Dive In: Why Turks And Caicos Is A Prime Location For Divers

• Published date: 30 September 2022
• Subject Matter: Government, Public Sector, Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment, Inward/ Foreign Investment, Hotels & Hospitality
• Law Firm: Invest Turks And Caicos
• Author: Mr Invest Turks And Caicos

Turks and Caicos offers some of the best sites for diving in the world. As adventure-seeking tourists flock to the island's pristine tropical waters, a gap in the market for accommodation has opened up, creating a raft of investment opportunities.

For adventurous tourists looking for diving and water-based activities, the Turks and Caicos Islands should be on anyone's list. With striking turquoise waters and diverse dive sites, it is no surprise that the islands are highly regarded by divers.

When planning a diving holiday, islands such as Bonaire or the Bahamas may spring to mind. But for the chance of marine life encounters and unparalleled wall diving sites, the Turks and Caicos Islands is difficult to match.

The island of Grand Turk has some of the most impressive diving sites in the world. Grand Turk is perhaps best known for its wall diving in the Columbus Landfall National Marine Park. The National Park contains many of the island's most pristine white sand beaches, such as Governor's Beach, Cockburn Town Beach, Pillory Beach, and English Point. These areas host dozens of scuba diving sites, featuring several underwater caves and blue holes.

The natural beauty of the Turks and Caicos Islands cannot be overstated. Divers can experience a thriving coral reef ecosystem with drops plunging far deeper than recreational dive limits. Due to the islands' chain being atop a 3,000 square mile elevated plateau, the islands boast stunning 7,000ft diving walls. The wall is particularly prominent on Grand Turk, where it is located relatively close to the shoreline.

"It doesn't take an hour to get the dive site - that's one of the major pluses. And most of the diving is wall-based. From the shoreline to where the drop off is, the water averages anywhere from ankle-deep to 35ft in most places," says Algrove Smith, who runs Grand Turk Diving. He is originally from Turks and Caicos and started diving full-time in 1990.

While Dale Barker moved to Turks and Caicos from the US specifically to run a diving business. She founded Oasis Divers with business partner captain Everette Freites in 1996. Barker says that Grand Turk's underwater wall is a highly distinctive feature that causes the colour of the water to change dramatically.

"The wall is sometimes just 500 yards from the shore in some places," says Barker. "The water right by the shoreline is this beautiful light turquoise colour. Then where the wall is, it turns a dark blue because it is a dramatic drop off down...