Turks & Caicos
Scuba Diving Resorts
What color is water? It can be beige, white, mustard,
emerald, aquamarine and cobalt - at the same time. To witness this phenomenon,
all you need do is visit the Turks & Caicos Islands. Standing on the shore
at midday, you can watch sunlight play across water tinted beige by marl banks,
bleached white by sandbars, yellowed by shallow coral heads and transformed from
emerald to aquamarine to a rich cobalt blue by a bottom that drops abruptly into
the abyss.
The
abrupt fade to blue hints at the unique underwater topography of the Turks &
Caicos, which juxtaposes sheer underwater walls with rich inshore breeding
grounds.
North of the island of Hispaniola, a pair of giant sub-sea plateaus rise
abruptly from the depths of the tropical Atlantic. Separated by the 7,000-foot
deep Columbus Passage, these flat-topped formations culminate in some 300 miles
of shallow sand flats and 48 islands.
Caicos, the larger of the two plateaus, was derived from the Lucayan Indian name
"Caya Hico" for string of islands. Running clockwise from West Caicos,
the string includes Provodenciales, which is the most developed island of the
group, along with the more sparsely settled islands of North, Middle, East and
South Caicos, which form a pronounced arc across its northern perimeter facing
the open Atlantic.
Provo's Northwest Point presents a broad assemblage of sheer drops, cascading
slopes and inshore coral gardens that feature some of the region's tallest
stands of pillar coral. On the more distant reefs of West Caicos and distant
French Cay, sponges and sea fans of extraordinary shapes and sizes flourish on
nearly vertical embankments. Across the shallower expanse of the upper plateau,
scattered coral heads host a colorful collection of reef fish and invertebrates,
along with easily approachable groupers attending cleaning stations.
Some
20 miles to the southeast of the Caicos plateau, a slightly smaller undersea
mountain rises to create the islands of Grand Turk and Salt Cay. Low-key and
laid back, these islands boast small inns and vintage guesthouses rather than
mega-resorts and traffic. The major enticement for divers lies just offshore in
the form of sheer walls punctuated by large swim-through tunnels and coral
arches. Sites like Black Forest, named for its abundant trees of black coral,
and Rolling Hills show that both coral and sponge growth rule, embellishing the
marine cliffs with great vigor.
With a wealth of sites close to land, dives are often conducted as one-tank
outings in small boats with surface intervals spent on the beach. Few feelings
can compare to the sensation of floating along these walls with a living reef to
one side and nothing but the blue void of inner space all around.
While divers in the Turks & Caicos always stand a good
chance of running into both large stingrays and eagle rays, moderate-sized reef
sharks, sea turtles and curious groupers, they may also find themselves face to
face with some of the ocean's larger residents.
During the months of January through the beginning of April, humpback whales use
the coastline of the Turks & Caicos as a temporary stopping point during
their annual migration.
Between late June and mid-July, adult nurse sharks mate in the shallows of both
French Cay and Great Sand Cay. In June and July, divers may encounter flocks of
as many as 50 eagle rays gliding along the walls of South Caicos.
On Gibb's Cay, dive/snorkel operators from Grand Turk have developed a feeding
area similar to Grand Cayman's Stingray City that features well over a dozen
large, friendly, female Southern stingrays. During feedings, it is not uncommon
to see baby lemon sharks venture in looking for scraps.
