DIVE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS DIVE TRAVEL GUIDEBritish Virgin Islands - Cyber Diver Top 10 Dive Destination >>  hat a difference a territory makes. On the hustling, bustling US side of the archipelago, there are cruise ships and tourists and more cruise ships and more tourists crowding into duty-free shopping malls. AWFUL! To the northeast are the quiet and inviting British Virgin Islands (BVI), comprised of some 60 gorgeous islands and cays including Tortola (the main island), Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Great Camanoe, Guana Island, Peter Island, Salt Island, Beef Island, Cooper Island, Ginger Island, Norman Island, and many other small islands, some privately owned, which are clustered around the Sir Francis Drake Channel.
While Bonaire, Belize and other over-hyped, high-volume Caribbean dive destinations hustle to cash in on flippermania, the BVI quietly welcomes discerning dive travelers who come to see the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean and dive pristine coral reefs and submerged seamounts that are teeming with a rich diversity and abundance of marine wildlife. For more experienced divers, hundreds of shipwrecks dating all the way back to the 16th century are scattered throughout the British Virgin Islands including the renowned RMS Rhone, a 310-ft Royal Mail Steamer that sank in a hurricane in 1867 and the Chicuzan, a 246-ft refrigeration ship that sank north of Camanoe Island in 1981. When to Go Most tourists visit BVI (and other Caribbean destinations) between late November and early May to escape harsh winter weather in North America and Europe. During the off-season, rates are much cheaper and the diving is better with calmer seas and better visibility. As always during the hurricane season, divers should carefully monitor weather reports.. Click image to enlarge map |
Facts about the British Virgin Islands- Area: 59 sq km
- Population: 19,615
- Capital: Road Town
- People: African descent (90%), North American, Asian
- Language: English
- Literacy: 70.3% total, 70.3% male, 70.3% female
- Religion: Methodist (45%), Anglican (21%), Catholic, other
- Government: dependent territory of the United Kingdom
- GDP: US$183 million
- GDP per capita: US$10,000
- Inflation: 6.5%
- Major Industries: Tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete, offshore banking
- Major Trading Partners: US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, USA
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