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Both
Antigua and Barbuda are almost completely surrounded
by well-preserved coral reefs, walls, and shipwrecks.
The southern and eastern coasts of Antigua and
virtually the entire coast of Barbuda are surrounded
by shelfs, providing excellent conditions for
spectacular shallow diving and snorkeling.
There is little or no current in most places,
and the water temperature averages about 80
F (25 C). Underwater visibility ranges from
50 to 140 feet, and tropical marine plants and
animals are diverse and plentiful.
Snorkeling
is possible at many of both islands' most beautiful
beaches; one of Antigua's best-known offshore
sites, Cades Reef, is now partly contained in
a designated underwater park. Another popular
destination is the wreck of the Andes, a three-masted
merchant ship that sank in 1905 and now rests
in less than thirty feet of water in (ironically
enough) Deep Bay.
Antigua's
dive facilities are far superior to those available
on smaller Barbuda, and so most of the sites
that have been established as dive destinations
are Antiguan. The southern and eastern coasts
are considered to offer the most consistent
diving; for more advanced divers, the ledge
of Sunken Rock on the south coast is a popular
site. Dive depths generally range from 25 to
80 feet and can reach 180 feet; distances from
shore to site are in some cases no more than
five minutes and at most 40 minutes away.
Barbuda's
encircling reefs contain an enormous number
of wrecks, most of which are yet to be explored;
in fact, the Codrington fortunes on Barbuda
were intimately linked to their acquisition
of rights to the wreckage in the 17th-century.
To dive off Barbuda, it is best to make arrangements
with a dive shop on Antigua to have the necessary
equipment taken over by air or boat.
| Scuba
Diving Schools in Antigua |
Deep
Bay Divers
Address: Redcliffe Quay
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2150 St John's
Phone: (1-268) 463-8000
Fax: (1-268) 463-8000 |
Dive
Antigua
Address: Halcyon Cove Hotel DicKenson B
St. John's
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 251
Phone: (1-268) 462-3483
Fax: (1-268) 462-7787 |
Dockyard
Divers
Address: Nelson's Dockyard
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 184 St John's
Phone: (1-268) 460-1178
Fax: (1-268) 460-1179 |
Jolly
Dive Antigua (1999) Ltd.
Address: Jolly Harbour
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 149
Phone: (1-268) 462-8305
Fax: (1-268) 462-8305 |
Octopus
Divers
Address: Box 2105 English Harbour, St. John's
Phone: (1-268) 460-6286
Fax: (1-268) 463-8528 |
Octopus
Divers
Address: English Harbour
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2105 St John's
Phone: (1-268) 460-6286
Fax: (1-268) 463-8528 |
Links
& Sources:
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