Cades Reef

Best months: Dec–Apr

Protected Area

Cades Bay

Why dive here

With 229+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and orcas - Cades Reef offers some of Antigua South Coast's richest reef diving. Water ranges 27-30°C, warmest August, September, October.

Best timeDec–Apr

WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit

Marine lifeBarracuda, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Orcas · 229+ species recorded

Water27-30°C · warmest August, September, October

CharacterReef dive · max 5-25m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

Cades Reef is a proper Caribbean classic, and it’s always one of our first stops when we’re back in Antigua. It’s a long barrier reef, a really healthy stretch of hard corals that starts shallow and slopes down to about 25 metres. We love that it’s usually pretty calm here, making it perfect for newer divers or anyone who just wants to drift along and take it all in without too much effort. Our favourite part has to be the sheer volume of schooling fish. You’ll fin through clouds of grunts and snappers, and the way the light filters through them is just magic. Keep an eye out for green turtles munching on the seagrass in the shallows; they’re often completely unfazed by divers. We’ve also had some cracking encounters with nurse sharks tucked under ledges, and the morays here, particularly the mottled congers, seem a bit bolder than elsewhere. The reef itself has some lovely overhangs and swim-throughs, not complex, but enough to make it interesting. Go early in the morning before the day boats arrive for the quietest dive.