Page 197 - The British Big Four

an Salvador’s fascinating underwater topography has led to its pleased to hear that San Salvador is home to many shark species,

S renown as a great diving destination. It is one of the top five the scalloped hammerheads being a favorite with our divers.
wall-diving destinations in the region and underwater visibility
ranges between 100 and 150 feet. More than 50 sites are located
arsgate Wreck - The SS Frascate was a 261-foot steamship, run
Fon the island’s lee side, reducing the chance of encountering rough aground under hurricane-force winds and now scattered in just

seas. Most of the dive sites are walls, some named for island lo- 20 feet of water. The highlights are the massive boilers, with orifices

cales such as Cockburn Town Wall and Riding Rock Wall. Reefs and large enough to swallow a diver or two. This may be the finest shal-

wrecks also provide rewarding diving. Some of the unusual ones low wreck in the Bahamas. She went down in 1902 on New Year’s

include Devil’s Claw and Vicky’s Reef, home to stingrays and sharks; Day after the crew apparently had a bit too much fun the previous

and French Bay, known for its elkhorn and staghorn coral. High Cay, night. Weather was calm and there was a big island directly in her

Low Cay and Middle Cay are popular spots for both reef and wreck path that nobody seemed to notice. The ship sat intact until, con-

diving. You will find it quite an adventure diving in crevasses, caves sidered hazardous to other vessels, she was salvaged and demol-

and along a wall with black coral trees and sponges. ished during World War I. Lying as shallow as six feet and deeper

D ive sites are mostly located on the lee side of the island where than 20, she offers much too explore: great structures, moray eels,
calm, clear waters with 150 feet or more of visibility are the grouper and so much more. This is one of San Sal’s favorite shallow
sites. Other notable wreck dive sites include the Columbian wreck,

norm due to the protecting reefs. High Cay, Low Cay, and Middle Brig Enterprise wreck Hinchinbrook wreck, Schooner wreck and

Cay are popular spots for both reef and wreck diving. Cave diving Yacht wreck -

is choice in San Salvador, where the past awaits visitors at several
popular spots: Movie Caves near Fernandez Bay, Sandy Point Cave
alls While the shallow reef is nice off San Sal, the walls are
Wnear Grotto Beach, and Double Cave near Sandy Point. The majority the big draw. The fact that they are vertical, begin in only 40

of the diving takes place among the 50+ dive sites that are located feet of water, and are washed by water with 100- to 150-foot clar-

on the islands lee side, so rough seas are rarely encountered. The ity is a hard combination to beat. One standout site is Great Cut, a

dive sites are almost all walls so the possibility of going deep is double drop where a huge section of the wall split away millennia

available, though you need not dive deeper than 40 feet to reach ago. Once you drop into the cut, look for a swim-through tunnel at

the reef if you prefer to keep a shallow profile. Shark lovers will be about 85 feet.