Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The Spice Islands of the Caribbean. Above or below the sea Grenada is one of the great Caribbean dive islands. From lazy drift dives over coral gardens to the eerie and challenging exploration of the wreck of the Bianca C, these waters capture the imagination of more and more divers each year at every skill level, from the novice through to the experienced.
Grenada offers more than diving, beautiful beaches and waterfalls. Rich in history and culture, Grenada has something for everyone with accommodation to suit all needs and budgets. From five star deluxe boutique hotels to small and intimate inns, each offers a warm Grenadian welcome to visitors and each provides some of the best cuisine in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Ivan gave the islands a real battering in September 2004 and it is a real tribute to the spirit of the people of Grenada that recovery has been so fast. The hotels are once again open for business, the beaches just as pristine as before. The reefs were totally unaffected by the hurricane and are just as beautiful as ever.

The star attraction of the islands is the wreck of the Bianca C, a 600ft cruise ship which went down in 1961 but there are many other sites.

Carriacou
Carriacou is part of the tri-island nation of Grenada and the largest island of the Grenadines. If you're looking for a tiny island surrounded by wide, white sand beaches with clear, clean and warm water seas filled with fish and healthy coral, with PERFECT weather year-round, then this is it. There is diving, hiking and nature trails. Most people either walk or take island buses or ride bicycles. When the locals see three tourists standing on a corner they consider that a tourist invasion. There are no high-rise hotels - the largest is 18-rooms - most are 3-4 rooms. There are no casinos. There are no movie theatres. There is just perfect island bliss. Don't tell too many people. The diving has been long overlooked and ranges from shallow reef to deep wall. It's fabulous.

Diving
Diving in Grenada is split into two main areas; The South Western corner of the island on the lee side; and The Northern islands (Isle de Ronde etc.).

Bianca C: A 600' cruise ship sunk in 1961 . she lies on a sandy plain in 167' of water , edged on the south side by Whibble Reef . The top desk/sides of the boat are at 90-110 with the central structure having collapsed downward and to starboard. In December of 1992 the rear third of the ship was torn loose by the severe swell collapsing to starboard. The ship itself is falling down inside the hull which is upright but you get the feeling it leans it starboard because of the slope of the decks . Recently (96)a boat that had its anchor caught on one of the davits tried to rip it loose causing extensive damage forward of the smoke stack. There are sometimes strong tidal currents, so this can be an advanced deep dive however with no currents most people can handle it if you are comfortable with the depth. The ship is encrusted with soft and hard corals. There are schools of jacks, barracudas, as well as occasional atlantic spade fish, Eagle Ray's are common and adds to the thrill of the dive.. This dive is spectacular and no one goes away without saying WOW.

A Windmill Shallows: 60 - 130'. Narrow ridge only twenty to thirty foot wide, it rises from the plate coral at 90' on the land ward and has a slope on the seaward side that drops to 140' or so before turning into a proper wall that falls away. Because it is so narrow with tidal currents flowing over it there is an abundance of fish and fry. On a clear day you can experience the call of the deep blue, and when you can't there's always the chance to see the bigger fish feeding. There are eight admiralty anchors on the site, which is encrusted with gorgonias, black and red corals as well as a variety of sponges.

Kahonee: 20 - 45'. At the head of the two ridges, it consists of a collection of sand channels with reef in-between. Nurse sharks and turtles regularly seen. This is also the place for brain coral, some of which extend six foot or so across.

Catamaran: Can be an absolutely stunning dive. Not many people know of the existence of this wreck, and the reef, which runs near it. The wreck itself lies in 100ft of water and is not much to look at. However, the surrounding reef is beautiful. At one time or another divers have met spotted eagle rays, turtles, lobsters, groupers, barracudas and schools of jacks feeding in the area. The reef averages about 60ft, and consequently has a lot of brain and plate coral on it.

Molinere Reef. 60 - 130'. A wonderful dive for beginners to advanced. The reef starts at 20' sloping to a wall that starts at 35' and drops to 65.' Along the top of the reef there is a wide variety of small tropicals, included yellow-headed and mottled jaw fish as well as spotted drums. For the more advanced diver there is a wreck, the "Buccaneer", a 42' two masted sloop ; she has been stripped so now only the super structure lies on its side in 80' of water. It's penetrable and ideal for photography. In the deeper water you often see lobsters, spotted morays and schools of goat fish , as well as a carpet of garden eels.

San Juan Wreck. Sitting in nearly 100ft of water off the south of the island, this wreck has the most sharks and barracuda anyone has ever seen in the waters around Grenada. Very strong currents make this a difficult dive at the best of times, but the wildlife more than makes up for the effort. Not for the faint of heart, and only for experienced divers.

Boss Reef: This extensive reef, which stretches five miles from the red buoy in the harbour to Point Salines, with a width of 200-500 yards and a depth of 20'-90' has an extensive choice for us . There are four main routes/dive sites which cover most of the terrain. There are frequent cleaning stations (look for fish hanging head down or up at strange angles the coral head; cleaning stations are staffed by juvenile spanish hog fish (small yellow and in groups of ten or so) neon gobies (two to each brain coral) and pederson cleaner shrimp (usually accompanied by an arrow crab in any recess with corkscrew anemones). On all three of these dives you will often see the "purple rain" of a descending school of Creole wrasse, usually accompanied by schools of yellow chromis.

Getting There:
Excel Airways offer charter flights to Grenada. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic both offer scheduled services from the U.K.

Golden Caribbean offer fantastic charter flights between London Gatwick and Grenada. Their website can be found at Golden Caribbean


Accommodation:
There is accommodation of all types and standards on Grenada and Carriacou - something to fit every pocket. Divers are often best suited by self catering accommodation leaving them free to dive unrestricted by a meal timetable. Two sources of accommodation particularly suitable and friendly for divers are: Grenada: Blue Horizons Resort Website
Carriacou: Down Island Villas Website


More on Grenada and the Spice Islands Here

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