Wall diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands: a look into the abyss

Wall diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands: a look into the abyss

Diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands will undoubtedly take you to its famous wall. There you stare into a literal abyss that descends 2,000m to the ocean floor

There's a moment in the Jude Law film Black Sea where a deep-sea diver falls from a murky underwater ridge and plummets into the pitch-black depths of the ocean. For someone who had struggled to learn to scuba dive, the idea was quite frightening.

Of course, this doesn't happen in recreational diving - especially if you don't dive deeper than 18m. Still, I was reminded of this scene while wall diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands on the ninth day of our Caribbean cruise.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British overseas territory comprising two island chains (the Turks and Caicos Islands) separated by a 2,134 m (7,000 ft) long ocean trench called the Turks Island Passage or Columbus Passage. It acts as a superhighway for migrating fish, rays, turtles, dolphins and even humpback whales, which are usually seen from January to March.

alt=“When you dive in the Turks and Caicos Islands, you’ll float in the big, deep blue”>Atlas & BootsHung in the great big blue

Divers flock to the passage for its world-famous wall dives, not least the Grand Turk Wall, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the Caribbean.”

The Grand Turk Wall traces the leeward side of Grand Turk Island and is known for its extraordinary cliff face. For example, if you're at Governor's Beach, you'll likely be swimming in the shallow turquoise waters. Drive just 300 m (1,000 ft) from the beach (a five-minute boat ride) and you'll find the wall plunging 2,134 m (7,000 ft) into the ocean.

alt=“The best diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands”>Fair useThe best diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Grand Turk has over 40 dive sites leading to the Grand Turk Wall, including Coral Gardens, the Aquarium, the Library and even McDonald's, named after its coral arch.

We joined Oasis Divers for our first dive into tunnels: two swim-throughs formed by arching corals. We traced a route through the narrow passages, peering into holes in the coral formation to spot lobsters, moray eels, arrow crabs and angelfish.

We continued to our second dive site of Chief Ministers to get a good view of the famous wall. As you approach, your first instinct will be to back away - that's how striking this literal abyss is. I peered over the wall. Beyond a small outcropping of rock there was nothing but deep blue sea.

I took a deep breath from my regulator, hit the edge, and hovered over the abyss. If you turn your back on your fellow divers, you might be able to catch a glimpse of what it's like to be in space - or even on the bottom of the ocean.

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I didn't stay there long. Rationale tells you there's no reason to sink - I had my BCD, was properly weighted, and had plenty of air and energy - but it's hard not to imagine what would happen if you somehow started sinking. Two thousand meters is a mighty long way.

Back within range of the ocean floor, we traced the line of the wall swimming among the numerous triggerfish, razorfish, batfish, yellowtails and, most pleasingly, friendly Nassau groupers.

We had seen large groupers in the Great Barrier Reef, but none were as curious as this one. The Nassau groupers, known for being less shy than other species, swam alongside us, gobbling up the odd tiny fish and making the abyss seem a little less lonely.

Wall diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands: the essentials

What: Diving in the Turks and Caicos Islands, including Tunnels and Chief Ministers, as part of an 11-day Carnival cruise from Charleston.

Where: We stayed in a balcony stateroom on board the Carnival Sunshine. Our room was spacious and comfortable, and the balcony was worth checking out.

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Atlas & Boots

The ship itself is equipped with countless dining and entertainment options. For daytime dining we liked BlueIguana Cantina and Pizzeria del Capitano. For dinner, we recommend paying the small extra charge to dine at least once at each of the specialty restaurants (Steakhouse, JiJi Asian Kitchen and Cucina del Capitano).

When: The best time to travel to the Caribbean is December to April. The weather is hot, sunny and dry with low humidity and mild nights.

How: We booked our dive directly through Carnival. The supplier, Oasis Divers, was one of the best outfits we have ever dived with. Jason, Roger and Ronald from the crew were fantastic fun and really added something to the dive. We highly recommended them.

We packed our Keepgo International Wifi Hotspot so we can get online while traveling. The device generates a secure WiFi connection over local 4G mobile networks in over 120 countries. Use this referral link to get 10% off any Keepgo product.

We flew to Charleston via New York, but as of January 2020 there are direct flights from the UK. Book via Skyscanner for the best prices.

If you plan on snorkeling in Turks and Caicos (and you really should), you should pack a full-face snorkel mask. We use and recommend Aria QR+ from Ocean Reef.

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Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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