I like Grand Turk for what it doesn’t have, as much as for what it does have.   Along with Little Cayman, its one of my favourite places to dive in the Caribbean.

It has all the modern conveniences,  but it still retains a quiet, laid-back appeal from an earlier time.   You’ll feel like you’re “getting away from it all” as you walk down Front and Duke streets, just feet away from the beach, among beautifully flowered-bushes, friendly people, and historic British colonial homes.  

Its all wall diving here.   All of the 40+ dive sites fall within the protected “Columbus Landfall Marine National Park” which lies on the West side of the Island.   Since it is in the lee of the island, they are sheltered from the wind and storms most of the time, so you can almost always count on getting out and diving somewhere.

The reef starts close to shore, so boat rides are always short-less than 10 minutes.   The reefs here are healthy, and support a variety of marinelife from sharks (mostly nurse sharks, but possibly some reef, blacktips or lemon sharks), to tiny invertebrates.

Another bonus is that the reefs start in shallow water (averaging about 30 ft) so there’s plenty of ambient light and bottom time.   The visibility is excellent (100+ ft) and the currents are non-existent to minimal for most of the sites, unless you go to the ends of the Island.

The Gibbs Cay excursion also makes for an excellent beach barbeque and unforgettable snorkel tour.   There you will get to feed and swim with some large and playful Southern Stingrays.

Travel Tips:

I can easily recommend Osprey Beach Hotel, both from a diving and  a traveller’s perspective.  Their restaurant serves great food (keep an open mind about trying local dishes too), and their apartments are very comfortable and aesthetic. Their barbeque nights are impressive, but make sure to have a reservation.  I’ve never had the time, but the snorkeling is apparently excellent right off their beach, with people seeing rays, barracuda, and the usual suspects but sometimes  nurse sharks & turtles. Try the local beer (Turk’s Head) which can be bought directly from two liquor stores that are nearby.

There are three dive shops clustered around this hotel, but I dove with Oasis Divers as it was recommended to me originally. And I’ve always gone back to them.  They like small groups and  having good times. They’re very knowledgeable about the reefs and are safety conscious.  But at the same time, as more experienced divers will appreciate, they will give you more latitude as your skill level warrants. They’re  just a five minute walk up the street and they’ll store your gear for you.

Its worth getting a unit with a kitchenette to save yourself some money at breakfast and lunch.  But be aware that grocery prices are more expensive like elsewhere  in the Caribbean.  Its also recommended that you drink bottled or purified water. You get your first jug free from the hotel, then you can purchase more from them or you can buy it from the grocery stores (much cheeper), or Reverse Osmosis fill stations.  Oasis Divers was always good at making sure there was plenty of bottled water accessible on the dive boats.