Grace Bay Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard Diving in Grace Bay

WHAT TO EXPECT ON A GRACE BAY LIVEABOARD

Grace Bay has an expansive 22.5km protective barrier reef and is best visited on a Turks & Caicos liveaboard dive trip. With slightly less dramatic and more shallow walls than some of the other popular areas in Turks and Caicos, this is a perfect location for the novice diver. Although the walls may not be as grandiose in size, don't be too quick to write it off; the deep coral canyons and prolific marine life in this area are purely magnificent!

Adding this area to your liveaboard itinerary will ensure you experience as many different dive sites as your length of trip allows. Turks and Caicos has so many diverse dive sites; getting the same experience on land as you will from a liveaboard dive tour would be impossible.

GRACE BAY UNDERWATER

A myriad of marine life can be spotted in and around Grace Bay. Massive groupers, schools of barracuda, and turtles are among the memorable species seen swimming the seas. Occasionally, manta rays can be found cruising the waters. This area is particularly monumental because it is a gathering ground for pregnant reef sharks during the summer months due to the warm and shallow waters. Shark enthusiasts will be in awe watching these mothers-to-be gracefully glide through the tropical waters.

DIVE SITES OF GRACE BAY

GRACELAND - Graceland begins at a sand chute and continues through a spectacular swim-through that opens onto the wall. There is a slight current here, so a nice hover with limited fin movement makes this a relaxing yet exciting ride! Loads of grottos and indentations are scattered along the wall. This is a great location for the macro explorer or for the diver who wants to sit back and relax, watching the jacks, spadefish, and reef sharks swim by.

GROUPER HOLE - This location used to be the site of grouper feedings before the development of the marine park. There is still a good opportunity to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants in a cave where they like to hang out at this dive site. This dive site also boasts a substantially sized coral head in the middle of a sand chute.

AQUARIUM - As the name suggests, this site has an abundance of fish populations. Tremendous schools of fish, such as snapper and grunts, are so thick it is easy to imagine that this is what swimming in an aquarium would feel like. With plenty of cutouts, lobsters are also usually in abundance here.

TOP TIPS FOR DIVERS

Packing light is highly recommended on liveaboard trips. While accommodations are quite comfortable, storage can be limited. Casual and lightweight clothing is acceptable to wear. A lightweight jacket or sweater may come in handy for evenings, as temperatures on the water are usually cooler than on land. High-quality, biodegradable sunscreen is a necessity in the strong tropical sun.

The weather and water temperature around Grace Bay are ideal. Warm and tranquil waters make diving a dream. A rash guard or a 3mm shorty wetsuit is typically all necessary for the near-perfect conditions of Turks and Caicos.

Grace Bay is a large protected marine park. Therefore, divers must take only pictures and memories and leave only bubbles. Disturbing marine life in protected areas is not only frowned upon, but it is also illegal.

GETTING THERE

Grace Bay is located off the northern coast of Provo. The best way to visit this area of Turks and Caicos is via a Turks and Caicos liveaboard dive trip. Liveaboards offers the most extensive dive itineraries in the industry. The main international airport of Turks and Caicos is conveniently located on this island, as are the ports of departure for the available liveaboard dive yachts.