Scuba Diving in Anguilla

Left to nature Anguilla’s diving would be limited to shallow dives on offshore and fringing coral reefs. So, man decided to intervene. Some farsighted people in the 1980s, realising that Anguilla could not compete with the dizzying pinnacles of its near neighbour Saba nor the deep walls of St. Croix, determined to make it a wreck dive destination. The result is a small island with a big range of dive sites.

Not all of the ships that were sunk have survived subsequent storms but five are currently being dived (of which the Sarah is the largest – see sample dive below) and three more soon will be. El Buen Consejo (site 30) is scheduled to be a marine park and historical site under the supervision of marine archaeologists.

You would be unlucky to spend a week diving in Anguilla and not see a turtle or two. The sand that surrounds the dive sites is where you will see stingrays and garden eels, and there is a good chance of spotting conch. If you have a penchant for sharks, Scrub Island at the eastern end of Anguilla will virtually guarantee you a sighting. The wrecks attract barracuda, both schools of small barracuda and solitary grandfather sized specimens.