Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Anguilla

By Boat from Sandy Ground

Prickly Pear consists of two islands and a reef. Snorkelling is good on the southern side of the east island.

On the west side of the island are three mini-walls with ledges and small caves. Inhabitants: Stingrays, spotted moray eels, spiny lobsters, turtles and eagle rays. West end of Anguilla

The Ida Maria is a 120 ft. long vessel. It was deliberately sunk after Hurricane Klaus. Northwest of Sandy island. MV Ida Maria Wreck is also known as M.V. Ida Maria.

Shallow dive: Barracuda, reefsharks and nursesharks (if lucky), lobsters, spotted morray eels... Southwest side of Anguilla.

This site it situated with steep cliffs and caves as a backdrop to the reef site. The caves only go back about twenty feet so they are not diveable. What is here though is a very wide plateau at about 22 feet; it has trenches that run at 90 degrees to the shoreline until they meet the drop-off about twenty feet apart. You can follow these to the drop-off and slide down the reef to about 70 ft. The trenches are the perfect place for searching for those critters that love to hide.

This reef is the safest dive site in Anguilla. The boat is anchored on a Sandy bottom in 7 to 8 feet of water. It is protected by three reef structures which means that is always calm with very little water movement. However once you hit the start of the reef in 15 feet of water you are surrounded by all types of soft coral and a forest of sea fans; max depth is 40 feet. This dive is great for snorkellers and novice divers alike and offers a great chance of seeing Southern Stingrays, Eagle Rays and Turtles. Shoal Bay village Sea Fan is also known as Shoal Bay Reef.

This reef is famous on Anguilla for offering great snorkelling. Its reputation in not unfounded. The plateau is in 15 to 18ft of water and goes down towards a 45 degree drop-off at 25ft after that point it drops off anywhere from 30 feet at its Eastern end to 85 ft on its Western end. At the base of the reef is a sandy bottom where one can often see Southern Sting Rays, Lobster, Crayfish and Eels in the overhangs and holes within the reef itself.

A dive favorite for those who like to see eels, arrow crabs, cleaner shrimp, red claw shrimp and lobster. This site offers good safe diving with only a short boat ride. Anchoring in 15-20 ft of water on the top on the reef where large Elk horn coral formations can be found; these are seen on the edge of the drop-off at 25 ft where it drops off to an 80 ft sandy bottom.

This site was named 'Captain Turtle' because there are often turtles seen here. The plateau has lots of places for Nurse Sharks to sleep so always look for them when you are there. Soft coral fans lead the way to the drop-off. This dive can range anywhere from 20ft to 65ft. A nice easy dive that entertains the novice to the most experience diver.

This is thought of by most divers in Anguilla to be the second best reef dive. However due to its location, rough seas make it a dive that is conducted only when conditions allow. It can be dived at three different places along this sheer 90ft wall dive. Due to currents, this is always a drift dive but it is home to, Black tip reef sharks, Tiger sharks. Lemon sharks and Nurse Sharks. The wall that is at the edge of some very deep water brings Tuna, Tarpon, Yellow tail snapper and grunts abound.

By far the biggest of the wrecks, it sits out toward the 12 miles of reef that runs between Prickly Pear and Island Harbour. Like most of the wrecks, she was sunk intact and upright in the water. The cargo areas and the hull sit in 80ft of water but the top of the wheel house is only 30ft. There was a large Jew Fish in residence but it has not been seen in a while. The sheer size of this wreck makes it a worthwhile dive.

It is an interesting reef with a large flat area at 8 to 30ft with a steep drop-off to 83ft where the reef then goes out flat to about 100ft. Most of the dive sites have sandy bottoms but this site has coral heads and sandy circles that are great for Southern stingrays and Lobster that are quite often caught in the open running between holes.

What a great dive this is for both snorkelling and diving, its name is due to the large number of Angel fish seen at this dive site. This site has 10-12 feet high sea whip and huge sea fans. The reef goes anywhere from 1ft to 65 ft deep. Lots of Stingrays and Turtles also seen here.

New site close to the Commerce wreck. Reef with varied coral and lots of sea life.

This wreck sits in 82ft of water by the stern. It is intact and upright but has received damage due to storms that have passed though over the last six years, however rather that detracting from the dive site it has added a strange eerie feel to this wreck. Some of the biggest lobsters to be found can be seen here with the largest lobster ranging anywhere from 20 to 30 pounds depending on who is telling the fisherman's tale. This wreck is located on a reef and has introduced the larger fish to this area. You can often see hog fish, atlantic spadefish, goat fish, lobster and barracuda at 15 to 20 feet on the mooring line.