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Diving in Grenada

Grenada is a good dive destination. It offers reef, drift, wall and wreck diving sites with a decent variety to satisfy the beginner and the experienced. Carriacou, relatively isolated and quiet, has turned up some excellent dive sites too. The tour de force of Grenada diving though must be the wreck of the Bianca C, a 600 foot (200m) cruise liner that sank near the coast after a fire in 1961. It is massive. Rarely will you ever get to dive a wreck this big. Happily dive sites are not littered with bottles, old fishing nets and plastic bags – a very real advantage when comparing similar Caribbean destinations. Below the main sites are named and summarised:
Dive Site Summary
Boss Reef South West between Harbour & Point Salines. 3 dive areas ranging 50-60ft (17-20m). The Hole drift dive sees Barracuda and green Morays. Large schools of tiny creole wrasse descending. The Valleys of Whales contains canyons encrusted with coral plus many reef fish. Whale sighted with calf here in 60ft(20m) water hence the name. Forests of Dean offers vast expanses of brown coral “trees”. Sandy areas see rays, conch and octopus. Many fish cleaning stations.
Quarter Wreck South West. Approach area to the Bianca C with large coral formations and schooling fish.
Red Buoy South West near St. George’s. Coral clumps on remains of 18th Century wreck. 70 feet (23m). Man-made wall nearby sees many admiralty anchors. Blue vase sponges in shallows.
Spice Island Reef Beginners. Sandy area fringed by reef with brain corals dotted about. Breeding ground hence many juveniles seen.
Bianca C 600ft (200m) cruise liner wreck at 167ft (57m). Whibble Reef lies immediately to the south. Strong currents. Eagle rays. Soft & hard corals on wreck. Advanced dive.
Channel Reef Drop off reef near St. George’s Harbour with turtles, lobsters and soft corals. Many anchors.
Whibble Reef Advanced drift dive due to currents and depth (sand wall descends to 167ft near Bianca C). Schooling fish including bigger jacks common, coral formations, occasional nurse shark, turtles, eagle rays, lobster and barracuda.
Molinère Reef Beginner to Advanced. 20-65ft (7-22m). Shallower areas has small tropical fish plus yellow-headed and mottled jawfish and spotted drums. Advanced divers explore the wreck of the Buccaneer – 42ft (14m) 2-masted sloop stripped and penetrable. Lobster and spotted morays seen.
Flamingo Bay Wall full of reef fish – creole wrasse, yellow chromis, grunts and jack knife fish. At 90ft (30m) grouper, jacks and rays seen. Wall has whip coral, sponges and sea fans. Black seahorses occasionally seen in shallower parts.
The Wrecks Occasional dive. 3 cut up wrecks but with strong currents dumped off Quarantine Point. Inshore reef has rock beauties and angelfish.
Happy Valley 20-90ft (7-30m). Look for admiralty anchor. Wall dive. Good tidal movement makes this a good drift dive to Dragon Bay.
Dragon Bay Wall dive from Dragon Bay to Molinère. Beginners on top of volcanic wall, advanced on the bottom. Black coral at greater depth (45ft+ – 15m+), black gorgonians, groupers, morays and angelfish.
Grand Mal Point Whip corals, gorgonians and sea fans on this wall dive plus common reef dwellers.
Windmill Shallows Narrow, shallow ridge 20-30ft (7-10m) wide. 90ft (30m) drop off on landward side, 145ft (48m) drop off on seaward side. Tidal currents flowing over ridge bring abundant fish.
Carriacou Dive sites
Kick ‘em Jenny Brilliant visibility 100 ft+ (30m+). Rare and plentiful coral and marine life. Visits here include trip to Isle de Ronde in two tank dive.
Sandy Island Extensive reef formation reaching 70 ft (23m). Turtles regularly seen. Good night dive spot.
Sister Rocks Off Point Cistern and Jack Iron Point. Drop to 100 ft (30m) with walls, large rocks and larger pelagics. Heavy currents therefore advanced dive.
Pago das Garden Near Frigate Island with highly varied corals and fish life. Depth 40-80 ft (13-26m).
Twin Sisters Walls and drop offs to 180 ft (60m). One of the best of all. Cavern. Depth and currents so advanced dive.
Mabouya Island Off Hillsborough Bay has interesting reef formations. Eels, sharks rays and turtles seen.
Saline Island Excellent drift dive over extensive coral formations.

Nature in Grenada

Grenada is known as the “Isle of Spice” and though there may be many beautiful banana, cocoa and nutmeg plantations about the island, steep, rugged, volcanic peaks have fostered an even more beautiful eco-system. There are volcanic crater lakes, waterfalls, rugged mountain streams, hot sulphur springs and thick rainforest supporting a wide array of animal and plant life – there are iguanas, snakes, manicou (opossum), agouti (small pig-sized mammal), plus a myriad of plant species ranging from huge canopy trees to small mosses. Many rivers scour the landscape and have produced deep gullies, ravines and waterfalls (Seven Sisters Waterfall, shown right).
Crater lakes can be found at the Grand Etang Forest Reserve and at Lake Antoine – these are flooded volcanic craters. Grenada’s highest point is Mount Catherine at 2757ft (920m) and steep rivers flow from these mountain ranges producing waterfalls at various points – the best known are at Annadale, Concord (shown left) and Seven Sisters Falls, Fontainbleu and Mt. Carmel. Hiking trips visit most of these.

Whilst agoutis and lizards might not be your cup of tea, Grenada contains one particular creature that deserves a mention – the Grenada Dove (Leptotila Wellsi) (shown below). It is found only in Grenada and there are less than a hundred of them. They are an endangered species and thankfully now protected by law. The greatest threat to the bird is habitat loss and thankfully the Forestry and National Parks Department and many other local agencies are working together to sensitise the public to the precarious nature of the dove’s situation.
Grenada’s natural environment has much to offer both from the comfort of your 4×4 and half way up a mountain, covered in mud and hanging on to a rope. Check out the companies offer these types of tours. The natural places of interest are not doctored or commercialised, they are just part of an immensely beautiful natural environment that Grenadians and visitors are appreciating more and more every day. for more information on Eco-Tourism in Grenada, click here.


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