Snorkeling & Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving

Dive experts, including the late Jacques Cousteau, have cited Providenciales as one of the 10 best sites in the world. Why is the diving so good in Provo and the Turks & Caicos in general? A number of reasons: great visibility (often more than 30m/100 ft.), gentle seas, a barrier reef that runs the full length of the island's 27km (17-mile) north coast, dramatic vertical underwater "walls" where the coral is big and healthy and marine life congregates, and a local government committed to protecting its natural assets -- much of the coastal waters around Provo are protected national parkland, where fishing is not allowed. The water is warm and calm much of the year.

From the shore at Grace Bay, visitors can see where the sea breaks along 23km (14 miles) of barrier reef, the teeming undersea home to sea life that ranges from swarms of colorful schools of fish to barracuda to rotund grouper.

Around Provo and the Caicos islands, the popular diving spots include Grace Bay, Northwest Point (a 4.8km/3-mile strip of excellent dive sites with a vertical drop-off to 2,099m/6,888 ft.), Pine Cay, West Caicos (with miles of 1,829m/6,000-ft. vertical walls), and French Cay (more 6,000-ft. vertical drop-offs). The latter two are great spots to see large pelagics such as reef sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and dolphins. For extensive information about each of these sites, go to the very informative website of Art Pickering's Provo Turtle Divers Ltd., Turtle Cove (tel. 649/946-4232 or 800/833-1341 for reservations; www.provoturtledivers.com). It's the oldest dive operation in the islands.

Most dive operators rent scuba tanks, plus backpacks and weight belts (included in the dive cost). In general, a single-tank dive costs $75 (£38), a night dive goes for $75 (£38), and a morning two-tank dive is $109 (£55). Many offer technical diving and PADI training, with full instruction and resort courses. An open-water PADI referral course goes for $400 (£200).

Snorkeling

The snorkeling is as good as it is on Provo and the Caicos islands for the same reasons the diving is exalted . This is a great place to learn to snorkel -- the waters are clean, clear, temperate, and gentle -- and the marine life is rich and thriving.

A number of watersports operators offer snorkeling trips (or combination snorkeling/beach excursions) off Grace Bay or in and around the Caicos Cays, a short (30-min.) trip from Leeward Marina. Caicos Adventures takes you farther still, on 4.6m-wide (15-ft.) powered catamarans, to superb snorkeling spots in West Caicos and French Cay, both about an hour's boat ride from Leeward (tel. 649/941-3346; www.caicosadventures.com).

You can even find great snorkeling opportunities right on Grace Bay. While most resorts along Grace Bay offer complimentary snorkeling equipment with which you can happily tool around the clear shallows in front of your hotel, it's unlikely that you'll see anything other than the clear turquoise sea and a sprinkling of pink-tinged sunrise tellins or sun-bleached coral. If you really want to see an active underwater marine garden, grab your snorkeling equipment and head down the beach to one of Grace Bay's two prime snorkeling spots, Smith's Reef and Bight Reef, both in the Princess Alexandra National Park, on Provo's northern coastline.

Smith's Reef, near Turtle Cove Marina, is a walk-in dive to a seascape of brain and fan corals, purple gorgonians, anemones, sea cucumbers, sergeant majors, green parrotfish, long-nosed trumpet fish, the ominous-looking green moray, an occasional southern ray, and a visiting hawksbill turtle or two. Smith's Reef has underwater signs that describe the coral reef ecosystem and the diversity of life that thrives there. Snorkelers can learn about the various creatures camouflaged within the reef, the importance of sea-grass beds, and the ways that parrotfish contribute to the environment. The trail follows the perimeter of the reef starting inshore in about 1 to 2m (3 1/4-6 1/2 ft.) of water, increasing to 7 to 9m (23-30 ft.) deep. The depth marks a spectacular display of coral creations, colorful schooling fish, and spotted eagle rays; even resident turtles can be found.

Even closer than Smith's Reef to most guests staying on Grace Bay, Bight Reef is located in the Grace Bay area known as the Bight, just offshore the Reef Residences of Grace Bay (formerly Coral Gardens). A public footpath leads to the beach, and two marker buoys indicate both ends of the snorkel trail. The Bight Reef Snorkel Trail has underwater trail signs that describe corals and how they grow. Water depth ranges from 1 to 5m (3 1/4-16 ft.), and visitors can view mobile species like yellowtail snappers, big jolthead porgies, and sand-sifting mojarras. You can get snorkeling equipment (and even diving lessons) at Cactus Voyager, the in-house dive operator in Coral Gardens resort, directly in front of the reef (tel. 649/941-3713).

On North Caicos the snorkeling is especially good at Three Mary Cays, a marine sanctuary just east of Sandy Point and part of 11km-long (7-mile) Whitby Beach. On Middle Caicos you can snorkel in Mudjin Harbor around Dragon Cay.