Page 340 - The British Big Four

CORAL GARDENS - A 30’ deep top sandy reef gives way to wide TUNNELS - Two irresistible swim-throughs formed by arching coral
shelf that is nearly 100’ deep. Rugged coral formations and a variety of await divers at Tunnels. Light peering in from the openings allows di-
sponges abound on this dive site, from plate and brain coral to barrel vers too peek into the nooks and crannies inside the tunnels. Butter-
sponges and the cerulean-colored tube sponge. A variety of Caribbean flyfish and angelfish abound this site and in the summertime, it is an
fish call this Grand Turk dive site home and scrawled filefish and Span- excellent spot for manta ray encounters.
ish hogfish are often found here. Famous for Alexander, the resident
greeter-grouper for the island of Grand Turk. Alexander is about a 40
pound grouper that lives at the Coral Gardens dive site. He likes to
have his chin scratched and then his belly rubbed.

MCDONALDS - Situated to the north-west of the island and starts in
depths of 30 feet (9 meters), divers approach the wall at McDonalds
swimming west. The sand gradually slopes to about 40 feet (12 meters)
before plunging to around 55 feet (17 meters), and right over the lip
can be seen a magnificent coral arch. The arch creates a fantastic swim
through where divers can swim out on the other side at a depth of 60
feet (19 meters). Schools of grouper and parrotfish stop by the nearby
cleaning station to allow cleaner shrimp and smaller fish to remove
dead skin and parasites. Green moray eels and eagle rays are also often
sighted in the area.

THE ANCHOR - is located to the west of Grand Turk’s middle section,
and is named for a huge, old anchor can be found at the site, sitting
motionless on top of the wall at around 35 feet (10 meters). Thought
to be over 100 years old, the ship that the anchor once belonged to is
not known, but its design is consistent with that of a British warship
of HM Royal Navy. Coral and sponges now encrust the rusty chunk
of metal, the chains of which are still evident, and an abundance of
aquatic wildlife is attracted to the area, hovering around the anchor as
if it has a magnetic pull.