Seven miles south of Grand Turk, Salt Cay is just two square miles, has a population of just over 200, and has little to see topside but the remnants of a salt industry which thrived from the late 1600’s until 1971. Beneath the surface though, lies a pristine wonderland inhabited by an incredibly diverse array of aquatic life, including the Humpback whales that visit between January and April. Let’s take a peek at just five of the sites this little-known paradise has to offer.
Rookery
Also known as the Rockery, the Rookery is a beautifully colorful site with rock formations covered in brilliant sponge and coral growth. With sandy patches surrounded by fields of red and violet deep water gorgonians, the site is home to some massive Nassau groupers, curious tiger groupers, and sleepy nurse sharks. Ideal for all divers, this interesting multilevel site offers depths from 40 to 130 feet, and visibility at about 100 feet. Besides its larger occupants, the area is also home to plenty of wrasse and shrimp, lobsters, crabs, jacks, and yellowtail snappers, parrotfish, and angelfish. Be sure to bring your camera!
Turtle Gardens
Named in honor of the hawksbill turtles which enjoy feeding on the soft coral and sponges that proliferate here, this site features fields of lovely coral where you can find all kinds of small creatures, as well as extensive sandy patches where you can often encounter rays. Watch for the sharks and barracuda that traverse the area in search of their lunch! While maximum depth is 130 feet, there is lots to see in water as shallow as 25 feet, making this site ideal for all divers. Visibility is excellent, often reaching 100 feet or better.
Black Coral Canyon
With depths between 50 and 130 feet, this beautiful deep gorge cuts into the wall, and besides the lovely black coral you will find here, it is covered in yellow tube sponges, orange rope sponges, brilliant purple vase sponges, magnificent gorgonians and delicate sea fans. Home to an endless array of fish large and small, and a good place to watch the view out in the blue beyond, Black Coral Canyon offers visibility that often reaches 100 feet, and is suitable for intermediate divers and better.
Kelly’s Folly
Here, you’ll encounter schools of triggerfish and brilliant blue tangs, goatfish and Bermuda chubs, grunts, and clouds of smaller wrasse and chromis. With depths between 25 and 130 feet, the site is beautifully colorful, with sponges and coral formations that hide incredible macro life. Suitable for all divers, Kelly’s Folly is a relaxing place to work on your underwater photography skills, and like the rest of Salt Cay’s dive sites, it offers visibility at about 100 feet most of the time.
Point Pleasant
An excellent site for snorkeling as well as diving, Point Pleasant is a wonderful multi-level dive site which is suitable for novices and experts alike. With splendid caverns colored with a tapestry of sponge and coral growth, the site is home to pompano and huge silver tarpon, soaring eagle rays, and nurse sharks, as well as swathes of glassfish and black jacks, schooling yellow snapper, brilliant blue tang, and lots of parrotfish, as well as countless smaller creatures. A photographer’s paradise, it offers visibility at about 100 feet most of the time.
Salt Cay is well off the beaten path, yet there are wonderful accommodations available, and friendly local dive operators can take you to several other dive sites besides these few. If you hope to visit, be sure to book well in advance as space is often limited!