About Wreck Alley
Wreck Alley off Cooper Island is a purpose-sunk artificial reef made up of several vessels, including the Marie L, the Pat, the Beata and the Island Seal, which were scuttled in the 1990s to create a new dive attraction. The wrecks sit in a line on a sandy bottom at depths between roughly 17 and 27 meters, so a single dive can take in two or more of them. Over the years the hulls have been colonized by corals and sponges and now shelter big schools of grunts and snapper, with barracuda, turtles and the occasional shark cruising between the wrecks. The site offers a very different atmosphere from the natural reefs, with dark hulls looming out of the blue. It is a favourite second dive on trips around Cooper Island. Wreck Alley shows how successfully the BVI has turned sunken ships into thriving marine habitat.
Highlights
Several purpose-sunk wrecks on one site, schools of grunts and snapper, barracuda, turtles and occasional sharks
Season calendar
Best months to dive here
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Excellent
Good
Off-Season
Dive site facts: Wreck Alley
- Depth
- 17–27 m
- Current
- Mild
- Entry
- Liveaboard only
- Level
- Intermediate
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Region / port
- British Virgin Islands
- Coordinates
- 18.3819° N, 64.5089° W
Conditions & Currents
Currents are usually mild to moderate, and visibility is typically 15 to 25 meters. The sandy bottom means buoyancy control helps keep the site clear for everyone. Dive profiles here run between roughly 17 and 27 metres, so plan your gas and no-decompression limits around the deeper part of the site. It is usually briefed as a dive for intermediate divers. The site is reached by liveaboard, so entries are run from the tender or straight off the back deck. Tide, wind and season all shift the picture from day to day, so the crew's briefing on the boat always overrides any general description.
Why dive Wreck Alley from a liveaboard?
Wreck Alley is one of British Virgin Islands's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Wreck Alley on their British Virgin Islands itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Wreck Alley
These liveaboards may visit Wreck Alley on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
All Star Cuan Law
Virgin Islands
20 guests31.8 m
$564/day
Dive sites similar to Wreck Alley
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© Esri — Maxar, Earthstar, GIS
Thumb Rock
British Virgin Islands
Thumb Rock is a small pinnacle between Cooper and Ginger Islands that breaks the surface like a thumb.
- Suitable for
- Beginner
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Liveaboard only
- Depth
- 5–20 m
- Theme
- Pinnacle / Reef