divers | | | | Penetrating the impressive hull of an underwater |
| time to explore the ledges and holes between the | | | | wreck often means coming across a school of |
| boulders while admiring the schools of grunts (French, | | | | anchovies or a watchful snapper hiding in the corner. |
| Spanish, blue striped), snappers (gray, mahogany, | | | | Often it is enough to enjoy the play of light as it too |
| schoolmaster), chub, angelfish (Queen, French, Gray, | | | | finds its way into the wreck, reflecting off the |
| Rock Beauty) and many others. An excellent area to | | | | bubbles emitted by your dive buddy. |
| look for lobster and eels, we are often treated to a | | | | Aruba earns its reputation as the wreck dive |
| visit from a stingray or nurse shark. | | | | destination of the Caribbean with over half a dozen |
| Grand Cayman | | | | wrecks submerged in its waters. The Antilla, a |
| The small Cayman Islands probably offer more | | | | German freighter -- which at close to 400 feet long, |
| fantastic diving per square mile than anywhere else in | | | | is also the Caribbean's largest wreck -- is by far the |
| the Caribbean. With dedicated live-aboard dive boats, | | | | favorite, even among longtime, resident divers, who |
| comprehensive marine parks, hundreds of moored | | | | always seem to find something new at the site. |
| sites, premiere dive operations and topside facilities | | | | |