1. SUNKEN ROCK (40-100’/12-30m)
This is probably one of Antigua’s best known dive sites. Some rate it as the best dive site in Antigua. But that is only true in the right weather conditions. The dive site is close to shore, east of English Harbour, just below Eric Clapton’s house on the cliffs above. It is marked on nautical charts as a shipping hazard as it beaks the surface in wavy conditions.
The dive site is basically a massive building sized rock, going from the surface to 100ft/30m and beyond. The mooring is in the shallows on the shore side of the rock. On one side is a gulley with sheer rock walls leading you down to 100ft/30m and a sheer wall with amazing overhang towering above you all the way to the surface. Caribbean Reef sharks are resident on this dive site. I like to circle the rock twice, once going down to the base of the wall at 100ft/30m, and then again at 40ft/12m, where you will swim through schools of fish. You can finish you bottom time/air in the shallows by the mooring.
As I mentioned before, this is a fair weather dive site, and better for advanced divers.
2. RED ROCKS (40-70’/12-24m)
Stingrays are often spotten on the flat sand at the bottom of the reef slope, nurse sharks and lobster under the numerous overhangs and schools of fish all over the very health reef. There are many large barrel sponges, fans and nice dense coral through out the site.
The mooring is in about 40ft/12m at the top of a sandy chute leading down to about 70ft/24meters where it flattens out to a uniform sand floor. The whole slope from 40ft/12m to 70ft/24m is covered in dense coral as can be seen in the photo below. Following the edge of the sand/coral at 70ft/24m makes it very easy to navigate. You will pass a number of sand chutes worth exploring until the final lage distintive chute. Around this area it is common to see a large school of Atlantic Spade fish. You can make your way back to the boat by following the top of the slope at about 40ft/12m, exploring numerous rocky overhangs along the way. Sometimes Remorras can be spotted along the way.
All in all a great site, normally alway excellent visability, even when viz drops on other sites, Little to no current underwater, even in choppy surface conditions. Abounding with sea life. Definately one of my favourite dive sites in Antigua.
