Page 69 - Florida and the US Caribbean Isles

SALT RIVER CANYON WEST WALL - A sheer drop off wall. Lots of THE PINNACLE - Sea mount that tops off at 90 feet. Usually see swim-
canyons and groves to go through. Pelagic as well as eel, snapper, jacks ming reef sharks and big jacks. Black coral. Advanced divers only.
and groupers. Some really big stingrays in the area. Great for novice
divers as well as advanced. The East Wall mooring is in 40 feet of water,
the back of the boat usually hangs in 1,000 feet. Tons of sponges soft
and hard corals. Two types of black coral, the green and pink ones.
Lots of pelagic and tropical fish. Grouper, snapper, eels, conch, lobster
and crab are found here. Usually very clear water. East Wall is unfail-
ingly the “fishiest” dive on the North Shore. While horse eye jacks,
hogfish, and snappers swim off the wall, the sponge and coral-encrust-
ed slope is covered with schools of black bar soldier fish and striped
grunts at 60 ft. Large angel fish, parrot fish and groupers are featured
throughout the dive, with the occasional spotted eagle ray or black tip
reef shark lurking off the wall.

SCOTCH BANKS - a flat sandy submerged mountain top east of
Christiansted harbor. Mooring is in 25 feet of water. The wall is 15
yards east, starts at 40 feet and drops to over 1,000 feet. On the top
of the wall lots of pillar coral surrounded with barred soldier fish and
grunts. Off the wall barracuda, angel fish, elephant ear sponge, horse
eye jacks and once in a while a eagle rays, manta rays and even whale
sharks.

THE PAVILIONS - Beautiful wall dive east of Cane Bay. Lots of hard
and soft corals, schools of Atlantic spade fish, groupers elephant ear
sponges and black coral. Plateau with sand and coral, great for begin-
ner and advanced. The wall itself is decorated with colorful sponges,
whips, and sea plumes, typically hosting schools of Creole wrasse, trig-
gerfish and every species of butterfly fish. Watch for the rare pipefish
and seahorses. This dive is known for its abundance of marine life.