The Turks and Caicos Islands are surrounded by one of the most extensive coral reef systems worldwide, occupying a 900km² shelf rising directly from the ocean floor.
Where the shallow turquoise waters of the Caicos bank intersect with the outer coral reefs, the ocean terrain drops drastically from 10m to 1800m, at times beyond vertical with many cliff walls having inverted cut profiles.
With more than 50 named dive sites, warm waters, pristine reefs, abundant tropical marine life, quality diving services and easy conditions – diving can be just a five-minute boat ride offshore to the 1800m vertical wall – the Turks and Caicos Islands are consistently ranked as one of the premier diving locations in the world.
A marine reserve protects the reefs and mooring buoys are set at all dive sites to avoid damage to the coral from anchors.
Coral type – Healthy soft and hard coral gardens, staghorn, orange ball anemone, sea stars, barrel and vase sponges, sea fans, nudibranchs, alcyonarians, gorgonians, sea fans, tube corals, stove pipe sponges, wire coral and rare black corals.
Marine life – Caribbean reef sharks, seahorses, manta rays, eagle rays, sting rays, green and Hawksbill turtles, moray eels and lobster, tiger grouper, barracuda, black durgeon, spadefish, blue tangs, dolphin, spotted drum, shark, whale shark, yellowtail snappers, rainbow parrot fish, yellowtail damselfish, horse-eye jacks and the magnificent humpback whale.
Reef type – Spectacular wall dives, canyons, caves, tunnels, pinnacles, underwater caverns, major drop-offs and shallow reefs.
Type of dives – Dramatic wall dives, historic wrecks and night diving.
Water temperature – 28°C (82°F) in summer; 24°C (75°F) in winter.
Visibility – Up to 45m.
Suit – Light skin in summer; 3mm to 5mm full wetsuit in winter.
Water entry – Shore (except Provo), day boat and live-aboards. Well-equipped, fully air-conditioned live-aboard cruisers are available for extended dive trips.
Dive centres – Numerous centres offer full dive facilities including Advanced Nitrox, Trimix and Re-breather courses.
Dive courses – A full range of diving courses is available, from beginner to advance level and including all PADI courses – from the PADI Advanced Open Water Course to Divemaster and Nitrox certification.
Equipment – Quality dive equipment available for rental including Uwatec wrist dive computers.
Tip – The diving industry is well established in the Turks and Caicos many of the best dive spots are un-charted proprietary sites and jealously guarded by individual dive operators.
Best time to dive Turks and Caicos – Year-round. The best diving is between April and July (quiet and outside the busy tourist season between mid-December and mid-April, when prices skyrocket).
The average temperature year round is 29°C (80°F). September and October are hurricane season.
French Cay – This cay receives sunlight all day in a sheltered, negatively angled undercut wall resulting in especially large coral and sponges. Nurse sharks frequent the area during their mating season from July to September.
Sandbore Channel – Pristine diving available, from vertical drop-offs, to sandy bottoms with giant stingrays, eagle rays, reef sharks.
Leaving the shallow Caicos banks to join the main channel, the pale turquoise water turns deep iridescent blue – a spectacularly beautiful sight.
West Caicos – Six miles of protected leeward side walls, approximately 90m from shore with more than two dozen dive sites.
The wall starts from 10m and drops to approximately 1800m. Incredible sponges, coral formations, large grouper, Caribbean reef fish and stingrays.
Other activities – Go horseback riding on Grace Bay Beach, take a jeep safari around the island or hike to the lighthouse, a prized historic site and protected by the National Trust.
Play a round of golf, watch some cricket – a popular local pastime, or perhaps pamper yourself with a spa treatment.
As the sun sets, relax with a local rum punch then savour a dish of local ‘hominy’, cooked with dried conch, before heading off to a beach party, nightclub or disco. And there’s always the option to have a flutter at the Casablanca Casino on Providenciales.
Read more about the Turks and Caicos. . .
Latest update: Diving in Turks and Caicos: 6 May, 2025
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