So what's the diving like?
The island is protected on three sides by an intricate barrier reef system, which features a wide and healthy variety of corals, sponges and marine animal life. There are some 20 different dives sites located all around the island. The boat trip from the dive shop to the dive site takes between 5 to 15 minutes. Average depth is between 30 to 80 feet, which allows safe and long bottom times, which often go 50 minutes or longer, air supply permitting.Our conditions are excellent for the underwater photography enthusiast. Year round water temperatures average 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and visibility is around 50 - 70 feet. Our underwater scenery is varied and diverse.
White Holes, for example, is a dive site off the north end of the island. There are white sands, huge Elk Horn coral formations, plenty of nurse sharks sleeping on the bottom, eagle rays, porcupine puffers, spotted drums and schools of many other Caribbean tropical fishes. There is Shark Hole where Caribbean reef sharks and the occasional bull sharks swim with you as you navigate a network of caverns and tunnels underneath the reef. Tarpon Channel is a dive site right in front of Sunshine paradise. This cut through the reef has wild rock formations and overhangs, schools of eagle rays and lookdown's and, yes, Tarpon. On several occasions we've had close encounters with a large resident great hammerhead sharks and we even have the photos to prove it. Virtually every site provides the likelihood of spotting schools of barracudas, jacks, African pompanos as well as big kingfish, permit, Cobia and more.
