Basse Espagnole - Sandy Island
Basse Espagnole, tucked near Sandy Island, is a reliable shallow dive, perfect if you’re looking for a relaxed afternoon. The reef plateaus around 14 meters, making it an excellent spot for newer divers or those who prefer to stretch their bottom time. We’ve drifted along its sandy patches, dotted with brain corals and sea fans, often spotting queen angelfish and the occasional parrotfish grazing the corals. It’s not a dramatic wall or a pelagic hotspot, but for a gentle introduction to Anguilla's underwater world, or a second dive, it absolutely hits the mark.
- Location
- Sandy Island, Anguilla, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.125800, -63.005600
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 14m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Little Bay
Nearby Dive Sites in Sandy Island
- Baleine de Gros Ilet - 17m
- Banc Médée - 7m (pinnacle)
- Carib Cargo (Wreck) - 20m (wreck)
- CATHELEY H - 13m (wreck)
- Caye verte - 17m (reef)
- Charly shoal - 17m (reef)
- Chico 1 - 19m
- Chico 2 - 19m
- Chico 3 - 19m
- Circus - 18m
- Coralita - 17m (reef)
- Cow and calf - 16m (pinnacle)
- DIANA V - 1m (wreck)
- DOOSTER-DEB - 0m (wreck)
- Fish Bowl - 19m
Nearest Dive Centres to Basse Espagnole
Marine Life in Sandy Island
Home to 297 recorded species including 247 reef fish, 13 hard corals, 10 other, 6 whales & dolphins, 5 crabs & lobsters, 3 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Harlequin Brittle Star (Ophioderma appressum)
- Boulder Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) - Hard Corals
- Spinyhead Blenny (Acanthemblemaria spinosa) - Reef Fish
- Rusty Goby (Priolepis hipoliti) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Goldspot Goby (Gnatholepis thompsoni) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Spiny Brittle Star (Ophiocoma echinata)
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Island Goby (Lythrypnus nesiotes) - Reef Fish
- Slender Filefish (Monacanthus tuckeri) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Holacanthus tricolor) - Reef Fish