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.