Cai

We dive this site any time the wind drops or reverses. It can either be a fairly easy dive or a very strenuous dive, depending upon wind, current, and outgoing tide. We do this dive two different ways. The most interesting dive is to do as the other reviewers suggest--go in by the conch piles or the picnic tables and head out the channel, making sure to get a compass reading beforehand. It is best to do this dive with someone who is familiar with this site since finding the reef in the usual low visibility can sometimes be a challenge. We prefer to go out on the surface to preserve our air, plus we can use landmarks on land to judge when to drop down. The strongest current is usually near the harbor entrance, and the reef and visibility improve as you go south. Look for nurse sharks and turtles sleeping under ledges, and look out in the blue water and above the reef for Spotted Eagle Rays. You are likely to see schools of Blue Parrotfish, and Rainbow Parrotfish, plus some Midnight Parrotfish. There are large Barracuda and Tarpon, lobsters, etc. We enjoy ending our dive by going up over the drop-off and spending some time in the sandy flats where large schools of Tarpon hang out. Occasionally we like to do the dive north of the harbor entrance. We do this by parking in the area just before you get to the picnic tables and conch piles. This should only be done with very flat water, since the rocks are quite slippery and you need to walk out a ways before the water is deep enough to put on your fins and start swimming. Take a compass heading and head straight out over algae covered rocks which gradually turns into seafans and small corals. The swim out is quite a long ways. Once you come to the drop off, head north. The farther north you go, the more interesting the reef. You will see many of the large pelagics here, but generally not in the same quantity as the dive to the south of the harbor. Once again, save plenty of air for the long swim in, which is often against a strong current.